Amsterdam
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
Canal houses with steep stairs and hoisting beams, heavy-vehicle restrictions in the centre, and parking exemptions applied for in advance.
Moving to the Netherlands by road
The Netherlands is one of our quickest European routes. One crew loads at your door in Britain, crosses the Channel or the North Sea, and unloads at your door in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague, often within two or three days.
Last reviewed:
The route at a glance
- Collected from
- Any UK address
- Crossing via
- Channel, or Harwich–Hook of Holland
- Typical transit
- 2–8 days door to door
- Departures
- Weekly
- Book by
- 3–4 weeks before you move
BSNYour citizen service number, issued on registration
HijsbalkThe hoisting beam on top of a canal house
2–3 daysTypical dedicated transit door to door
One crewThe people who load are the people who deliver
Close, quick, and occasionally vertical
The Netherlands is close enough that a dedicated vehicle can often collect one day and deliver the next. Our vehicles take the Channel crossing and drive through Belgium, or cross the North Sea directly from Harwich.
Dutch customs are efficient and the transfer of residence relief is straightforward. The practical challenges are in the cities: steep canal-house stairs, narrow streets, cyclists and strict rules on where a vehicle may stop.
Loaded at your door · Across the Channel · Unloaded at the other
Where we deliver in the Netherlands
Door-to-door transit times from UK collection, with what to expect at the delivery end. Dedicated vehicles are at the quick end; part loads wait for a scheduled departure and share the journey.
Rotterdam
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
Modern apartment towers alongside older streets. Building management usually wants notice and a reserved lift.
The Hague, Leiden & Delft
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
International organisations, embassies and diplomatic moves. Narrow townhouses in the older districts.
Utrecht & Amersfoort
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
A historic centre with canal wharves and restricted access, and fast-growing suburbs with easy access.
Eindhoven & the south
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
Brainport, ASML and the tech corridor. Many corporate relocations, often to family homes with straightforward access.
Groningen & the north
3–4 days dedicated · 5–9 part load
University towns and rural Friesland, a slightly longer drive with the same paperwork.
| Region | Dedicated vehicle | Part load |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| Rotterdam | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| The Hague, Leiden & Delft | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| Utrecht & Amersfoort | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| Eindhoven & the south | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| Groningen & the north | 3–4 days | 5–9 days |
Transit times are typical, not guaranteed. Drivers' hours are regulated, so longer runs include mandatory rest, and customs clearance is usually a matter of hours when the paperwork is right.
Dedicated vehicle or part load
Road freight is priced on the space you occupy in a vehicle and the distance it drives. Volume decides which makes sense.
Dedicated vehicle
A full house · your load only
The vehicle carries nothing but your belongings and drives straight to your new address in the Netherlands. Fastest, with fixed dates for loading and delivery. Usually the right answer for a three-bedroom house or larger.
Part load
A flat or part of a house · shared vehicle
You pay for the space you use and share the journey with other consignments heading the same way. Considerably cheaper, with a delivery window of a few days rather than a fixed date.
Small consignments
A few boxes or a single room
Students, second homes, a room of furniture for a relative. We consolidate these onto our scheduled Dutch runs.
Storage at either end
When the dates don't line up
Completion dates and visa appointments rarely line up with a UK moving date. We hold goods in containerised storage in the UK and deliver when you are ready.
Customs and documents for the Netherlands
The Netherlands applies the EU transfer of residence relief through the Belastingdienst/Douane. These are the documents that most often need obtaining by you.
What you will need
We prepare the export and import declarations and the valued inventory. Several of the documents below can only be issued to you personally, so start them early.
- Registration in the BRPRegistering your address with your gemeente puts you on the municipal personal records database and gives you a BSN. It is the main evidence of Dutch residence.
- Residence permit, if neededSince Brexit British citizens generally need a residence permit from the IND, such as a highly skilled migrant permit, unless covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
- Proof of your Dutch addressA rental contract, a purchase deed or an employer’s housing letter.
- Evidence of leaving the UKA sale completion, the end of a tenancy or similar evidence that you are genuinely moving.
- Customs relief applicationThe Dutch application for duty and VAT-free import of removal goods, with a valued inventory. We prepare both for you to sign.
- Six months’ ownershipGoods must have been owned and used for at least six months before the move to qualify for relief.
Customs and immigration requirements change. We confirm the current position for the Netherlands at survey and give you a written checklist before anything is packed.
The last hundred metres
Dutch cities were built around water and bicycles. Delivery planning starts with the building.
- Canal-house stairsTraditional Dutch staircases are famously steep and narrow. Large furniture goes in through the window, using the hoisting beam or an external lift.
- Furniture lifts are routineA verhuislift to an upper window is the normal way to deliver into most city apartments, and needs space on the street to stand.
- Parking exemptionsStopping a removal vehicle in Amsterdam, Utrecht or The Hague usually needs an exemption from the gemeente, applied for in advance. We handle it.
- Restricted centresHeavy vehicles are restricted in several city centres and along the canals. We plan for a smaller vehicle or a shuttle where needed.
SealedYour vehicle is sealed at loading and not opened in transit
Secure parkingOvernight stops at guarded compounds, never a lay-by
Same crewThe people who load in Britain unload at your new home
No portGoods are never containerised, craned or double-handled
What a Halo move to the Netherlands includes
Quoted as one price, delivered as one service. Anything not on this list is named in your quotation rather than discovered later.
- Pre-move survey by video call or in person, with a written volume assessment
- Export-standard packing and materials, or cartons delivered if you're packing yourself
- A numbered, valued inventory in the format Dutch customs expect
- Collection from any UK address, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- UK export declaration and Dutch import declaration, both prepared and filed
- Your transfer of residence relief claim, with a checklist of the documents you need
- The sea or tunnel crossing and all road tolls, permits and vignettes
- A sealed vehicle and secure overnight parking throughout the journey
- Access assessment at destination, including parking permits and furniture lifts
- Delivery into the rooms you choose, with furniture reassembled
- Removal of packing debris on the day
- One named consultant, contactable directly, from survey through to final delivery
Moving to the Netherlands: common questions
How long does a move to the Netherlands take?
Usually two to three days with a dedicated vehicle, and four to eight for a part load. It is one of the quickest European routes we run.
Do you move people relocating with work?
Constantly. Many of our Dutch moves are corporate relocations to Amsterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven. We can work directly with your employer’s relocation provider and invoice them.
Can I bring food and alcohol?
Meat and dairy products from the UK cannot enter the EU. Alcohol must be declared and is outside the relief, so duty is payable.
Can you move my car to the Netherlands?
We arrange vehicle transport alongside the move. A UK car must be inspected by RDW and registered, and BPM registration tax may apply, although an exemption is available for some people transferring residence. Ask before you decide.
What does a move to the Netherlands cost?
Volume first, then distance, then whether you need a dedicated vehicle or can share one. Use the volume estimator on our home page for a sense of scale, then let us survey and quote in writing. Our prices page explains what goes into the figure.
Get a quotation for the Netherlands
Tell us where you're heading and roughly when. A consultant will come back within one working day to arrange a survey.
- European desk
- 07749 924755
- europe@halointernationalrelocations.com
- Not sure of your volume?
- Use the move estimator for an indicative figure in about thirty seconds, then send it through with your enquiry.
- Elsewhere in Europe?
- See our road freight guides to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Germany and the Republic of Ireland, or the overview of European removals.