Moving from the UK to the Netherlands means planning the paperwork around the physical move: registering with the local municipality, getting a citizen service number, sorting the driving licence and clearing household goods through Dutch customs. This article summarises the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance “Living in the Netherlands” on GOV.UK (last updated 23 December 2025 on the version consulted) and two Dutch Customs pages, “Moving to the Netherlands” (last updated 12 November 2025) and “This is not permitted to include in your household effects” (last updated 30 October 2025). It concerns people moving from the UK, which is outside the European Union. It is general information, not immigration or legal advice, and the FCDO says the UK government cannot give personalised advice on moving to the Netherlands.
Visas and residence permits
The FCDO says to check which visa or residence permit is needed and lists work, study, internship or apprenticeship, starting a business, research, living with family and medical treatment as the routes. It directs readers to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and the Embassy of the Netherlands in London, and says the British Embassy in The Hague cannot help with Dutch visa, residency or citizenship applications. People who moved before 1 January 2021 have Withdrawal Agreement rights and should hold a Withdrawal Agreement residence document. This article is for those moving now, who should check the IND for the route that applies to them.
Registering with the municipality
According to the FCDO, on arrival a person must register with the local municipality (“Gemeente”). Anyone intending to live in the Netherlands for more than four months must register as a resident in the Personal Records Database (BRP) by making an appointment at the municipality within five days of arrival. Those staying under four months should register on the Non-Residents Records Database (RNI) through their local RNI desk. Anyone who moves house afterwards must tell the municipality of the change of address. Registration leads to a Citizen Service Number (BSN), which the FCDO says is needed to work, open a bank account, get health insurance, visit a doctor or hospital and apply for benefits. Because the BRP registration certificate also underpins the customs paperwork below, booking that appointment early is sensible.
Customs relief on household goods
Dutch Customs says that someone moving from a non-EU country who wants to import household effects without paying import duties must declare the import to Customs. The declaration cannot be filed independently: the removal company files it in Customs’ declaration system using a relief code. The customer gives the removal company:
- a signed inventory listing all the personal goods to be taken;
- the certificate of registration in the municipality’s personal records database, showing that and when the person settled in the Netherlands; and
- if there is no registration certificate yet, proof of deregistration from the country of departure plus one of the following: an employment contract, an employer’s statement, a work permit, or a rental contract or mortgage certificate for the new home.
Customs says that if not all documents are available, a removal company can under certain conditions still apply, provided the missing documents are sent as soon as possible. For a car or motorcycle, copies of the registration certificate and the purchase or ownership certificate are needed, and vehicles need a separate declaration through the removal company.
The conditions for relief, according to Customs, are: moving from outside the EU to live in the Netherlands or another EU country; having lived outside the EU for at least twelve consecutive months; having owned and used the goods for at least six months and being about to use them again; importing within twelve months of taking up residence; and not lending, pledging, leasing out or transferring the goods within twelve months of import. Relief does not apply to products containing alcohol, tobacco and tobacco products, commercial vehicles or non-portable materials for professional use.
What cannot go in the shipment
The second Customs page says products containing alcohol, such as wine or spirits, attract import duties, and that tobacco products may not be sent with household effects unless they bear valid Dutch excise seals; unsealed tobacco is seized and taxed. Dogs and cats, counterfeit articles, endangered species, animal products, weapons and ammunition, narcotics and cultural goods such as art and antiques are subject to special rules. The site’s guide to moving abroad with a pet covers the animal side.
Driving
The FCDO says a UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence can be used in the Netherlands for up to 185 days, and that these licences cannot be replaced or renewed while living there. To keep driving after 185 days the licence must be exchanged, and the application should be made before the 185 days end because processing takes time. If it cannot be exchanged, a Dutch licence must be applied for as a non-EU national, which involves registering with the municipality, a certificate of fitness, a Dutch theory test and a practical test. A UK Blue Badge holder who lives in the Netherlands must return it to the UK issuing authority.
Buying and renting
The FCDO says to contact an English-speaking lawyer in the Netherlands when considering buying property or land. It also notes that the UK has a double taxation agreement with the Netherlands, and suggests professional advice on tax.
The bottom line
For a UK-to-Netherlands move, the FCDO and Dutch Customs describe a sequence: confirm the visa or permit with the IND, register with the municipality within five days if staying more than four months, get the BSN, and give the removal company the documents it needs to claim customs relief. Relief is conditional and excludes alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles and professional equipment. UK driving licences can be used for 185 days before exchange. This article covers moves from the UK only, so rules differ for other origins.