The actual move

Whether you are going to move your belongings by boat, plane, or van, you must realize that you do not have to bring all your possessions. Holland is a modern country where you will be able to find most of the things that you have back home. Get rid of that old couch! You are likely to pay more for transportation than for buying a new one.

A quick search on the internet brought me to www.intlmovers.com, where you can find a relocation company in virtual any country in the world.

In case you are on a tight budget: Even the tiniest Dutch villages have second-hand shops. They are called 'tweedehandswinkels' (search for 'tweedehands', which means 'second hand'), 'kringwinkels', or 'kringloopwinkels'. Many of the larger second-hand goods shops will deliver furniture at your door for a small fee.

Alternatively, you can shop for second hand goods online. Good resources are marktplaats.nl and ViaVia, a classifieds paper with an electronic and a printed version.

Pets

If you move from another EU country, your pet will need a European pet passport. You can acquire one at a registered vet in your home country. It should mention: a statement of the veterinarian (in Dutch, English, French, or German) that your pet has received vaccinations for rabies, the date of the vaccination, a description of your pet (race, gender, age, color of the fur), your own name and address.

Besides, your pet needs to have a clearly legible tattoo or transponder (chip). Note that applying for a pet passport may take a few weeks.

If you do not have such a European pet passport, upon arrival in the Netherlands, your pet will receive a vaccination for rabies. After that, your pet will have to remain in quarantine for 30 days. For some animals, you will need a health certificate (birds, horses, cows, foxes). You can obtain this certificate from a registered vet in your home country.

For more information, you can contact the Dutch Tax & Customs Department:

Belastingdienst/Douane West/Managementteam

www.douane.nl

Postal address:
Postbus 678
2130 AR HOOFDDORP

Visiting address:
Mercuriusplein 37
2132 HA HOOFDDORP

Contact:
Tel: 023 - 549 70 00
Fax: 023 - 549 71 04