There is no fixed approval time from the Dutch government for a Revolut bank account for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance). In practice, it can take a few days to several weeks for the account to be recognised and for payments to start. The error you see after 24 hours is common for new accounts and does not necessarily mean you need to call them yet.

Zorgtoeslag is paid by the Dienst Toeslagen (part of the Dutch government). They require a Dutch IBAN for payments. Revolut accounts use a Belgian or Lithuanian IBAN, not a Dutch one. This is often the root cause of the error: the system may not recognise the account as valid for receiving Dutch government payments. Even if Revolut provides a local IBAN in some cases, it may not be registered in the Dutch payment system in the same way as a traditional Dutch bank account.

When you enter your Revolut IBAN to receive money, the error "number not recognised" usually means the system cannot validate it against the Dutch IBAN registry. This can happen because:

  • The account is new and not yet fully verified by Toeslagen.
  • The IBAN is foreign, and Toeslagen's system only accepts Dutch IBANs.
  • There is a mismatch between the name on the account and the name registered with Toeslagen.

What to do:

  1. Wait a few more days. Sometimes it takes up to a week for new accounts to be processed.
  2. Check your Revolut app to confirm your IBAN and that your identity verification is complete.
  3. Contact Dienst Toeslagen directly. They can confirm whether your IBAN is acceptable and what steps to take. You can call them or use their online portal.
  4. Consider opening a traditional Dutch bank account (e.g., ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO) if you need to receive zorgtoeslag reliably. Many expats find this necessary because government agencies often require a Dutch IBAN.

Honest tradeoff: Revolut is convenient for everyday spending, but it may not be suitable for receiving Dutch government benefits. If you rely on zorgtoeslag, a Dutch bank account is the safer choice. If you are learning Dutch, understanding terms like "zorgtoeslag" and "IBAN" can help you navigate these systems; resources like Dutch Fluency can assist with language basics.

Next steps: verify your IBAN, wait a few days, then contact Toeslagen if the error persists. If they confirm Revolut is not accepted, open a Dutch bank account.