Amsterdam as your new home: registration districts, everyday life
Guide for newcomers
Amsterdam: canals, bikes and a tight housing market
The first 30 days
A move to Amsterdam brings its own hurdles: many houses on the canal ring have narrow, steep stairs, so furniture often arrives via the hoisting beam (hijsbalk) on the facade or by furniture lift through the window. Whether a lift is needed is something we clarify during the survey before the move. We are based in Berlin-Moabit and take care of the organisation from your front door in Germany to your new flat in Amsterdam, around 658 km. Details of cross-border services can be found under long-distance moves.
As the Netherlands is in the EU, there is no customs clearance for household goods when you move; what matters is timing and parking. For a parking space outside the door, apply to the Gemeente in good time for a temporary traffic measure (tijdelijke verkeersmaatregel, TVM); inside the S100 ring road there is also a zero-emission zone (Zero-Emissie-Zone) for newer delivery vehicles. After arrival, three steps count: BRP registration, the citizen service number and health insurance. With this order, your start in Amsterdam goes without nasty surprises.
Request a fixed price for your Amsterdam move
After a survey, liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB)
Call us on 01625978461 and arrange a survey for your move to Amsterdam. We take into account the floor, the amount of furniture and access to the Amsterdam street in question. We then give you a fixed price, so you know in advance what your private move will cost.
Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.
Your move from Berlin to Amsterdam
Planning, transport, assembly
We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and travel to the Netherlands: to Amsterdam it is around 658 km via the A2, A30 and the Dutch A1, about nine and a half hours by lorry including a break. Whether it is a canal house in the Jordaan or a new build in Noord – we clarify access, the TVM and the furniture lift in advance. We give you the fixed price after the survey; we are liable for your belongings under the HGB. Find out more about our services under private move.
Packing Service
Office Move
Senior Move
Furniture Transport
Six steps after moving in
These points belong on your list after a move to Amsterdam. The information comes from the Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) and the Gemeente Amsterdam; check appointments on amsterdam.nl.
BRP within five days
BSN issued automatically
Basic insurance
Always carry ID
OV-chipkaart & bike
Search widely for a flat
Part loads for small volumes
Amsterdam
for newcomers
Besides transporting your furniture, a move to Amsterdam involves registering with the Gemeente (BRP), the BSN, health insurance and the often lengthy flat search. Many newcomers underestimate how important the bike is in everyday Amsterdam life; your bike can come along on the move. If you are coming from Berlin, you will find the route and process in the guide to moving to Amsterdam. That way moving logistics and paperwork run in parallel and in good order.
Choosing a borough
Organising moving day
Businesses and special cases
Frequently asked questions about living in Amsterdam
Amsterdam's districts at a glance: from the Jordaan to Noord
Amsterdam has around 942,500 inhabitants (at the beginning of 2026) and is divided into boroughs: Centrum with the Jordaan and the canal ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010; West with the Westerpark; Zuid with De Pijp, the Albert Cuyp Market, the Vondelpark and Buitenveldert; as well as Oost, Nieuw-West, Zuidoost and Weesp. Noord lies across the IJ and has been connected by the North-South metro line since 2018.
The districts differ greatly: in Centrum, narrow canal houses with steep stairs dominate, while Noord, Oost with IJburg and Nieuw-West have more new builds with lifts. We do not give specific rents because we do not have a reliable current source. In the south lies the Zuidas, a business district with banks and law firms.
Housing market, employers and quality of life in Amsterdam
The Amsterdam housing market is famously tight. We do not give specific prices per square metre without a reliable source; for social housing you register with WoningNet, where waiting times are long. If you are moving for work, you will find jobs at internationally known companies headquartered in Amsterdam such as Booking.com, Adyen and ING, as well as at the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) and Vrije Universiteit with their university hospitals.
Quality of life in Amsterdam is shaped by short distances, a dense cycle network and the UNESCO World Heritage canals. The metro with five lines, trams and GVB buses connect the boroughs. Its international character and cultural diversity make the city popular with young professionals and families, despite the high cost of living.
Moving costs – compactly summarised
- 1-room flat: starting price €344
- 2-room flat: starting price €584
- 3-room flat: starting price €884
- 4-room flat: starting price €1,279
- House/villa: individual quote
- Long-distance move: starting price €4.10/km
All prices given are guide prices – you can find out more precisely during a free survey.
What does the price of your move depend on?
Important criteria are the volume of the move, the distance (from €4.10/km) and the floor, with or without a lift. A reserved parking restriction zone ensures a smooth process. If needed, we add furniture assembly or a shared load to the move.
This is what we offer you in the move
What we offer you for your move
From the first box to the final touch – our service covers everything.
Furniture transport – professional transport of valuable furniture.
Shared load – inexpensive transport thanks to shared trips.
Private move – your home move, carefully planned.
Company move – minimal downtime for your business.
House clearance – quick and clean clearance.
Move with assembly – your furniture is reassembled at your new home.
From Berlin to Amsterdam – and back
We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and travel to the Netherlands; Amsterdam is around 658 km away. In the locations overview you will find destinations with their own pages. For long routes, read more under long-distance moves.
Registering in Amsterdam: BRP, BSN and the five-day rule
For everyone moving to Amsterdam, the Dutch rule set by the Rijksoverheid applies: anyone who wants to live in the Netherlands for longer than four months must register as a resident in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, the personal records database), within five days of arrival. Registration takes place with the municipality, at your permanent address or, if you have no fixed residence, at a postal address. If you stay less than four months, you can register as a non-resident instead.
With registration you automatically receive your citizen service number (BSN). The Rijksoverheid describes it as a personal number for everyone in the BRP. With it you can get things done at any government counter. GPs and health insurers also use it, as do insurers for the healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag).
How the City of Amsterdam organises the process for newcomers from abroad is set out on its pages at amsterdam.nl in the civil affairs section (first registration). Check there before the move how to book an appointment and which documents are required; in municipalities such as Alkmaar, Almere or Amersfoort, in-person appointments with ID and proof of address are required. For planning the move itself, you will find our Amsterdam moving guide and the article on the long-distance move to Amsterdam.
Everyday life in Amsterdam: health insurance, childcare, school and the first 30 days
After registration, the BSN is what counts in everyday life. According to the Rijksoverheid, recognised healthcare providers such as GPs and health insurers must use it, and you identify yourself with it when you need care. Childcare organisations must ask for your BSN and your child's; the tax authority Belastingdienst Toeslagen uses it to check childcare hours. In state-funded schools a child's BSN is converted into a personal pupil number; if the child does not yet have a BSN, DUO issues a temporary education number.
Health insurance is important: according to the Dutch government, everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally required to take out basic insurance. Check with your insurer before the move and plan to take out the policy in the first few weeks. Many of these steps cannot be completed without a BSN, so it pays to get the appointment with the municipality done first and to have copies of all documents to hand. Only contact a GP and nursery after registration, so that you already have the number.
A sensible order for the first 30 days:
- book the registration appointment with the municipality and have all documents ready
- secure your BSN after registration
- take out basic health insurance
- register for nursery or school with your BSN
Our checklist for emigrating to the Netherlands helps with preparation; if you are looking at the neighbouring city, read Living in Almere.
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