Moving to the Netherlands (a guide from the Dutch customs)

This is information taken from the website of the Customs and only here for your benefit. If you have any questions please contact customs directly. See the website of customs.

Expatax can’t answer specific questions about importing a car or bringing your pet to the Netherlands.

Introduction

This text contains information for people who are moving to the Netherlands and wish to take their personal belongings along with them. Normally, the import of goods and registration of your car or motorcycle are liable to taxes, but this is not necessarily the case when you are moving. To take along your personal belongings tax-free with you into the Netherlands you will, however, have to make a few provisions. For example, if you wish to take along your car with you, you need a permit. And there are more things you should take into account. For example, your dog or cat may not enter the country without its own passport for which you will have to see a vet first. Often, your removal contractor will make many provisions for you, too. The rules that apply to your situation depend on the country from which you are moving. The rules are different when you move from an EU country than from a non-EU country. The EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden.

Important! Often, you will also have to make a few provisions in the country from which you are moving for the export of your personal belongings. You should, therefore, ask information from the authorities in time. This text does not contain any information on the provisions to be made for the export of goods from the different countries.

You are moving from an EU country to the Netherlands

There is basically a free movement of goods within the EU.

Personal belongings

You can bring your personal belongings into the Netherlands. Personal belongings are household effects and necessities, personal hygiene products, vehicles, dogs and cats. You can bring these personal belongings along with you without having to apply for a permit or having to pay duties and taxes. You do need a permit, however, for bringing your car or motorcycle along with you.

Car or motorcycle

You need a permit for the free-of-tax registration of your car or motorcycle in the Netherlands. You can apply for a permit at the customs district in the area in which your future residence is located. It is advisable to apply for this permit well before moving to the Netherlands.

Permits are issued subject to the following conditions:

  • You must have been resident in another EU country than the Netherlands for at least twelve months.
  • In that period of twelve months you must have been resident in that other EU country for at least 185 days for professional and family reasons.
  • Your car or motorcycle must have been in your possession for at least six months and must have been used in that other EU country.

Following your move to the Netherlands, your car or motorcycle may not be lent out, pledged, leased or sold for twelve months. If you wish to do so anyway, you must first inform the customs authorities of the customs district you live in. They will then decide whether you have to pay taxes.

Important! If you have worked in another EU country than the Netherlands and your family lived in the Netherlands during that period, you will be considered to have been resident in the Netherlands for customs purposes. The same applies to the situation in which you have worked or studied in another EU country for a certain period of time. This can mean that you will not receive a permit and that your car or motorcycle will not be registered free of tax. Besides applying for a permit you must make a few other provisions in the Netherlands before you are allowed to drive your car or motorcycle here. Vehicle registration certificate If you bring your car or motorcycle from another EU country into the Netherlands, you may not immediately drive in it. Your car or motorcycle must first have a Dutch vehicle registration certificate. This requires a technical inspection by the National Vehicle Administration Agency (RDW Centrum voor vervoertechniek en informatie). At the RDW inspection point you will receive a declaration form for the motor vehicle tax (BPM). You must submit several copies of this form at a customs office where BPM declarations can be lodged. The vehicle registration certificate will be automatically sent to you. You are, however, responsible for obtaining registration plates yourself. This can be done at a recognized garage. It is advisable to have your car or motorcycle inspected and lodge your BPM declaration as soon as possible.

Road tax

You must pay road tax as soon as your car or motorcycle is registered in the Netherlands. Once your name is transferred to the vehicle registration certificate, this also serves as a road tax declaration. Soon afterwards, the Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) will send you a giro payment slip.

Insurance

Furthermore, you are obliged to insure your car or motorcycle. You must at least take out third party insurance for your car or motorcycle. An insurance company can arrange this for you. I can help you with it.

Pets

You may bring pets into the Netherlands only if they are not meant to be traded or sold. If you wish to bring your dog or cat when you are moving to the Netherlands, it needs a pet passport. Your pet must be examined by a recognized vet in the country you are moving from in order to obtain such a passport.

The passport contains the following information:

  • a statement from the vet (in Dutch, English, French or German) that your pet has been vaccinated with an approved vaccine against rabies;
  • the date of vaccination;
  • your pet’s description including its breed, sex, age, colour and type of fur and its marks;
  • the name of the owner.

Important! Your dog or cat must have been vaccinated within 1 year and at least 30 days before your move. Please take into account that applying for such a passport will take some time. You should, therefore, apply for it at your vet no later than 10 days before your move. If you do not have a pet passport, your dog or cat will be vaccinated upon entering the country after which it will have to remain in quarantine for 30 days.

For a few other animals you need a health certificate. This is, at least, applicable to birds, horses, cows (and other ungulates), ferrets, minks and foxes. You can obtain this health certificate from a recognized vet in the country you are moving from. You do not need a health certificate or passport for other animals, for example, rabbits, hares and fishes. You can bring these animals without having to make special provisions.

You are moving from a non-EU country to the Netherlands

Normally, when you are moving from a non-EU country to the Netherlands, you have to pay duties and taxes. But in case of a move you may import personal belongings free of taxes and register your car or motorcycle free of taxes.

Personal belongings

Personal belongings are, for example, your household effects and necessities, personal hygiene products, vehicles, dogs and cats. You do need a permit to bring along these personal belongings. The same applies if you bring along your car or motorcycle. If you are bringing along alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, company cars or professional equipment with you, you must always pay taxes.

Permit

You need a permit for the duty-free import into the Netherlands of your personal belongings. You can apply for a permit at the customs district in the area in which your future residence is located. It is advisable to apply for this permit well before moving to the Netherlands. With your application you must also submit a list stating all the goods you wish to bring into the Netherlands.

Permits are issued subject to the following conditions:

  • You must have been resident in a non-EU country for at least twelve months.
  • In that period of twelve months you must have been resident in that non-EU country for at least 185 days for professional and family reasons.
  • The goods must have been in your possession for at least six months and must have been used in that non-EU country.

Following your move to the Netherlands, your belongings may not be lent out, pledged, leased or sold for twelve months. This period of twelve months begins at the moment that the customs have accepted your import declaration. If you wish to do so anyway, you must first inform the customs authorities of the customs district you live in. They will then decide whether you have to pay taxes.

Important! If you have worked in a non-EU country and your family lived in the Netherlands during that period, you will be considered to have been resident in the Netherlands for customs purposes. The same applies to the situation in which you have worked or studied in a non-EU country for a certain period of time. This can mean that you will not receive a permit and cannot take along your personal belongings with you free of taxes.

Import declaration

Following their entry in the Netherlands your goods must be declared at the customs. You can do so by completing the form “Single Administrative Document” (“Enig Document”). You can obtain this form at the customs district in the area in which your future residence is located. The procedure for the import of your personal belongings is separate from the procedure for the inspection of your car or motorcycle and the lodging of the motor vehicle tax declaration (BPM) for this. It is advisable to lodge your import declaration as soon as possible.

Car or motorcycle

The rules that apply for the import of your car or motorcycle are the same as those for the import of your other personal belongings. That means: – You need a licence for the tax-free registration in the Netherlands. On entry in the Netherlands you have to declare your car or motorcycle at the customs. Like your other personal belongings, you must state your car or motorcycle on the form “Single Administrative Document” (“Enig Document”). Furthermore, you will have to make a few specific provisions before you can drive your car or motorcycle in the Netherlands. The procedures for the importation of your car or motorcycle, for the vehicle inspection and the lodging of the motor vehicle tax declaration (BPM) are separate procedures. It is advisable to lodge the import declaration, to have your vehicle inspected and to lodge the motor vehicle tax declaration (BPM) as soon as possible.

Vehicle registration certificate

If you bring your car or motorcycle from a non- EU country into the Netherlands, you may not immediately drive in it. Your car or motorcycle must first have a Dutch vehicle registration certificate. This requires a technical inspection by the National Vehicle Administration Agency (RDW Centrum voor vervoertechniek en informatie). At the RDW inspection point you will receive a declaration form for the motor vehicle tax (BPM). You must submit several copies of this form at a customs office where BPM declarations can be lodged. The vehicle registration certificate will be automatically sent to you. You are, however, responsible for obtaining registration plates yourself. This can be done at a recognized garage. It is advisable to have your car or motorcycle inspected and lodge your BPM declaration as soon as possible.

Road tax

You must pay road tax as soon as your car or motorcycle is registered in the Netherlands. Once your name is transferred to the vehicle registration certificate, this also serves as a road tax declaration. Soon afterwards, the Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) will send you a giro payment slip.

Insurance

Furthermore, you are obliged to insure your car or motorcycle. You must at least take out third party insurance for your car or motorcycle. An insurance company can arrange this for you.

Pets

You may bring pets into the Netherlands only if they are not meant to be traded or sold. Dogs and cats If you wish to bring your dog or cat when you are moving to the Netherlands, it needs its own pet passport. Your pet must be examined by a recognized vet in the country you are moving from in order to obtain such a passport.

The passport contains the following information:

  • a statement from the vet (in Dutch, English, French or German) that your pet has been vaccinated with an approved vaccine against rabies;
  • the date of vaccination;
  • your pet’s description including its breed, sex, age, colour and type of fur and its marks;
  • the name of the owner.

Important! Your dog or cat must have been vaccinated within 1 year and at least 30 days before your move. Please take into account that applying for such a passport will take some time. You should, therefore, apply for it at your vet no later than 10 days before your move. If you do not have a pet passport, your dog or cat will be vaccinated upon entering the country after which it will have to remain in quarantine for 30 days.

Other animals

For a few other animals you need a health certificate. This is, at least, applicable to birds, horses, cows (and other ungulates), ferrets, minks and foxes. You can obtain this health certificate from a recognized vet in the country you are moving from. It is prohibited to bring certain animals into the Netherlands. Parrots and parrot-like birds (for example, parakeets) can not be brought if they come from one of the following countries: Argentina, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Brazil, Senegal, Thailand, East Timor or Paraguay. You do not need a health certificate or passport for other animals, for example, rabbits, hares and fishes. When moving to the Netherlands you can bring these animals without having to make special provisions.

Information on bringing special products or animals along with you

When you move to the Netherlands, you can bring along your personal belongings free of taxes. Certain goods of your belongings, however, may be subject to special rules. For example: protected species of fauna and flora, counterfeit branded articles, works of art, antiques, drugs and medicines, weapons and fresh foodstuffs. It is also prohibited to bring certain animals, plants or products into the Netherlands. The rules that are applicable in this case may differ per country from which you are moving. For more information on this subject you can telephone the Dutch Tax Administration/Customs: 0800-0143.

Protected species of fauna and flora

Bringing protected species of fauna and flora into the Netherlands is nearly always prohibited. You are allowed to bring such items into the Netherlands only if they have been part of your personal belongings for a longer period of time. You must, however, be able to prove this. It is nearly always prohibited to buy protected species of fauna and flora. (Various ‘nature souvenirs’ are for sale at local market places in (particularly) non-EU countries).

Some examples are:

  • plants: orchids and cacti;
  • animals: great apes and South American monkeys, crocodiles, certain snakes, iguanas, turtles, lizards, parrots and other species of exotic birds, leopards, tigers and rhinoceroses;
  • coral and special shells, for example, font shells and horn shells;
  • items made of protected species of fauna and flora: snakeskin shoes, bags or watch straps, chains and bracelets with ivory inlay, prepared butterflies or snakes, ‘rainsticks’ (musical instruments made of cactus stems), decorative items made of coral and hair combs made of turtle shell.

On an international level, measures have been adopted against the trade in protected species of fauna and flora. More than 140 countries have signed the so-called CITES treaty. For the few species you are allowed to bring along with you to the Netherlands, you usually need an export licence issued in the country you are moving from together with an import licence issued by the Dutch CITES bureau “LASER”. Make sure you are well informed about this matter before your move to the Netherlands by contacting the Dutch Tax Administration/Customs. If the customs find a nature souvenir among your personal belongings or household goods, they may seize it. And if you do not have a licence, you may be fined.

Counterfeit branded articles

Have you bought a counterfeit Rolex watch or Nike shoes in the country you are moving from? In increasingly more countries you can buy counterfeit branded articles for little money. Besides watches and brand clothes, other examples are perfumes and illegal copies of CDs or video tapes. Because the trademarks are protected, it is prohibited to bring these products into the Netherlands with you. If the customs find counterfeit branded articles in your personal belongings or household goods, they may seize them.

Works of art and antiques

In the past few centuries many valuable works of art and antiques have been removed from culture areas. Therefore, various measures have been adopted on a both national and international level to limit this. If a work of art or an antique item is a piece of your furniture, you may bring it along with you. If you have bought works of art or antiques in the country you are moving from, you may bring these along with you into the Netherlands only if you have certain licences for this purpose. Recognized art or antique shops can often assist you with this. If traders abroad offer you works of art or antiques at extremely low prices, you can nearly always assume that illegal transactions or counterfeit items are involved.

Drugs and medicines

Possession of drugs, such as hashish, cocaine and heroin is severely punished around the world. If you are arrested for possession of drugs, you can sometimes be sentenced to long- term imprisonment, and in some countries you may even get the death penalty. Certain medicines are sometimes mistaken for drugs. If you use medicines regularly, ask your general practitioner for a medical passport in order to prove to the customs that you use those medicines yourself.

Weapons

It is prohibited to bring weapons and ammunition along with you into the Netherlands without a licence. This also applies to weapons used for hunting or shooting and for any antique weapon you bring along as a souvenir.

Foodstuffs

You can bring along up to one kilogramme of meat, fish and dairy products, such as cheese, with you for home-use, provided that these products come from countries where there are no contagious animal diseases. If a contagious animal disease has broken out in a country, there will be restrictions or a prohibition may be imposed. You may then be confronted with extensive customs checks. You can also bring small quantities of fruit along with you for home-use.

Flowers and plants

You can bring along the flowers and plants that form part of your personal belongings into the Netherlands with you without any restriction.

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