ACCESS NL > Leaving the Netherlands > What should I do if my temporary lease ends due to Covid-19?
Leaving the Netherlands
Do I need to deregister with the municipality before I leave the Netherlands?
For EU/EEA or Switzerland and non-EU citizen
When you first arrived in the Netherlands, you were obliged to register with the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) ( municipality’s personal records database) of your city or town of residence. Similarly, when you leave the Netherlands, you must deregister. This is important as the gemeente (municipality) will need to remove your personal details at the same location. The municipality will also be obliged to inform other government authorities of your departure.
The first step is to report your intended departure to the stadhuis (town hall). You are advised to check with your municipality about the required notice period for notifying them that you intend to leave the country. The notice period may vary from one municipality to another. For the The Hague municipality, you are required to deregister yourself and/or other members of the family no more than five days in advance of your leaving date. One adult member can deregister the whole family. This can be done in person or in writing. The municipality will then update your details. However, if not all the family members that reside at one address are moving abroad, then everyone who is leaving the Netherlands (including children 16 years of age or older) must appear in person at the municipality’s Department of Public Service counter to report their move.
If you intend to visit your town hall in person, you will need to bring your passport or other valid proof of identity. You will probably be asked to give your current address as well as your future forwarding address. The deregistration process may vary slightly from one municipality to another. Some municipalities may ask you to complete a form notifying them of your imminent departure prior to visiting the town hall.
If all family members are leaving the country, you may have the option to inform the hall town in writing. For the Den Haag municipality, a letter can be sent which contains the following information:
- Your old and new addresses
- List of names of all your family members
- The date of departure
- Signature
- You must also supply a copy of your proof of identity with the letter
Once you have deregistered from the BRP as a resident, your personal data will move to the non-residents part of the BRP, the Non-residents Records Database (RNI). This is for people who do not live in the Netherlands anymore, or who live in the Netherlands for less than 4 months. You can ask for a proof that you deregistered. You can apply for this proof from one of the following RNI-municipalities with a Non-residents Records Database:
• Alkmaar
• Almelo
• Amsterdam
• Breda
• Doetinchem
• Eindhoven
• Goes
• Groningen
• The Hague
• Heerlen
• Leeuwarden
• Leiden
• Nijmegen
• Rotterdam
• Terneuzen
• Utrecht
• Venlo
• Westland
• Zwolle
The international extract is available in Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, French, German and English.
If you have a Dutch residence permit and are leaving the country on a permanent basis, then you must return your residence permit as follows:
- either at the airport ID checkpoint in the Netherlands
- or by post to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND)
Note that the residence permit is state property and thus it is your personal responsibility to ensure that it is returned as part of the deregistration process. Find the address of return and more information about this matter here.
It is advised that when returning your residence permit by post, you send it with a short accompanying letter and make a copy of both the front and back of the card for your future reference.
When you deregister with the municipality they will notify all the other governmental institutions like the UWV, SVB, kinderbijslag, etc.
For commercial services such as utilities, you will need to notify them. If you cancel your parking permit before the end of its validity period, you could be eligible to claim some money back, for this you need to cancel the parking yourself. Keep in mind it can take up to six weeks before you get your money back, so you may need to keep a bank account open for this period.
Diplomats, consular officials and employees of an international organisation
At the start of your assignment, you will have been registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken – BZ). Similarly, on departure you must deregister with the Protocol Department. When the posting of a privileged person comes to an end, the employer (embassy or international organisation) should send a ‘note verbale’ to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informing them that the posting of the person and/or of members of his family has come to an end. The ‘note verbale’ also informs the Ministry of Foreign Affair whether or not the person(s) is(are) departing from the Netherlands. The BZ ID card(s) should also be returned with the ‘note verbale’.
What happens to my DigiD? Does everything get deactivated?
The DigiD is linked to the government database; therefore they should get a notification from the municipality about your deregistration. However, you will still be in the records database because this is a unique login connected to your social security number in the Netherlands. The DigiD will expire after three years if it has not been used. If you choose to come back to the Netherlands after that time, you will need to reactivate it.
In order to claim back employment tax after leaving the Netherlands, you will need to keep your DigiD activated. Take into account that you cannot activate a new DigiD account from abroad unless you are a Dutch citizen or the nationality of an EEA country (EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland).
What if I only intend to live abroad for part of the year?
If you intend to live abroad for more than eight month, i.e.: have a second residence outside of the Netherlands, you are required to report your move abroad to the municipality. Please note that this eight-month period does not need to be continuous. The move needs to be reported on the day of departure or a maximum of five days prior to the move. You will then be deregistered from your address in the municipality.
When reporting your intended move to the municipality, you will be required to state your new residential address abroad. If at the time of this notification, you do not have a fixed address abroad, you will be obliged to specify where you will be staying (e.g. the address of a hotel, family member or friend). The report will be processed on the same day you report your move. This information may vary depending on your nationality and marital status.
For confirmation concerning your situation, we suggest you to call the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND) office. Please note that for Dutch citizens the period is six months (foreign residents).
I have left before deregistering with the municipality - What should I do?
If you leave the Netherlands without deregistering at the stadhuis (town hall) of your municipality, then it is essential that you contact the municipality where you were registered in the Netherlands as soon as possible in order to resolve the situation. Otherwise, you will continue to be deemed as officially resident within the Netherlands and can be liable for taxation and national insurance payments on this basis.
I have a Dutch bank account. Do I need to close it before I leave?
Some Dutch banks operate internationally and have branches in other countries, whilst others focus their business only in the Netherlands. Ask your bank if there are possibilities to continue operating your account in your new country and what services will be available there.
If you arrange to transfer an account, make sure that you will be able to withdraw cash and make any payments on time in the new country.
You may wish to keep your Dutch bank accounts open for a period of time after you leave the Netherlands. In principle, this should not be a problem for the major banks, especially if you wish to keep a spaarrekening (savings account) open with the bank, as long as you have notified them of your change of address. Your bank may choose to put some restrictions on the operation of your betaalrekening (current account) and the use of any credit cards.
If you are planning to transfer large amounts of money abroad, such as following the sale of your house, make sure you choose the cheapest option available to you as the differences in commission and exchange rates can make a large impact on the transaction. If you sell your house, the Dutch solicitor will typically need to transfer the money to another solicitor (perhaps to buy another property in your new country) to avoid suspicion of money laundering. Your bank should be able to provide advice.
Sometimes, insurance companies offer special deals for expats. In this case, you might be able to continue your current insurance policies abroad. Check what possibilities are available with your insurance company. Some insurance premiums (especially for cars) are cheaper in other countries, so check first before continuing with a Dutch policy.
Can I get my post redirected to my new home address abroad?
It is a good idea to inform in advance about your new home address those who may correspond with you by post. However, it is unlikely that you will remember everyone who may wish to contact you. Therefore, to ensure that any important mail does not get lost (i.e. sent to your old address in the Netherlands) after the move, you should apply for any mail with your old Netherlands address to be automatically redirected to your new home address.
Postnl provides a postal redirection service as part of its relocation package. You can apply for this service online by visiting their website at: https://www.postnl.nl/ontvangen/post-doorsturen/doorzendservice/. Please note that this website and the corresponding online form are only available in Dutch, so you may prefer to visit one of Postnl’s post offices to speak to someone in person if you are not very proficient in Dutch. Postnl does charge a fee for the forwarding service.
What should I do with my Dutch car?
If you want to take your car with you, you must cancel your Dutch vehicle registration at one of the regional offices of the RDW (Dutch Road Transport Directorate) before leaving the Netherlands. To find the RDW office nearest to you click here (in Dutch only).
For more information you can visit the RDW page in English.
You will need to present three documents to cancel your registration:
- A valid form of identification
- Vehicle registration certificate part 1B
- The transfer certificate (a copy of part II) of the vehicle registration certificate. You also need to bring the vehicle kentekenplaten (registration plates) of the car you want to export
After you have filled in an export declaration, you will receive from the RDW:
- Proof that the vehicle registration certificate part 1B has been cancelled
- The completed export declaration.
- If you are moving to a non-EU country, you may be able to take advantage of the so-called ‘removal goods facility’. In that case, you do not have to pay import duties in your new country. Whether you will be charged import duties or not depends on the regulations of the country you are moving to. Contact the embassy or consulate of this country for more information or alternatively search for the information on the government’s official website for tax and customs/duty
What do I need to do with my rental property when I leave?
In general, the legal aspects to consider when terminating a rental contract, such as the notice period, are in the rental contract. If you are the tenant, read the terms and condition carefully to be sure you are not overlooking anything. First consider the notice period should you give to the landlord in order to terminate the rental agreement. You should do this exactly as the relevant contract clause indicates. In some cases, if you are thinking of terminating the contract before the agreed rental period is completed, there may be a penalty to pay. For other rental contracts, you may find that you are only obliged to live for a given period of time, e.g. one year in the property. After this point, you are free to serve notice of your intention to end the rental agreement, even if the contracted termination date has not yet been reached.
After giving notice, you should expect the property owner or his/her agent to arrange for an inspection of the accommodation with you at least two weeks prior to the date you wish to vacate the premises. A comparison will be made of the state of the property with the details provided in the inspection report drawn up at the start of the tenancy agreement. A transfer report may be issued by the owner or his/her agent which specifies any maintenance and restoration work that is required to be undertaken by the tenant prior to termination of the tenancy agreement.
Another important aspect is the refund of the deposit. The owner should refund this amount in full. However, he/she has the right to make deductions for damage to the property or to cover any rental arrears or any services or utilities provided by and paid for by the landlord and not included in the rental fee.
Sometimes, the rental contract requires you to clean the carpets, windows, curtains, cooking appliances, etc. before leaving the house. A cleaning company can help you with this. To find a cleaning company in your area, contact ACCESS at helpdesk[at]access-nl.org.
What options do I have with property that I own?
If you own property in the Netherlands, you have two obvious possibilities, i.e. either sell it or rent it out. There are benefits and downsides for both options.
If you decide to sell your property, you will need to consider how long it may take to find a buyer and any potential difficulties that you may experience if you are unable to complete the sale before you leave the Netherlands. Whatever you decide, it is advisable to make use of a makelaar( real estate agency). Estate agents in the Netherlands have their own trade association, the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Makelaars– NVM (Dutch association of estate agents) is a recognised body with their own code of ethics which its members are obliged to follow. The association can provide information on registered agents in your area, which you can find by visiting their website at: www.nvm.nl. All estate agents who are members of NVM also have access to Funda.nl which is a popular residential property website in the Netherlands.
Once a price has been verbally agreed with a potential buyer for your property, an official presale agreement or koopovereenkomst (contract of sale) must be prepared. Your estate agent will normally arrange this in conjunction with a lawyer or notaris (notary). The buyer and the seller will normally use the same notary as this saves on cost and paperwork. Both parties are required to sign and the buyer is allowed three days to withdraw without penalty. Once this three-day period has passed, the lawyer will be given the contract of sale and will set a date for completion.
If completion is likely to take more than two months, you can ask the buyer to pay a ten percent deposit at the time that the purchase agreement is signed. Once both parties are ready to complete the sale of the property, an akte van levering (transfer contract) will be signed by both parties demonstrating the change of ownership for the property. As soon as this deed is signed, the notary will register the details of the change of ownership with the Land Registry.
If you have a mortgage remaining once you have sold your property, you should check the terms and conditions of the contract to see whether or not it is advisable to pay off the balance early, or if there are any financial penalties or restrictions.
Depending on the type of mortgage you have, it may be more beneficial to continue the mortgage going once you leave the country, especially if you decide to rent out the property. You are advised to make an appointment with your mortgage provider to discuss the most convenient and sensible options open to you. We suggest you to check whether you are allowed to have a mortgage when you are no longer resident and that you can rent the property with the given mortgage.
How do I sort out my utilities commitments before I leave?
As soon as you know that you are leaving the country, but at least two weeks in advance, notify (by email or telephone) the companies providing you the service for electricity, gas and water, telling them that you wish to terminate the service from a specific date. They will send you a form to fill in (you might be able to do this online). Afterwards, they will send you an account statement detailing the total amount payable or indicating the amount that will be reimbursed to your bank account. If you are renting a property, this may be done by the rental agent or landlord when you vacate the property.
How do I end my Dutch telephone contract agreements
Telephone connection
For landline connections, you should call the company providing the service to inform them when you wish to terminate the service. It is advisable to let them know, at the latest, one month in advance.
Mobile telephone
If you have signed a one-two-year contract, check the terms for ending it. Normally, you should notify your provider three months in advance of the reasons for wishing to end the contract. However, you may find yourself in one of two different situations:
- If you wish to cancel the contract at the end of the contract period, you must still give three months notice before the contract is due to end.
- If you wish to cancel before the end of the contract, you must send the letter three months in advance of the date when you want the contract to end. However, you will probably still be asked to pay the charges for the remaining months until the end of the contract. Your mobile phone provider may also offer the capability for you to cancel your contract online.
How do I end my TV/internet contract agreements?
Normally, you should contact your provider informing them of the date that you wish the service to be cancelled. Depending on the type of contract you have with the provider, they will then write to you confirming the date the service will be disconnected.
Before cancelling your internet connection, it might be a good idea to open a free web-based email address that can be used worldwide, such as Gmail or Yahoo, so that you can still send and receive emails (assuming you have internet access) until you have arranged a new email account in your new country of residence.
What should I do with things I can’t sell?
After you have decided which clothes, furniture and other belongings you wish to take with you, you need to consider what to do with everything else. Some items can be sold to friends, colleagues or to other people via internet sales sites such as Ebay.nl or Marktplaats.nl (both sites are in Dutch only) and at second-hand stores. Of course, even then, there will be some unwanted belongings for which you cannot find a buyer. There are collection (recycling) points in all major towns and cities throughout the Netherlands where you can leave any unwanted clothes or shoes. You will often find these recycling points near shopping centres. If your clothes are good quality, you can donate them to the Salvation Army. You can find out how to donate your unwanted items to the Salvation Army family stores at Satruck.org. Alternatively you can take household items to a charity shop (e.g. Kringloopwinkel). You can check the telephone book to find a charity shop in your area or visit their website at Kringloopwinkel.nl (in Dutch only). They may agree to collect large heavy items at an agreed time.
If an item is worn out, it is probably best to just dispose of it. Small items such as clothes, pots and pans can be put in the normal refuse bags. If you have larger items to dispose of, you will need to contact the waste collection company of your municipality to make an appointment for grofvuil ( the collection of large waste itemsl). They will tell you when it will be collected and how much it will cost.
Who should I contact for help with moving house?
If you feel overwhelmed by all the arrangements that need to be made, you can opt to use a relocation company to assist you in this process. They can also advise you on such matters as contacting an international removal company and offering advice and help with getting settled in your new country.
Most relocation companies offer departure services, moving services and settling-in services. They can also advise whether your belongings should be transported to your new country by air, boat, rail or road.
If you want to use a removal company, you need to bear in mind that prices and services vary considerably from one company to another. It is therefore important to be clear about what services your require and to ask for written offers from at least three different companies. Some companies are more experienced than others at managing the movement of household items internationally. Long-distance shipments are sometimes expressed in terms of standard international container sizes, whereas more local moves will normally use one or more trucks.
In general, the price depends on:
- The nature of the items being transported, volume and approximate weight.
- The distance to be travelled.
- The type of furniture and number of heavy or fragile items.
- The number of staff required to conduct the move.
- The floor on which you live or are you going to live; presence or absence of an elevator and general ease of accessing the premises.
- The extra services that are offered (e.g. packing, unpacking, providing you with boxes and containers- most companies will provide these to your home in advance).
It is essential to make an inventory of what needs to be moved:
- Make a list of everything that you want to move.
- Make a list of valuable items and their worth for the removal company’s (and your own) insurance, with photographs.
The removal company will normally come to your house to estimate the volume and weight of your possessions as well as the number of boxes needed, before giving an estimate of cost. You may feel that you wish to pack some of your items yourself, and you can ask for boxes in advance to do this. However be aware that if you pack and seal the box yourself it will not be covered by the insurance of the packing company.
It is advisable to insure your inventory for the move. Removal companies often offer this insurance as part of the service, but the disadvantage can be that they might question every claim you make. Make photos of your belongings before packing, because they can be used as proof in case of damage.
What should I bear in mind when leaving the Netherlands if I have a pet?
If you are going to fly out from the Netherlands, be aware that an airline can only carry a limited amount of animals on each flight. You may need to book it in advance to make sure you are able to fly in the same flight. Check with your dierenarts (vet) that the pet has its international passport and that all vaccines are up to date. Some countries ask for a blood sample to be taken in advance in order to verify that the pet has no diseases before allowing the pet to enter the country.
Check the blog Pettravel.com for advice on travelling with your pet. Some useful information about relocating with your pet and EU regulations can be found in the following links:
europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/carry/animal-plant/index_en.htm
ec.europa.eu/food/animals/pet-movement_en
How do I sort out my tax situation?
If you decide to move to another country or repatriate back to your own country of origin, this is usually regarded by the Dutch authorities as emigration. However, there are situations in which you would not be deemed to have emigrated, at least not for tax purposes. In such situations, the Belastingdienst (Tax Office) continues to regard you as a resident of the Netherlands.
In order to determine whether your move abroad qualifies as emigration, it is important to establish your permanent country of residence. The regulations governing the status of ‘domicile’ or ‘living abroad on a temporary basis’ will help you determine whether your situation constitutes ’emigration’. More information about the regulations is available here .
It is also possible that you will be obliged to pay tax in the Netherlands after your emigration . This will be the case if you have an ongoing income which is generated from within the Netherlands. Under these circumstances, you will be regarded as a foreign taxpayer. Examples of such income are:
- Income from employer based in the Netherlands, e.g. if you commute from a neighbouring county to your regular place of work in the Netherlands.
- Pension or social security benefits that you receive from the Netherlands, income from immovable property that you own in the Netherlands, e.g. renting out a property owned by yourself
If you move from the Netherlands to another country, you will be unable to file your return digitally for the tax year of your move. Instead, you will be required to use the M form. You will either have been sent this form from the Dutch tax office prior to your move; or you can download a copy from their website. It should be noted that the ‘explanatory notes’ for the M form are only available in Dutch. However, most of the information required to complete the M form can be obtained by consulting the ‘explanatory notes’ for the C form (which is available in English and can be downloaded from the website, under the ‘tax return’ subject heading): here.
As I am now leaving the Netherlands, can I get a tax rebate?
Your tax liability will be assessed for the full tax year in which you leave the country. Therefore, the tax assessment of the income that you received whilst you were resident in the Netherlands (and any ongoing income from the Netherlands) will only be made at the end of the tax year by the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax office). Depending on the information that you have provided in the M form tax return, you may be eligible for a tax rebate which will be paid to you in the following tax year. To claim a tax refund an active DigiD is necessary. Please be aware that you cannot get and/or activate a DigiD once you have deregistered in the Netherlands, unless you have Dutch nationality or the nationality of an EEA country (EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland).
The country that I am moving to requires me to provide a translation of official documents which are in Dutch (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.). How do I do this?
When a translation of an official document has to be submitted to official bodies, either in the Netherlands or abroad, it is often stipulated that the translation must be ‘certified’. That is that the document has been translated by a certified professional translator and that the translation is complete and accurate. In the Netherlands, translation of formal documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates or any official documents must be conducted by someone who is a “sworn” (beëdigde) translator. This is someone who has taken an oath before one of the Dutch District Courts that he/she possesses a formal qualification in translation and who meets a number of statutory requirements regarding qualifications, education and conduct.
Please note that in many countries, official documents may require some form of verification to prove their authenticity, i.e. the documents must be “legalised” though a court. In the Netherlands, there is the ‘apostille’ process, which is actually a simplified form of legalisation. An apostille which is issued in the Netherlands is recognized by all signatories to the ‘Apostille Convention’. Many countries have signed the Convention since its inception and in principle, no other formalities are required. Apostilles can be issued in Dutch, German, English, French, Spanish or Italian. For countries which are not signatories of the Convention, a formal legalisation process must be followed where a Dutch court authenticates the document. Further declarations are made by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate or High Commission of the country in which the document is to be presented. Under certain circumstances, it may be worth noting that when moving to another country, if an apostille is required, it can only be given by the document’s country of origin. A Dutch document may have an apostille from Netherlands; however, a birth certificate from the US, for example, requires an apostille issued in the US.
If you require the services of a sworn translator or an office for an apostille and have difficulty finding one, please contact the ACCESS Helpdesk at helpdesk[at]access-nl.org which will provide assistance locating one in your area.
For how long does my passport need to be valid for me to be able to leave and enter another country?
The requirements for entry into a given country will vary and are determined by your citizenship. For EU citizens entry into most countries outside of the EU normally requires the holder to be in possession of a passport which is valid at least six months. If your passport expires sooner than that, you need to renew your passport before you can leave. Hence, it is advisable to check the entry requirements for the country you are going well in advance of your departure.
Will I still receive social security benefits when I leave the country?
To be eligible to receive most of the social benefits provided by the government in the Netherlands, you need to be living in the country. Hence, if you have been receiving benefits and you move abroad, in general you will lose the right to these benefits.
As a rule, everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is covered by the Dutch national insurance scheme which is administered by the Social Security Office (Sociale Verzekeringbank – SVB). Through this scheme, you build up rights to an old age (AOW) pension and qualify for child benefits and survivor benefits.
However, if you leave the Netherlands, you will cease to be covered by the Dutch national insurance system. This will mean that:
- You will not be able to continue to build up to a full AOW pension
- You will not be able to claim a Dutch child benefit
- If you pass away before your spouse, your partner may not receive any income from the National Survivor Benefits Act (ANW), or they may only get a reduced amount, depending upon your new country of residence
Here are some guidelines regarding certain benefits:
General Old Age Pensions Act (AOW)
For some countries, e.g. within the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, the level of pension that you will have built up during your stay in the Netherlands will be paid to you when you reach pensionable age. For other countries, your full pension rights may be restricted or your payment rights may be stopped altogether after your move.
Child Benefit Act (AKW)
You will cease to receive AKW payments for your children once you and your family leave the Netherlands. If you remain in the Netherlands, but your child moves to live abroad permanently, then you will also lose your AKW entitlement. This will occur when you deregister your child from the municipality. When you first arrived in the Netherlands, you were obliged to register with the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, the municipality’s personal records database). You can change your status online by logging onto the ‘My SVB’.
Disability Insurance Act (WAO/WIA)
In general, you will lose your right to a disability benefit (WIA) when you leave the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands has treaty agreements with certain countries including those of the EU, EEA and Switzerland where you will be entitled to continue receiving a benefit.
If you receive any other social benefit, you need to contact the organisation that pays the benefit to find out whether it can be continued after you have left the Netherlands.
In all cases, you are legally obliged to inform the organisation that pays your benefit about your plan to leave the Netherlands.
National Survivor Benefits Act (ANW)
If you or your partner dies after leaving the Netherlands, the surviving spouse may be entitled to receive a partial ANW benefit
To obtain contacts and/or special information that may apply to your situation visit the SVB website
I have Dutch health insurance. Will I still be covered once I have left the Netherlands?
When you live in the Netherlands, you are in most cases required to take out a compulsory private health insurance policy with a commercial insurance provider. In addition, if you were earning an income whilst resident in the Netherlands, you also provided a contribution to the Dutch social security system for health insurance (ZVW) through your taxes. However, when you leave the Netherlands to go to live in another country, your existing Dutch insurance policy will normally no longer be valid. Some Dutch health insurance companies do provide specific health insurance products for those wishing to live abroad/emigrate. This will mean that you will need to change your health insurance policy with your provider.
You should contact your Dutch health insurance company about your move to notify them of the change (so that no further payments are made for your current policy) and to discuss the possibilities of having health insurance coverage in your new country of residence.
What are the general residence requirements for entrepreneurs?
If you are from a non EU/EEA country, you need to qualify for a two-year residence permit as a self-employed entrepreneur.
That is assessed by the IND upon advice of The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), a part of Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The requirements differ per country of origin, but generally they depend on :
- personal experience
- business plan
- added value to The Netherland
You can find more detailed information on the website of the IND
What should I do with my business when I leave the Netherlands?
If you move to another country and you have a business in the Netherlands you need to deregister your business here (assuming all activities in the Netherlands will end). This needs to be done at the Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce). You can find more information about this on https://www.kvk.nl/english/report-a-change/deregistering-a-company-or-legal-entity/
You can find a checklist of things to do when you close your business on https://business.gov.nl/ending-your-business/closing-down-your-business-or-bankruptcy/checklist-for-closing-down-your-business/
I recently arrived in the Netherlands just as the many restrictions started. I have tried to register with several doctors and have been unsuccessful. What can I do?
Registering with a general practitioner (huisarts) is advisable but not required. Registering may be complicated as many practices may be full. Together with health insurers, health care providers and patient organisations, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministerie van VWS) ensures that there are sufficient facilities and that people have sufficient choices. However, you must find your own doctor.
To search for a local doctor, check the ZorgkaartNederland website (in Dutch) and enter your postcode. For more information you can contact your health insurer or your municipality.
For more general information about relocating to the Netherlands, specifically the formalities needed for your first three months of stay:
What should I do if my temporary lease ends due to Covid-19?
You can ask for an extension of up to three months and maybe longer. Under emergency legislation enacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rental contracts (leases) can be extended for three months, until 1 September 2020 at the most, and potentially another three months.
The Emergency Act applies to temporary rental agreements of fewer than two years for regular living space and five years for room rental. It relates to the rental period that expires between 31 March 2020 and 1 July 2020.
The landlord can terminate a temporary rental contract by informing the tenant in writing one to three months before the end date. The tenant also has the right to terminate the contract prematurely.
Under the Emergency Act, there are several possibilities, depending on when the landlord informs the tenant:
- If the landlord had informed the tenant before 12 March 2020, the lease can only be extended if the landlord and tenant agree in writing. The extension can be for one to three months, at the latest until 1 September 2020. If the parties cannot agree, the original end date applies.
- If the landlord informed the tenant in the legally prescribed manner after the Emergency Act came into effect, he must also inform the tenant about the possibility of extension under the Emergency Act. Within one week of the landlord’s notification, the tenant can request an extension of the contract in writing for one to three months, maximum until 1 September 2020.
The landlord has one week to refuse the request, but only for the following reasons. The landlord:
- has sold the property to a third party and has undertaken to transfer the property to a third party free of rent and use
- has re-rented the property and the lease commences
- wants to live in the property himself and no longer has any other accommodation
- wants to renovate the property, which is not possible without termination of the rental, and has undertaken with third parties to make the house available for rental and use
- wants to demolish the property and has undertaken with third parties to make the house available for rental and use for that purpose on a date that is before the expiry of the extension requested by the tenant and the landlord has entered into the obligation before 1 April 2020.
The landlord can also refuse the request for an extension if the tenant has not behaved as a good tenant.
The emergency law provides for the possibility of extending rental contracts after 1 September 2020 so that already extended contracts can be extended once more.
Source:
Additional information about legal matters and housing:
Can I be evicted if I lose my job?
No one can be thrown out of their home during the Covid-19 pandemic, except in case of criminal activity or extreme nuisance.
Temporarily, tenants who have lost their income and are unable to pay the rent cannot be evicted. For tenants with permanent rental contracts, a judge’s permission is needed. If your landlord still wants to evict you, it is best to get in touch with a lawyer at the public legal advisory service Het Juridisch Loket or the Legal Expat Desk.
Losing a job is not a basis for eviction, but not paying the rent is. If you no longer have an income and have no financial resources to continue paying the rent, you need to try reaching an agreement with the landlord about a mutually acceptable arrangement until you find employment or other sources of income.
You are expected to actively look for a solution that will enable you to take care of your needs and fulfill your obligations, like paying the rent. You should check to see if you qualify for unemployment benefits while looking for a job. If you receive the benefits, you may be able to pay the rent at least partially until you find work again.
If you do not qualify for unemployment benefits, financial and other forms of support are available through municipal social services. Information about types of support and conditions can be found on municipal websites.
The following FAQs on our website regarding social benefits, unemployment, and housing may also be of interest to you:
access-nl.org/relocating-to-netherlands/dutch-social-security-benefits/
access-nl.org/dual-careers-netherlands/working/unemployment-netherlands/
access-nl.org/housing-netherlands/
The landlord is selling the property. I am in the "high-risk" category for contracting the virus. What legal rights do I have to stop the landlord and others from coming into our home?
In the event of sale, the obligations of the tenant with regards to property viewings may be stated in the general terms and conditions of the lease contract. A mutual agreement with your landlord due to Covid-19 is possible. In case of not getting an agreement, we recommend seeking professional advice or get legal guidance. A number of organisations can assist you concerning disputes with your landlord.
For additional information:
Can I open a bank account without a Burger Service Nummer (BSN)?
All residents of the Netherlands are assigned a unique, personal Citizen Service Number (burgerservicenummer or BSN) for contact with the government. Banks are obliged by law to pass information about your financial situation to the tax authorities. For this they need your BSN.
Will my partner receive any pension when I have passed away
I am going to leave the Netherlands. Do I have to pay local taxes for the full year?
When you are leaving the Netherlands, you will only have to pay local taxes for the months you lived in the Netherlands. Some municipalities arrange any refunds automatically; in other municipalities you need to apply for it. It is suggested to contact your municipality and ask for the procedure