Moving to the Netherlands, handled from door to door

Where we move clients to Netherlands from

Other origins we cover

• France → Netherlands
• Belgium → Netherlands
• Luxembourg → Netherlands
• Germany → Netherlands
• Austria → Netherlands
• Switzerland → Netherlands
• Ireland → Netherlands
• United Kingdom → Netherlands
• Spain → Netherlands
• Portugal → Netherlands
• Italy → Netherlands
• Greece → Netherlands

Customs & paperwork into Netherlands

Moving from another EU country

Moving to the Netherlands from another EU country involves no customs clearance and no import duty on your belongings.

Once you have an address, you register with your municipality in the Personal Records Database (BRP). Registration gives you your citizen service number (BSN), needed for work, banking, healthcare and housing.

Moving from outside the EU (UK, Switzerland, Norway, USA, and others)

From outside the EU — including the United Kingdom since Brexit, the USA, Switzerland and beyond — your used household goods can enter the Netherlands free of duty and VAT when you transfer your normal residence. To qualify:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have owned and used your belongings for at least 6 months before the move;
• you are transferring your main residence to the Netherlands;
• your goods are imported within 12 months of settling in the Netherlands.

Dutch customs asks for an application for exemption for your removal goods, which we prepare and submit before or at import.

Goods admitted duty-free must not be sold, lent or hired out during the first 12 months.

Shipments to a second home do not qualify.

Documents usually required for customs clearance

• Valid passport
• Proof of your new residence in the Netherlands (municipal registration, rental contract or purchase deed)
• Proof of your previous residence outside the EU for at least 12 months
• Residence permit, if you are not an EU citizen
• A detailed inventory of your belongings
• The customs exemption application we prepare with you

Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, so many sea containers to the Netherlands — and to neighbouring countries — are cleared there. We coordinate collection from the port and delivery to your new home.

Special territories

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (the Caribbean Netherlands) are outside the EU and have their own tax and customs rules. Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are separate countries within the Kingdom. Moves there follow different formalities.

Vehicles and restricted items

• Vehicles Vehicles can be imported with your household goods. Exemption from duty, VAT and the Dutch registration tax (BPM) is possible when moving your residence, under its own conditions. Check before shipping.
• Alcohol and tobacco Excluded from the exemption when shipped from outside the EU, and taxed.
• Plants and food Plants and most animal products are prohibited in shipments from outside the EU.
• Pets Pets travel separately from household goods. They need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or an official health certificate, depending on the country of origin.

How a move to Netherlands works

1. Free quote. Tell us your origin, destination in Netherlands and approximate volume. You receive an online estimate and a detailed quote within 24 hours.
2. Survey and planning. Your coordinator rechecks the volume, locks the transport mode and lists the customs rules you fall under on your way to Netherlands.
3. Packing and collection. A packing crew comes to your address, prepares every item and loads the truck or the container at your door.
4. Transport. On the road for a European route, in a sea container across an ocean, or by air for small urgent shipments to Netherlands.
5. Customs clearance (where required). Customs paperwork for Netherlands is prepared and filed on your behalf (Dutch customs exemption application for non-EU moves).
6. Delivery and set-up. Delivery to your new home, unpacking and furniture reassembly if included in your quote.

The same coordinator sees your move to Netherlands through, from your first email to the keys being handed over.

How your belongings travel — mode by mode

Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and, where required, customs clearance.

Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and, for non-EU moves, customs clearance.

How the price of your move to Netherlands is calculated

We price every move to Netherlands with the same ingredients — nothing hidden, nothing improvised:

• Volume — the single biggest lever on the price, in m³. The online calculator walks you through it one room at a time.
• Distance and route — measured on the actual road, from your door to your delivery address in Netherlands.
• Transport mode — groupage, your own truck, shared or full container, air for urgent small shipments.
• Services — packing, taking furniture apart and reassembling it, crating fragile pieces, storage, island delivery.
• Access — walk-up floors, pedestrian streets, long carries from the truck, and hoists where access is tight.
• Customs — clearance fees and port handling charges, where required by your route to Netherlands.
• Insurance — priced as a percentage of what you tell us your belongings are worth.

Typical volumes, as a guide:

European road moves get a starting price straight from the estimator; everything else — sea, air, customs — is quoted in writing within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay customs duties when moving to the Netherlands from the UK or the USA?

Not if you qualify for the transfer of residence exemption: at least 12 months living outside the EU, belongings owned for at least 6 months, and a move of your main residence to the Netherlands.

Do I need to register with my municipality before my shipment arrives?

It helps a great deal. Your municipal registration is the clearest proof of your new residence and gives you the BSN you need for everything else.

Is there any customs paperwork when moving from another EU country?

No. Moves between EU countries involve no customs formalities and no import duty.

Can my sea container arrive in Rotterdam?

Yes. Rotterdam is the usual port of entry for containers to the Netherlands. Clearance takes place there and we deliver to your home by road.

Can I bring my car to the Netherlands without paying BPM?

Possibly. An exemption from BPM and import taxes exists when you move your residence, with conditions on ownership and use. We check your situation before shipping.

How long does a move to the Netherlands take?

From neighbouring countries, a dedicated truck usually delivers within a few days. A shared load takes one to four weeks. From North America, allow five to eleven weeks by sea container.