Netherlands

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Business Registration Required

Yes. Registration in the KvK Handelsregister (Trade Register), including for sole proprietors (eenmanszaak), under the correct SBI activity code for the services performed.

Eurovergunning Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Any vehicle used for paid goods transport requires a Eurovergunning (Community Licence) from NIWO, held by the company operating the vehicle. Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own Eurovergunning covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires.

Single Licence Type: No Separate Domestic Tier

Yes. Since a legal reform, NIWO issues only the Eurovergunning; there is no separate domestic-only licence. Every valid licence automatically covers both domestic transport and cross-border transport within the EU.

Four Qualifying Conditions

Required for the licence. Reële vestiging (a genuine, real establishment in the Netherlands, including office space and at least one vehicle), vakbekwaamheid (professional competence, demonstrated through a recognized diploma), betrouwbaarheid (reliability, evidenced by a Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag, or certificate of good conduct, for the company and its transport manager), and financiële draagkracht (financial standing).

Professional Competence Exam

Yes, for Eurovergunning holders. The “Vakbekwaamheid Ondernemer Beroepsgoederenvervoer over de weg” qualification is earned through a CBR exam covering six modules; a company can either have an internal transport manager hold this qualification or engage one externally.

Financial Standing Threshold

Yes, for Eurovergunning holders. €9,000 in risk-bearing capital for the first vehicle, plus €5,000 for each additional vehicle, demonstrated through equity, an accountant’s statement, or (for new companies) an opening balance sheet.

Licence Fee & Validity

Modest, multi-year. NIWO’s processing fee is approximately €255, with the licence valid for 5 years before renewal.

Enforcement Gap

Significant. Research commissioned by the Organisatie van Erkende Verhuizers (OEV) found that roughly 60% of the Netherlands’ approximately 1,700 moving companies do not hold the legally required Eurovergunning. The Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport has been tightening enforcement in response.

Moving-Specific Liability Framework

Yes. Book 8, Title 13, Section 4 of the Burgerlijk Wetboek (Articles 8:1170 to 8:1188) governs the “verhuisovereenkomst” (moving contract) specifically, applying to every mover. It sets a statutory liability cap (€23,000 per moving contract, absent a separately agreed special-interest declaration), specific circumstances where the mover isn’t liable (for example, damage arising from the customer’s own packing choices against the mover’s advice), and a 1-year limitation period.

Industry Association

Yes. The Organisatie van Erkende Verhuizers (OEV) is the Dutch moving-industry association and operates an “Erkende Verhuizer” (Recognized Mover) scheme with its own standard contract terms. Membership is voluntary and is not a government licence; it does not replace the KvK registration, Eurovergunning or Book 8 BW obligations described on this page.

OverviewOverview & Scope

The Netherlands does not license movers province by province. The underlying framework is national, administered by NIWO under the same EU Regulation 1071/2009 used across the EU. Since a legal reform, NIWO issues only a single licence type, the Eurovergunning, which covers both domestic and cross-border EU transport automatically, removing the separate domestic and international tiers found elsewhere. The Eurovergunning and its four qualifying conditions attach to the company operating the vehicles. Where a mover subcontracts transport, the carrier’s own licence covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold it.

On the liability side, the Netherlands has a dedicated statutory framework for moving contracts, comparable in kind to Germany’s § 451 HGB: Book 8 of the Civil Code sets out the mover’s obligations, liability cap, specific exclusions, and limitation period directly, applying to every mover. Actual compliance with the licensing requirement is a documented weak point: industry-commissioned research found a majority of Dutch movers operating without the legally required licence, and enforcement authorities are working to close that gap.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing

1. Register the business with the KvK, under the correct SBI code for the services performed.

Vehicles and operations (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

2. Establish a genuine, real presence (reële vestiging) in the Netherlands, including office space where key business records are kept, and at least one vehicle.
3. Obtain the professional competence qualification (via the CBR exam, six modules) for an internal transport manager, or engage an external one who holds it.
4. Provide a Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag (VOG) for both the company and the transport manager, demonstrating reliability.
5. Demonstrate financial standing of at least €9,000 for the first vehicle plus €5,000 per additional vehicle.
6. Apply to NIWO for the Eurovergunning, paying the processing fee and renewing before the 5-year validity period expires.

Subcontracted transport

7. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

8. Ensure moving contracts reflect the Book 8 BW verhuisovereenkomst framework, including the statutory liability cap and its exceptions.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• KvK Handelsregister registration, with the correct SBI code for the services performedVerified by DocumentRequired
• Valid NIWO Eurovergunning, renewed before its 5-year expiryWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired

Vehicles and operations (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Genuine establishment (reële vestiging) maintained in the NetherlandsWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Vakbekwaamheid (professional competence) diploma held by the transport manager, internal or externalWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• VOG (certificate of good conduct) for the company and the transport managerWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Financial standing of €9,000 for the first vehicle plus €5,000 per additional vehicle, shown by equity, an accountant’s statement or an opening balance sheetWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Customer practices

• Moving contracts comply with the Book 8 BW verhuisovereenkomst framework (Articles 8:1170 to 8:1188), including the statutory liability cap and its exceptionsVerified by AffirmationRequired