A successful move to the Netherlands starts before the flight. Use this page as the master route: establish your legal route, collect documents that may be difficult to obtain later, secure a registrable address, plan work and money, and know what must happen in your first days after arrival.<\/p>\n
Foreign documents may need legalisation, an apostille and\/or translation. The answer depends on the issuing country and document. Documents in languages other than Dutch, English, French or German often need translation; public documents from another EU country benefit from EU simplification rules. Check the exact country\/document route rather than guessing.<\/p>\n
Separate somewhere to sleep<\/strong> from an address you can register at<\/strong>. Before paying a deposit, establish who the landlord is, what the contract says, whether registration is possible and what is included. Use our full housing\/renting guides for contracts, deposits, scams, utilities and finding accommodation.<\/p>\n If you are moving for work, keep the signed contract, employer\/sponsor details and start date accessible. If you are job hunting after arrival, budget for a longer runway than your optimistic scenario. See Working in the Netherlands<\/a> and the workplace guides; the dedicated Work audit later expands job search and employment-rights routes further.<\/p>\n Pets:<\/strong> rules depend on animal and origin country. Dogs, cats and ferrets commonly require microchipping, rabies compliance and the correct travel documentation. Start with the NVWA\/Government route well before travel.<\/p>\n Belongings:<\/strong> make an inventory of what is coming with you and check customs\/tax rules when moving from outside the EU. Do not ship irreplaceable originals in a box you cannot access during registration.<\/p>\n Vehicle:<\/strong> check import\/registration\/tax rules and how long your foreign driving licence remains usable. Whether a licence can be exchanged depends on where it was issued and your circumstances.<\/p>\n Bring enough lawful medication for the transition and carry supporting prescription\/medical information where appropriate. Do not assume every medicine can simply be brought across a border or that a Dutch doctor will automatically continue a foreign prescription unchanged. After arrival, use our Healthcare and Huisarts guides for insurance, GP registration, pharmacy, referrals and urgent care.<\/p>\nWork and income<\/h2>\n
Pets, belongings and a car<\/h2>\n
Health and medicines<\/h2>\n
Learn a little Dutch before arrival<\/h2>\n