Getting married and importing your belongings duty free

Are you moving to the Netherlands because you recently married or are due to get married? And do you want to import your wedding trousseau, wedding gifts and household effects to the Netherlands without paying import duties? If so you must make a Customs declaration. You should also indicate that you wish to import your marital goods without paying import duties.

You cannot file this declaration independently. The application must be made via your removal company using Customs' declaration system. Your removal company will declare your wedding trousseau, household effects and wedding gifts a specific code so that you can import your marital goods without paying import duties. This code grants you an exemption from import duties.

You will only be granted the exemption if you meet a number of conditions. The exemption conditions are given at the bottom of this page.

Applying for an exemption

Your removal company applies to Customs for the exemption in its import declaration. For the exemption you will need to submit the following to your removal company:

• a signed inventory listing all of the personal goods that you want to take to the Netherlands.

Your removal company will also need the following documents from you:

• If you are already living in the Netherlands: the certificate of registration in the personal records database of the municipality. You can also send a comparable certificate demonstrating that you will be moving to in the Netherlands. Examples:
  • your employment contract
  • your employer's statement
  • your work permit
  • your rental contract or mortgage certificate for the home you are moving to

You will also need:

• If you are married: your marriage certificate or another document showing that you are married.
• If you are not married: a certificate of partnership or a certificate showing that you have taken official steps with a view to marriage (e.g. an engagement certificate).

Do you not yet have all of the requested documents (e.g.: a registration certificate for the municipality where you will be living)? In that case under certain conditions your removal company may still be able to apply for an exemption for marital goods. You will need to send the requested documents to your removal company as soon as possible. Contact your removal company for this purpose.

Conditions for exemption

To be granted an exemption from import duties you must meet the following conditions:

• You are moving from a country outside of the European Union to the Netherlands and will be living in the Netherlands. You are thus transferring your normal place of residence to the Netherlands.
• You have lived outside of the European Union for at least twelve consecutive months.
• You can demonstrate that you are married or that you have taken official steps towards getting married.
• You are importing the goods:
  • no sooner than two months before the date of the wedding, and
  • no later than four months after the date of the wedding
  • Are you importing the goods sooner than two months before the date of the wedding? If so you will have to furnish Customs with an amount as security.
• You will not be loaning, pledging, leasing out or transferring the goods within twelve months of the date on which they were imported.

The exemption does not apply to the following goods:

• products containing alcohol
• tobacco and tobacco products