In this guide
Short answer: three things define the German move. There is no visa and no residence permit: you register at a municipality and get a BSN. Your driving licence travels with you for a defined period. And the 30% ruling has a condition about where you lived before the move, which you should have checked before you count on it.
For the cost-of-living and culture comparison, see Netherlands vs Germany for expats and Netherlands vs Germany cost of living. This guide is the move itself.
Your Timeline: Three Months Out to Month One
Three months before. No immigration process to start, so you can concentrate on housing. Read finding housing and best cities for expats.
Two months before. Get your 150 km position checked (see below) before you negotiate salary, and ask your prospective employer whether the offer assumes the 30% ruling.
One month before. Book the gemeente appointment as soon as you have an address. Ask the German authorities what date to use for your German deregistration, and do not deregister before the Dutch registration is arranged.
Arrival week. Gemeente registration, which gives you your BSN, then DigiD.
First month. Dutch bank account, Dutch health insurance, energy and internet contracts. The first 30 days checklist has the order.
Difference 1: Registration Instead of Immigration
The IND says that EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit to live in the Netherlands; your valid passport or ID card serves as proof of lawful residence, you do not need to register with the IND, and your employer does not need a work permit for you.
What you do owe is registration in the BRP. Government.nl says that if you will live in the Netherlands longer than 4 months you must register with your municipality, and that you must register within 5 days of arriving. You receive your BSN when you register.
Compared with non-EU colleagues you skip the permit, the MVV and the sponsor requirement. The 30% ruling is a separate question that depends on its own conditions.
Difference 2: The 150 Kilometre Condition
The 30% facility (the Belastingdienst’s Expat Scheme) lets a Dutch employer pay part of your salary as a tax-free allowance. For people moving from Germany, one condition matters more than most.
The condition (Belastingdienst): you must have lived at a distance of more than 150 kilometres as the crow flies from the Dutch border for more than 16 months in the 24 months before your first working day in the Netherlands. You are not allowed to have lived in Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Germany, France or the United Kingdom.
We do not say which German cities pass or fail, because we could not verify distances against an official tool. If your previous address could be near the 150 km line, ask the Belastingdienst or your employer’s payroll adviser to check it in writing before you rely on the ruling in your salary negotiation.
Other conditions apply as well: paid employment, specific expertise (the 2026 salary norm is €48,013, excluding the tax-free allowance, or €36,497 if you are under 30 with a Dutch academic master’s or an equivalent) and recruitment from outside the Netherlands. Work through the 30% ruling eligibility guide, and if the ruling is out, use the 30% ruling calculator guide to see what your net salary looks like without it before you sign.
Difference 3: Your Licence and Your Diplomas
Driving. A German licence is an EU licence. The RDW allows you to keep driving on a licence from an EU/EFTA country for 15 years after the date of issue for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, and up to 5 years from the issue date for categories C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E and DE, as long as the licence is valid. You can always exchange a valid EU/EFTA licence, and the RDW says an EU/EFTA licence is allowed to be expired. If you want to keep driving after the period you need a Dutch licence, and RDW says you may not drive after the period even if your application is pending. See the licence exchange guide.
Qualifications. For regulated professions, ask the competent Dutch authority how recognition works. If a Dutch employer does not know your qualification, IDW can issue a credential evaluation: a formal comparison to the Dutch education system, available for nationally recognised programmes of at least 1,000 hours, one diploma per application (idw.nl).
Difference 4: Health Insurance
Once you live or work in the Netherlands you must take out Dutch basic health insurance no later than 4 months after arriving, and the cover applies from the day of arrival (Government.nl). If you miss the deadline you can be fined by the CAK; check the CAK for the current amount.
What you pay:
- Premium: €157 per month on average in 2026 (Rijksoverheid); it differs per insurer.
- Eigen risico: €385 per year compulsory deductible for most care other than GP visits.
- Zorgtoeslag: lower-income households can claim a healthcare allowance, see zorgtoeslag and huurtoeslag.
The basic package is set by law, so compare insurers on premium, deductible and service. Read Dutch health insurance for expats. What happens to your German cover depends on your situation, so ask your German insurer.
The cross-border case. If you live in the Netherlands but keep working for a German employer, ask the SVB which country insures you and where your contributions go before you cancel any German cover.
Money
Germany and the Netherlands both use the euro, so moving euros between your German and Dutch accounts needs no currency exchange. Ask your bank what it charges for euro transfers.
Your German IBAN. Ask your employer and your landlord whether they accept a German IBAN. iDEAL payments are made through the payer’s bank; the issuer list on ideal.nl shows which banks take part. Many movers open a Dutch account in their first weeks. The best bank account guide compares the options.
A multi-currency account only matters if you have non-euro income. If that is you, see the international money transfer guide.
The Smaller German-Specific Items
- Child benefit. Ask the German family benefits office and the SVB how the handover from German child benefit to Dutch kinderbijslag works for your case, rather than assuming it is automatic.
- Pension. For every year you are insured for the Dutch state pension (AOW) you build 2% (SVB). Ask the German pension insurer and the SVB for a written statement of your position. See the Dutch pension guide.
- German deregistration. Ask the German authorities which date matters for your German taxes, broadcasting fee and insurance, and do not deregister before you have your Dutch registration appointment booked.
- Utilities. Dutch energy and broadband are contracted separately from the tenancy. Compare providers via energy providers for expats and Internetten for broadband (affiliate link; we may earn a commission).
What It Costs
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit or visa | None required for EU/EEA citizens | IND |
| BRP registration and BSN | Check your gemeente | BSN guide |
| IDW credential evaluation, if needed | Fee per application, see idw.nl | IDW |
| Basic health insurance | €157 per month on average, mandatory within 4 months | Rijksoverheid, Government.nl |
The Mistake German Movers Make Most Often
Assuming the 30% ruling comes with the job because it did for a colleague. One of its conditions depends on where you lived before the move. Ask for a written check of that condition before you sign.
Related Guides
- Netherlands vs Germany for expats — the lifestyle and career comparison
- Netherlands vs Germany cost of living
- 30% ruling eligibility, including the 150 km rule
- BSN registration — the one administrative step you cannot skip
- Complete guide to moving to the Netherlands
Frequently Asked Questions
Do German citizens need a visa or residence permit for the Netherlands?
No. The IND says that EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit to live in the Netherlands: your valid passport or ID card serves as proof of lawful residence, you do not need to register with the IND, and your employer does not need a work permit. What you must do is register in the Dutch population register (BRP) at your municipality if you will live here longer than 4 months. Government.nl says you must register within 5 days of arriving, and you receive your BSN when you register.
Can I get the 30% ruling if I move from Germany?
It depends on where you lived. The Belastingdienst says you must have lived more than 150 kilometres, as the crow flies, from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day in the Netherlands, and that you are not allowed to have lived in Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Germany, France or the United Kingdom. We do not list German cities, because we could not verify distances against an official tool. Ask the Belastingdienst, or your employer's payroll adviser, to check your old address before you count the ruling into your net salary.
Is my German driving licence valid in the Netherlands?
Yes. According to the RDW, with a licence issued in an EU/EFTA country you can keep driving in the Netherlands for 15 years after the date of issue for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, and for up to 5 years from the issue date for the C and D categories, as long as the licence is valid. If your licence was issued more than 15 years ago but has not expired, you can use it for 2 years after the date you started living here. RDW says you can always exchange a valid EU/EFTA licence, and that an EU/EFTA licence is allowed to be expired.
What happens to my German health insurance?
Once you live or work in the Netherlands you must take out Dutch basic health insurance no later than 4 months after arriving; the cover applies from the day of arrival (Government.nl). The average basic premium in 2026 is EUR 157 per month (Rijksoverheid) and the compulsory deductible (eigen risico) is EUR 385 a year. What happens to your German cover depends on your situation, so ask your German insurer. If you live in the Netherlands but keep working for a German employer, ask the SVB which country insures you before you cancel anything.
Do I still pay German tax after moving to the Netherlands?
That depends on your situation, for example whether you keep German property, German income or a German pension. Ask a tax adviser who handles both countries, and check with the German tax authorities (Finanzamt) before you deregister, because the German side has its own rules that we have not covered from official German sources.
Will my German qualifications be recognised?
For regulated professions, ask the competent Dutch authority how recognition works. IDW can issue a credential evaluation comparing a foreign diploma with the Dutch education system, which can help when an employer does not know your qualification. IDW evaluates nationally recognised diplomas from programmes of at least 1,000 hours and one diploma per application, and does not evaluate short programmes, courses or work experience.
Do I need a Dutch bank account, or does my German IBAN work?
Ask your employer and landlord whether they accept a German IBAN. iDEAL payments are made via the issuing bank of the payer; the iDEAL issuer list on ideal.nl shows which banks take part, so check that your bank is on it. Many movers open a Dutch account in their first weeks; see the best bank account guide for options.