ACCESS NL > Leaving the Netherlands

Leaving the Netherlands

When it comes time for foreign residents to leave the Netherlands on your way to a new home, it should be no surprise that a few formalities apply. Ensuring these are done will also ensure that bills or other obligations do not follow you onto your new country of residence. We recommend planning for this in a timely manner, and provide some of the answers you may need below:

Deregistration: lists information about deregistering in the municipality, status of your DigiD upon departure and specifics regarding the timing of such steps.

Practicalities: closing your Dutch bank account, redirecting your home address, finding help with moving and bringing in order your movable and immovable property, utility commitments and contract agreements.

Taxes: things to consider about your tax situation upon departure, how to get a rebate or translate needed administrative documents. We also provide information about validity of your passport and eligibility for security benefits upon leaving the country, as well as arrangements of your health insurance and taking your pension to another country.

Please be aware that you are legally obliged to de-register from the gemeente (municipality) in which you reside before departing from the Netherlands. Failure to do so will mean that the local authorities will consider you a resident. This will have an impact on your tax status and you may be liable to a fine for not complying with certain Dutch regulations, e.g. no longer having health insurance, etc.

Following the official termination of your legal residence in the Netherlands, you are required to leave the country as soon as possible. You will need to be in possession of a valid passport or other border-crossing travel document in order to travel to another country.