Moving to Groningen: costs process & districts
From Berlin to Groningen
Moving to Groningen – neighbourhoods, loading windows and registration
Guide
A move to Groningen is more than a change of place: a new language in everyday life, registration with the Gemeente (municipality) and often a flat search in a city with tens of thousands of students. There is no customs duty within the EU. We handle your home move from packing in Berlin to assembly in the new flat. What else a move abroad involves is described on our page International move. We quote the fixed price after a survey, with every item listed separately in the quote.
The actual centre around the Grote Markt and Vismarkt is car-free, and since 1977 the outer centre has been divided into sectors with no direct car traffic between them. According to the Gemeente, loading in the Binnenstad (city centre) is only permitted between 5 am and 12 noon, and a zero-emission zone (Zero-Emissie-Zone) applies there to vans and lorries. That is why we clarify access, loading time and a possible exemption before the date. If the new flat is not yet available, we store your furniture in Berlin in the meantime. For your belongings we are liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre.
Request a fixed price for your move to Groningen
After a survey, with every item listed
Call us with no obligation on 01625978461 or request a quote online. After the survey we give you the date, costs and process of your move to Groningen with a fixed price. That way you start well prepared in the Netherlands.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we take care of when you move to Groningen
Planned in Berlin, arriving in Groningen
We have no branch in the Netherlands; instead we come by lorry from Berlin-Moabit, and the van covers the roughly 565 km in one day, breaks included. Because the Binnenstad is car-free and loading windows apply, we ask in detail in advance where the flat is, how steep the stairs are and whether a furniture lift has to stand on the pavement or road – for which the Gemeente requires a separate permit. You take care of registering in the BRP and getting your BSN yourself; we plan moving day so that the appointment with the Gemeente fits into the first five days. We quote the fixed price after the survey; additional insurance is available for valuables.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
Well planned to Groningen
With an international move, every piece of furniture and every box counts – which is why, on request, we record the condition of valuable items before transport. For damage we are liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; additional insurance is available for high-value furniture, electronics or art.
Arrival fixed
Access sorted
Loading window observed
Planned backwards
Storage to bridge a gap
Ready for the Gemeente
Part load for small amounts
For smaller quantities to Groningen, a part load (Beiladung) can be cheaper: your household goods are transported together with other consignments on the same route. This suits a room at the start of semester at the Rijksuniversiteit or Hanzehogeschool, if you have some flexibility on the delivery day.
Your
move – fully organised
This guide covers the questions around your move to Groningen: which neighbourhoods suit students, families or working people, how the removal van gets into the car-free Binnenstad, which major employers and universities there are, and how registration with the Gemeente works. We do not quote specific rents. You will also find tips on the flat search and on organising your home move – before the removal van pulls up.
Planning safely and calmly
Furniture, boxes, carrying routes
Costs, timing and special cases
Frequently asked questions about moving to Groningen
Neighbourhoods in Groningen: Binnenstad, Paddepoel, Helpman, Haren
The Binnenstad around the Grote Markt and Martinitoren is car-free, with canals, cafés and short distances – ideal without a car, but for a move only accessible within the loading window. To the south lie neighbourhoods such as Helpman, Corpus den Hoorn and the Oosterpoort; since 2019 the former municipality of Haren has also been part of Groningen. To the west and north-west lie Paddepoel, Selwerd and Vinkhuizen; the Hanzehogeschool has its buildings mainly on the Zernike site.
Around the old town lie the "Oude Wijken" (old neighbourhoods), mostly built in the 19th century, including the Schildersbuurt, the Oosterparkwijk and the Korrewegwijk. The right location depends on where you study, your workplace and your budget. For the move, what matters most is whether the van can stop directly in front of the building or whether a furniture lift is needed on the pavement or road. We organise your move to suit the address.
Studying, employers and everyday life in Groningen
Groningen has around 245,000 inhabitants (1 January 2026) and is the capital of the province of the same name. The Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG) has existed since 1614, and there is also the Hanzehogeschool; together tens of thousands of students are enrolled. Small homes are scarce at the start of semester, so it pays to search early. Larger employers are the university hospital UMCG, the Martini Ziekenhuis, the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (education executive agency) and the gas company Gasunie, which is headquartered in the city.
Groningen is regarded as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe: residents make around a third of their journeys by bike. Culture, canals, the Grote Markt and lively student life shape everyday life. For drivers, the A7 runs east–west and the A28 heads south. Anyone coming from Germany benefits from the proximity to the border: Leer on the A31 is not far, and Bremen and Oldenburg are also easy to reach via the A28. For the move this means that the lorry from Berlin arrives in one day. Still, plan your flat search early, especially for the start of semester in September, when many students are searching at the same time. We are happy to discuss the details of your move abroad in a personal consultation.
Moving costs: an overview for tenants and owners
- 1-room flat – costs from €339
- 2-room flat – costs from €579
- 3-room flat – costs from €879
- 4-room flat – costs from €1,279
- House/villa – individual quote after a survey
- Long-distance move – from €4.10/km
For specific figures we recommend a free survey.
Factors that shape your moving price
Volume, distance and floor are the three key variables in calculating the price. We charge the route from €4.10/km, while a lift and a parking restriction zone are additional variables. Furniture assembly or a part load can also be added flexibly.
Our moving services at a glance
Our moving services at a glance
To make sure your move runs smoothly, we offer you a wide range of professional services.
- Home move - we take care of your move from flat to flat with the greatest care.
- Company relocation - offices, practices and shops move smoothly with us.
- Furniture transport - we transport single pieces of furniture safely and punctually.
- Part load - travel along affordably and in an environmentally friendly way thanks to our part-load option.
- Move with assembly - we reassemble your furniture properly at the new location.
- Clearance - we dispose of unwanted items quickly and properly.
More routes from Berlin
We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), including to the Netherlands. The journey to Groningen is described in the Groningen long-distance move guide, and places with their own pages can be found in the locations overview.
Loading and unloading in Groningen: permit and Binnenstad
If a furniture lift stands on the road, pavement, cycle path or a parking space in Groningen, according to the Gemeente Groningen a permit for the temporary use of municipal land is required. If a moving company is doing the work, it must submit the application itself. For the pavement, the municipality refers to the form for temporary traffic measures.
Additional rules apply in the Binnenstad. According to the Gemeente, in the area with delivery time windows (venstertijden), loading and unloading are only permitted between 05:00 and 12:00. Cars may enter the area at any time. Since 1 April 2025 a zero-emission zone has also applied in the same area; new vans and lorries there must be emission-free. Number plate cameras (ANPR) at all entrances and exits monitor both rules, and exemptions (ontheffing) are applied for from the municipality.
- Set the moving date so that loading and unloading are possible within the time window until 12:00
- Check vehicle and access in advance, so that no exemption is missing on moving day
- Determine the carrying distances from the stopping area to the front door during the survey
We clarify which exemption applies to our van before the date. More on the route is in the long-distance move guide for Groningen.
During the survey we clarify with you whether a lifting platform or furniture lift is needed, how narrow the street in front of the building is and what carrying distances there will be. That way the permit can be applied for with the right details, and the schedule fits the permitted loading times.
Registering in Groningen: appointment with the Gemeente and BRP
Anyone moving to Groningen from abroad registers in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, Personal Records Database). According to the Gemeente Groningen, this applies if you are staying in the Netherlands for at least four months and have an address in the municipality. You book the appointment online; the date of the appointment is your official registration date. The Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government) generally states a deadline of 5 days after arrival in the Netherlands.
- Valid passport or identity card
- Tenancy or purchase agreement, or alternatively a declaration of consent from the landlord
- Birth certificate, if not yet registered; documents in Dutch, English, French or German
If you stay for less than four months, according to the Gemeente you can register as a non-resident (RNI) and also receive a BSN. Plan the registration appointment as early as possible, as you must attend in person. For everyday life, read our guide Living in Groningen, and for the journey the tips on long-distance moves to the Netherlands; for students there is our student move service.
We coordinate our arrival with your key handover so that you are there when the van pulls up. Keep your documents to hand and do not schedule the official appointment on unloading day, so that neither delays the other.
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