Guide › Moving in the Netherlands: the checklist

Moving in the Netherlands: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

58 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: one month, usually to month end
By law at least one month and at most three (BW 7:271); with a fixed term mind the end date.
14 weeks before
Give written notice (registered letter)
Registered mail with a date; keep the receipt.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the deposit (borg) and the first month's rent
Since 2023 at most two months' rent (Wet goed verhuurderschap).
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Update the contents and liability insurance
Report the new address; cancel duplicate policies when moving in together.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book bulky waste (grofvuil) with the municipality
Collection by appointment or bring it to the recycling centre.
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Claim the deposit back
Within 14 days of the end of the tenancy if nothing is damaged (Wet goed verhuurderschap); disputes go to the Huurcommissie.

New home

9 weeks before
Handover report (opleveringsrapport) at the key handover, with photos
Signed by both parties — the basis for the deposit.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Energy and water: sign a contract for the new address
The grid operator is fixed, the supplier is your choice; pass on the meter readings on handover day.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Meet the neighbours and the property manager

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Apply to the municipality for a parking exemption or ban for the moving van
Needed in Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam; one to two weeks ahead, chargeable.
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Report the move to the municipality (BRP)
From four weeks before to five days after the move (Wet BRP, art. 2.39); online with DigiD; the municipality informs the tax office, RDW and SVB automatically.
7 days after
Set up the PostNL moving service
postnl.nl; three, six or twelve months, at least five working days' notice.
7 days after
Apply for a residents' parking permit at the new address
In cities with permit parking; waiting lists are common — apply at once.
7 days after
Update housing and healthcare benefit with the tax office
toeslagen.nl; housing benefit is tied to the home and must be re-applied for.
10 days after
Register for primary school or childcare
Primary school is free choice; childcare comes with the childcare allowance.
2 weeks after
Tell the bank, employer and insurers
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
GP, dentist and pharmacy in the new area
A GP only takes patients from their area; ask early, waiting lists are common.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.