Getting a Dutch SIM card
You need a Dutch number in your first week to be reachable, and none of the practical steps require a BSN, a Dutch bank account or a credit history if you start prepaid. What a subscription needs that prepaid does not, and where prepaid SIMs are sold.
Last checked Aug 21, 2026
Getting a Dutch SIM card
A prepaid SIM or prepaid eSIM needs no BSN, no Dutch bank account and no credit history: you buy credit and top it up yourself. A monthly SIM-only subscription usually needs both a BSN and a Dutch bank account for direct debit, which most au pairs do not have in their first week.
Prepaid: what you can start with immediately
Prepaid SIM cards are sold in Dutch supermarkets, at general stores, and at Schiphol airport, so you can pick one up the day you land if your host family points you to the nearest shop. Several providers also sell prepaid eSIMs you activate online within minutes, which works if your phone supports eSIM. Either way, prepaid asks for none of the paperwork that has not arrived yet in your first week: no BSN, no Dutch address proof, no identity check tied to a bank account.
Switching to a subscription later
A SIM-only subscription is billed monthly by direct debit, which means the provider needs a Dutch bank account and usually a BSN and an identity check before they will activate it. This is why most au pairs start prepaid and move to a subscription once the BSN and bank account from their first weeks are actually in place. Ask your host family whether they pay for your SIM or bundle before you commit to either option, since this differs completely per family.
The one contract trap to watch for
Be careful with a "free phone" or "phone included" offer bundled into a subscription. If you borrow money for the device as part of the deal, Dutch consumer rules treat that borrowing as credit: the provider has to check your income and you get a BKR credit registration in the Netherlands, which can affect other borrowing later. If an offer includes a device, ask directly whether the phone counts as a loan before you sign anything.
Using your bundle when you travel
Using your Dutch bundle in other EU countries is normally included under EU roaming rules, but check your own provider's conditions before you travel, since terms differ per provider and can change. Expect higher costs, or none of the roaming allowance, outside the EU.
Wifi calling and messaging apps cover most of how au pairs actually stay in touch with family at home, so you often need less mobile data than you first expect.