Dutch mobile number and eSIM for newcomers: keeping your home number with dual SIM
Door Joris KerkhofBijgewerkt op 7 min lezen
You can't move a foreign number to a Dutch provider, but you can keep it: put your home SIM and a Dutch SIM or eSIM in one dual-SIM phone. KPN, Vodafone, Odido and many budget brands offer eSIM at no extra cost on a new plan. What permanent EU roaming allows, when you need a Dutch 06 number and how to set it up.
Short answer
As of 29 September 2026: you can't transfer a foreign mobile number to a Dutch provider, because number porting works between providers within one country (ACM ConsuWijzer). You can keep it active, though. The easiest setup is dual SIM: your home number and a Dutch number (starting with 06, or +31 6) in the same phone, often as one physical SIM plus an eSIM. A Dutch eSIM costs nothing extra on a new plan at most providers, including KPN, Vodafone, Odido and budget brands such as Simyo (Providers.nl, June 2026, Simyo). Using only your EU home SIM long-term is risky: EU operators may add roaming surcharges if you mainly use it abroad for four months (Your Europe).
Do you need a Dutch phone number if you live in the Netherlands?
In practice yes, for daily life. A Dutch number is what landlords, employers, doctors, delivery services and Dutch banks expect, and domestic calls and data on a Dutch plan are much cheaper than long-term roaming. It also avoids the EU fair-use rules described below. Many newcomers keep their home number for banking apps, two-factor codes and family, and use a Dutch number for everything local.
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch SIM-only plus home SIM (dual SIM) | Most people: local number plus home number in one phone | Your phone must support dual SIM; keep the home plan cheap |
| Dutch prepaid on arrival | The first weeks, before you have an address or bank account | Higher price per GB than SIM-only |
| Home SIM only (EU) | Short stays | Roaming surcharges after four months of mainly foreign use |
| Home SIM only (non-EU, e.g. UK or US) | Very short stays | Roaming rules depend entirely on your home provider |
Getting a Dutch plan, prepaid or SIM-only, is explained in getting a Dutch SIM card as an expat. The Netherlands has not banned anonymous prepaid SIMs (Emerce), so a prepaid SIM from a supermarket or phone shop works on day one.
Can you keep using your foreign SIM in the Netherlands?
For a while, yes; permanently, it depends. For an EU/EEA SIM, roam-like-at-home applies, but it is meant for travel. If over four months you spend more time abroad than at home and use your SIM more abroad than at home, your operator may ask you to explain within 14 days and then charge capped surcharges; the EU page lists maximum surcharges of €0.019 a minute, €0.003 per text and €1.30 per GB for 2025 (Your Europe). Connecting to your home network at least once a day counts as presence at home.
For a non-EU SIM such as a UK or US number, EU rules don't apply and your home provider sets the price. Check your plan before you rely on it. More on EU roaming, the UK and Switzerland: roaming with a Dutch mobile plan.
Keep your home number cheaply
Downgrade your home plan to the smallest bundle that keeps the number active, or move it to a cheap prepaid or eSIM plan in your home country before you leave. Turn off data roaming for that line so only calls and texts (like bank codes) come through.
Which Dutch providers offer eSIM?
All three networks and most budget brands. According to an overview updated in June 2026, KPN, Vodafone and Odido offer eSIM, as do budget brands including Simyo, Ben, Youfone, Lebara, hollandsnieuwe and Simpel; on a new subscription an eSIM costs nothing extra, and switching an existing SIM to eSIM is usually free (Providers.nl). Simyo, on the KPN network, offers eSIM for both SIM-only and prepaid (Simyo). Support can change, so check the provider's order page before you buy.
- Check your phone: most recent iPhones, Pixels and Samsung Galaxy phones support eSIM plus a physical SIM; some models, depending on the country of purchase, are eSIM-only or don't support eSIM. See eSIM-only iPhones and Dutch providers (in Dutch).
- Activation: you usually get a QR code by email or in the app after ordering; scan it on Wi-Fi.
- Phone unlocked: a phone locked to your home carrier won't accept a Dutch SIM. Ask your home carrier to unlock it before you leave.
How do you set up dual SIM, step by step?
- Before you leave: unlock your phone, downgrade your home plan and set up app-based two-factor authentication where you can, so you depend less on text messages.
- On arrival: buy a Dutch prepaid SIM or eSIM, or order SIM-only once you have an address and a euro bank account.
- In your phone's settings: label the lines (for example "NL" and "Home"), set the Dutch line as default for mobile data, and choose per contact which line to call from.
- Messaging apps: WhatsApp and similar apps stay linked to the number you registered; changing it is optional and done in the app's settings.
- Later: when you switch Dutch providers, take your 06 number with you. Porting is free, arranged by your new provider, and your old provider may not refuse it (ACM ConsuWijzer).
Compare Dutch plans on SIM-only deals, or read how to compare the cheapest SIM-only deals. Coverage per network: mobile coverage and 5G in the Netherlands.
Veelgestelde vragen
No. Number porting works between providers within one country. Keep your foreign number active on its home network and use a Dutch SIM or eSIM next to it with dual SIM.
Yes. KPN, Vodafone and Odido offer eSIM, as do many budget brands such as Simyo and Ben. On a new subscription it usually costs nothing extra (overview June 2026).
Not reliably. Roam-like-at-home is for travel. If over four months you are mostly abroad and use your SIM more abroad than at home, your operator may charge capped roaming surcharges.
No legal ID registration is required for prepaid SIMs in the Netherlands. For a SIM-only contract you usually need ID, a Dutch address and a euro bank account.
Geschreven door
