International Removals to the Netherlands • Moving House to Holland • International Moving and Storage

Moving to Netherlands

Greens Removals are a European removals company who provide international removals to the Netherlands. If you are moving house to Holland, from the UK or another European or international destination, we provide competitive, high quality removals to all parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Almerek, Groningen, Breda, Enschede, Apeldoorn, Nijmegen, Haarlem, Arnhem, Amersfoort, Dordrecht, Zoetermeer, Zwolle, Leiden, Maastricht.

International Removals to the Netherlands - contact us now to discuss your move, or click here for a Moving House to Holland Quote

Greens Removals are BAR registered and have over 40 years experience providing international removals to the Netherlands.

For international removals to the Netherlands we can either provide you with the following options:

Removals to Holland: Dedicated Service
With our dedicated service, your furniture, personal effects or business equipment will be transported to the Netherlands directly from your home, with the sole use of one of our lorries. This is the most direct and fastest type of removals to Holland service that we offer.

Removals to Holland : Groupage Service
With our groupage service, your part load is grouped together with other part loads to share the cost of the lorry. Using this service means that your items will take longer to arrive, but it is far more cost effective for small loads.

Please be aware that when we move people to the Netherlands, we can encounter access problems due to narrow lanes in rural areas or lack of parking in city centres. If you think this may affect your property, please discuss this with us prior to your move. This will ensure that we can work out a solution to the problem in advance to avoid delays and extra removal costs on your moving day.

Moving to the Netherlands : About the Netherlands
When we think of The Netherlands, it automatically conjures up images of windmills, waterways, clogs and tulips. We also associate the country for its liberal laws and tolerance. But The Netherlands offers far more than this. As expatriates discover, it is a highly modern state, taking a pole position worldwide in banking, commerce and finance.

The Netherlands also has a reputation as the legal capital of the world. The Hague, although not the capital, is the de facto centre of government and holds over 150 international institutions, including the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice. It is a truly international city and all the foreign embassies and government ministries can be found here.

So why does the country have two names? The Netherlands is the official name. It literally means "the low lands", because a staggering 60 per cent of the population of The Netherlands live below sea level. However, the name Holland is derived from centuries ago when foreign trade evolved in the Province of Holland, once the wealthiest area of the country. The Dutch traders were Hollanders and the name stuck.

Holland is rich in art and culture, think of the Dutch Masters such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer. It is also known for its network of dykes, waterways, canals and rivers that criss-cross the country. There are 6,000 navigable waterways in Holland and most of the population live on land below sea level which has been drained and reclaimed from the ocean.

Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the country has a highly developed rail network which connects all towns and is widely used by commuters.

Moving to the Netherlands : Population
The Netherlands has a population of 16.5 million people and is the 11th most populated country in Europe. Some 8 million people live in The Randstad, an area containing Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The capital, Amsterdam, has a population of just 750,000 people.

A number of expatriate communities live in The Netherlands. About 80 per cent of people are ethnically Dutch and the remainder are from countries such as Turkey, Germany, Indonesia, Morocco and Suriname.

Moving to the Netherlands : Religion
The Netherlands is one of the most secular countries in Western Europe. Only 20 per cent of the population are church regulars and 39 per cent regard themselves as religiously affiliated. However, there is a strong regard for religion in general and Christian and Islamic Schools receive state subsidies.

Moving to the Netherlands : Immigration
EU, EER or Swiss Nationals who intend to stay more than three months, will need to register with the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Services) who will place a sticker in your passport.

Those who are not EU, EER or Swiss Nationals and intend to stay more than three months, must apply for a residence permit on arriving at the IND. In most cases you will need to apply for an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) to enter the country. The residence permit depends on the purpose of staying. The principal reasons are: work purposes, study or to stay with a family member.

Moving to the Netherlands : Personal Effects
You can bring your personal possessions, such as household effects etc, without the need for a permit or to having to pay tax or duties. You do require a permit to bring a motorcycle or car with you.

Moving to the Netherlands : Cars and Motorcycles
You need a permit for the free of tax registration. You can apply for this at the customs district in the area you intend to move to and it is best to apply for this well in advance. To get a permit, you must have had a year's residency in another EU country (other than The Netherlands). In that timescale you must have been resident in that country for at least 185 days for professional and family reasons. You must have had the car for at least six months and used it in that EU country.

Once you have moved to the Netherlands you cannot sell, lend, or lease the car or motorcycle for a year. But if you do want to do this, you must inform customs in the area where you live and they will decide whether or not you will have to pay taxes.

However, if you have worked in an EU country outside The Netherlands, but your family has lived in the Netherlands during that time, customs will regard you as having been resident in the Netherlands. This can mean that you will not get a permit and your vehicle will not be registered free of tax.

If you bring your vehicle into the Netherlands from an EU country you can't drive it until you receive a Dutch vehicle registration certificate. It is best to get this done this as soon as you can. The first step is to get your vehicle inspected by the (RDW Centrum voor vervoertechniek en informatie) National Vehicle Administration Agency. On inspection you will receive a declaration form for the motor vehicle tax (BPM) and you should submit several copies of this to the customs office. The vehicle registration certificate will automatically be sent to you. You can obtain the new registration plates from a recognised garage.

Once your name is transferred to the vehicle registration certificate, you will have to pay road tax. The Tax Administration will send you a payment slip for this. It is also a requirement that you get your car or motorcycle insured, which you can arrange through an insurance company.

Moving to the Netherlands : Healthcare
Every person who lives in the Netherlands must take out health insurance and companies are required to accept you at least for the basic package.

Moving to the Netherlands : Education
Those of you who make a move to The Netherlands with children, will need to have a look at what options are available for schooling. The Dutch school system consists of primary, secondary and higher education. Children start kindergarten at the age of four and are required to attend school full time from the age of five. Primary school education lasts eight years and parents can choose from public schools (under the authority of the municipality); schools based on various educational philosophies, religious schools and some private schools.

In the last year of primary education , pupils and their parents must choose a type of secondary education. Cito-teots (Cito tests) are designed to recommend the type of education for a secondary school pupil. The options are VMBO (preparatory middle level vocational education), a programme of four years which is job orientated; HAVO (higher general continued education) which lasts five years and prepares students for a university of professional education; VWO (pre-university) which lasts six years and prepare students for university.

International Removals to the Netherlands - contact us now to discuss your move, or click here for a Moving House to Holland Quote

Moving to Holland information

Removals to Holland - guide to Amsterdam