Change of address in Rotterdam: the complete guide for expats

You report a change of address in Rotterdam to the City of Rotterdam (gemeente Rotterdam) between 4 weeks before and 5 days after your moving date. If you already live in the Netherlands, you do this online with DigiD or by post, and you add your rental contract, landlord’s declaration or proof of ownership. It is free, and the city processes your move within 5 weeks. If you arrive from abroad, you register in person by appointment. Renting in one of 25 designated streets? Then you also need a housing permit.

By Sean de Keuning, Moving coach at Holland Movers. Last checked against rotterdam.nl on 12 November 2026.

Change of address in Rotterdam at a glance

Contents

• Which procedure applies to you in Rotterdam?
• How do you report a change of address in Rotterdam?
• Do you need a housing permit in Rotterdam?
• How do you register in Rotterdam when you move from abroad?
• What is the deadline, and what happens if you report late?
• Parking when you move in Rotterdam
• Who do you need to inform yourself after moving in Rotterdam?
• What if you leave Rotterdam for another city or for abroad?
• Moving within or to Rotterdam with Holland Movers
• Frequently asked questions about change of address in Rotterdam

Which procedure applies to you in Rotterdam?

The City of Rotterdam uses different procedures depending on where you live now. If you already live in the Netherlands and move to or within Rotterdam, you report a change of address. If you move from abroad and stay longer than 4 months, you register for the first time in the BRP, the Dutch population register, and receive a BSN.

How do you report a change of address in Rotterdam?

You report a change of address in Rotterdam online through the city’s digital desk (dloket.rotterdam.nl) if you have a DigiD. Without DigiD, you send the form “Aangifte verhuizing” by post. Either way, you need proof that you may live at the new address.

1. Check your dates. Report your move no earlier than 4 weeks before and no later than 5 days after your moving date.
2. Prepare your documents. See the table below. A rental contract, landlord’s declaration or declaration of residence may not be older than 3 months.
3. Report online with DigiD. Log in to the digital desk of the City of Rotterdam and complete the form.
4. No DigiD? Print the form “Aangifte verhuizing”, add a copy of your ID and your documents, and send everything to Gemeente Rotterdam, Postbus 70013, 3000 KR Rotterdam.
5. Check the result. The digital desk shows your open request. Within 5 weeks, your new address is in the BRP.

If you move in with your (registered) partner, parents, child, grandchild, grandparent, brother or sister, you do not need a landlord’s declaration. A declaration of residence is always needed when you move in with someone.

Who can report the move?

Everyone aged 18 or over reports their own move. Parents or guardians report the move for children under 16, and children aged 16 or 17 may do it themselves. If you live together without being married or in a registered partnership, each of you reports the move separately. You can report for someone else with a completed and signed authorisation form.

From our experience with more than 8,000 expat moves, we at Holland Movers recommend reporting your move online in the week before your moving date. It is free, and your new address is being processed while you move.

Do you need a housing permit in Rotterdam?

You need a housing permit (huisvestingsvergunning, HVV) in Rotterdam only if you rent a home in one of the designated streets. Since 1 December 2025, this applies to everyone aged 16 or over who moves to such an address. You apply for the permit when you report your move, online or by post. Applying is free, and the city aims to decide within 5 weeks.

The streets where you need a housing permit: Aar, Alerdincksingel, Bas Jungeriusstraat, Boezemstraat, Charloisse Hoofd, Charloisse Kerksingel, Dordtselaan, Engelsestraat, Flakkeesestraat, Katendrechtse Lagedijk, Lepelaarsingel, Mijnsherenlaan, Moerkerkestraat, Oranjeboomstraat, Petrarcastraat, Pleinweg, Polderlaan, Professor Poelslaan, Schinnenbaan, Slaghekstraat, Slinge, Slotboomstraat, Strevelsweg, Walchersestraat and Wolphaertsbocht.

• Renting from a housing association? You apply for the permit through the housing association.
• Renting from a private landlord? You apply to the city. Your landlord completes a declaration of willingness and a landlord’s declaration.
• Buying the home to live in yourself? You do not need a housing permit, but you report your move through the page for housing permit areas.
• Moving within a housing permit area? You apply for a new permit for your new home.

The city checks whether you have caused nuisance at a previous address. If not, you qualify for the permit. Check the list before you sign a rental contract.

How do you register in Rotterdam when you move from abroad?

You register in Rotterdam from abroad in person, by appointment. This applies if you will live in the Netherlands for longer than 4 months. According to the City of Rotterdam, you book the appointment online within 5 days of arrival. When you are registered in the BRP, you automatically receive a BSN. A first registration is free and usually takes 4 weeks after you have provided all documents.

If you do not have the nationality of an EU country, you first apply for a residence permit at the IND. You can only register once you have a residence permit or your application is in progress. Bring a valid passport or ID card, your rental or purchase contract and, where relevant, your original foreign certificates such as birth or marriage certificates.

What is the Rotterdam International Center?

The Rotterdam International Center helps internationals with their first registration and BSN, collecting a residence permit from the IND and opening a bank account. It is in the Groot Handelsgebouw, Weena 725, near Rotterdam Centraal, and is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 17:00, by appointment only. You can call it on +31 10 790 01 90. The centre charges a fee for appointments. For general questions to the City of Rotterdam, call 14 010, or +31 10 267 16 25 from abroad. Practical tips about living in the city are in our expat guide to Rotterdam.

What is the deadline, and what happens if you report late?

The deadline for reporting a change of address in Rotterdam is 5 days after your moving date, and you can report from 4 weeks before. According to the Rijksoverheid, municipalities can fine you up to €325 if you do not report important changes on time. If you knowingly give incorrect information, the City of Rotterdam can also impose a fine.

Reporting on time matters in practice. Agencies such as the Belastingdienst (Tax Administration), the SVB and the RDW receive your new address from the BRP, so they only update your records once Rotterdam has processed your move.

Parking when you move in Rotterdam

If you move to a home in a paid parking area in Rotterdam, you can apply for a temporary parking permit for the period in which your move is being processed. It is meant for people who move but are not yet registered at the new address.

• Duration: at least 1 month, at most 12 months.
• Cost in 2026: €9.50 per month for a first permit, €25.70 per month for a second.
• Processing time: online 5 working days, by post 4 to 6 weeks.
• Waiting lists: many parking areas have a waiting list, so a temporary permit is not always available.

Apply for the temporary permit well before your moving day.

Who do you need to inform yourself after moving in Rotterdam?

After your move is registered in Rotterdam, government bodies such as the Belastingdienst, the SVB, the UWV and the RDW receive your new address automatically from the BRP. Organisations outside the government do not. You inform them yourself, ideally before your moving date.

• Your employer, for your salary records and travel allowance
• Your bank and insurers, including your health insurance and home contents insurance
• Your energy supplier, with meter readings at both addresses on moving day
• Your internet and phone provider, as installation often takes a few weeks
• PostNL, if you want your post forwarded to your new address
• Your GP and dentist, if you move to another part of the city

What if you leave Rotterdam for another city or for abroad?

If you move from Rotterdam to another Dutch municipality, you report your move only to your new municipality. If you move abroad for more than 8 months within 12 months, you report your departure to the City of Rotterdam yourself: online with DigiD, or by post or email. You can do this up to 28 days before you leave, and your departure is in the BRP within 5 weeks.

Holland Movers carries out around 400 international moves a year, almost all within Europe and always in our own vehicles. Your belongings are never transferred to another company on the way.

Moving within or to Rotterdam with Holland Movers

Holland Movers moves households all over Rotterdam, from apartments in the city centre to family homes in Kralingen and Rotterdam-Zuid. We drive box trucks instead of large lorries, so we can park close to the door in narrow streets. Your belongings are insured up to €2.5 million without excess, and all our staff speak fluent English. A normal household move costs between €1,000 and €2,000, with no call-out charge, no return charge and no weekend surcharge.

Your personal moving advisor visits your home or does a video survey for free, and then sends you a transparent, itemised quote. Read more about our moving company in Rotterdam or what to expect from moving costs in the Netherlands.

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