Your Pre-Departure Checklist: 30 Days Before the Move

The last 30 days before our move to the Netherlands were a blur of canceled subscriptions, goodbye dinners, and midnight packing sessions.

We missed things. Important things. Like forwarding our mail. And telling our dentist.

So we made the checklist we wish we had. If you are preparing for your Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) move, print this out and work through it week by week.

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Week 4: 30-22 Days Before

Financial

• Notify your US bank about your move. Some banks close accounts for overseas residents. Ask explicitly if they will keep your account open. See which banks work for expats.
• Set up Wise (TransferWise) if you have not already. You will need this for transferring money to your Dutch bank account once it is open.
• Order extra debit/credit cards if yours are expiring soon. Getting replacements shipped internationally is a hassle.
• Check your credit card foreign transaction fees. Switch to a no-fee card if possible (Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture, etc.).
• Download your US tax documents. Get digital copies of everything: W-2s, 1099s, past returns. You will file US taxes from abroad.

Documents

• Confirm all DAFT documents are ready. Apostilled birth certificate, background check, business plan, proof of funds. Double-check expiration dates -- some documents expire after 6 months.
• Make 3 copies of everything. Physical copies in separate bags plus digital copies in cloud storage.
• Check passport expiration. Must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel date.
• Get a letter from your doctor for any prescription medications. Include generic names, dosages, and why you need them.

Pro Tip: Store digital copies of every important document in a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder. When a landlord or the KVK (Kamer van Koophandel) asks for a document at an inconvenient time, you can send it instantly.

Housing

• Confirm temporary housing in the Netherlands for your first 2-4 weeks. Airbnb, short-stay apartment, or hotel.
• Start browsing Dutch rental listings on Funda, Pararius, and Kamernet. Get a feel for prices and neighborhoods.
• Give notice on your US lease if you have not already. Check your required notice period.

Shipping

• Finalize what you are shipping. Sea freight needs to go out this week if you want it to arrive around when you do.
• Pack and label shipping boxes. Create detailed inventory lists for customs.
• Confirm pickup date with your shipping company.

For shipping specifics, see our shipping belongings to the Netherlands guide.

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Week 3: 21-15 Days Before

Subscriptions and Services

• Cancel or pause subscriptions: Gym membership, meal kits, magazine subscriptions, local services.
• Keep these active: Cloud storage, VPN (you will want one), music streaming, password manager.
• Transfer digital purchases to accounts that will work internationally. Some content is region-locked.
• Cancel or transfer utilities (electric, gas, water, internet) with end dates matching your lease end.

Medical

• Schedule final doctor visit. Get a general checkup and any referrals you have been putting off.
• Visit the dentist. Dutch dental coverage is limited and expensive. Get cleanings and any work done now.
• Fill prescriptions. Get a 90-day supply of any regular medications.
• Get vaccination records. Your Dutch GP may want them.
• Order extra contact lenses or glasses if you wear them. Bring your prescription.

What We Wish We Knew: We skipped the dentist. Then we needed a filling in Amsterdam and it cost 350 EUR out of pocket. Go to the dentist before you leave.

Administrative

• Set up mail forwarding through USPS. Forward to a trusted family member or friend who can open important mail.
• Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), Social Security Administration, banks, credit cards, and insurance companies.
• Download important medical records from your patient portal.
• Back up your phone. Photos, contacts, apps, messages.

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Week 2: 14-8 Days Before

Selling and Donating

• Final push on selling remaining items. Drop prices. The goal is empty, not profitable.
• Schedule donation pickup for unsold items (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStore).
• Give away what is left to friends and neighbors.

For our full experience selling everything, read selling everything vs. shipping.

Travel

• Confirm flight details. Check baggage allowance and weight limits.
• Book airport transport to your departure airport.
• Research transit from Schiphol to your temporary housing. Train is usually best -- 15 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal.
• Download offline maps of your Netherlands destination city on Google Maps.
• Download the NS (Dutch rail) app and the 9292 transit app.

Tech Setup

• Unlock your phone if it is carrier-locked. You will want a Dutch SIM card.
• Set up a VPN (ExpressVPN, NordVPN). Some US services require a US IP address.
• Download Dutch language app (Duolingo, Babbel). Even basic Dutch helps.
• Save offline copies of important documents on your phone.

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Week 1: 7-1 Days Before

Packing

• Pack checked luggage. Weigh bags -- overweight fees at the airport are painful.
• Pack carry-on with all documents, medications, electronics, chargers, and one change of clothes.
• Pack a "first 48 hours" bag with everything you need before your checked bags and shipments arrive: toiletries, weather-appropriate clothes, adapters, snacks.

Pro Tip: Put all documents in a single folder in your carry-on. Passport, DAFT papers, apostilled documents, housing confirmation, insurance info. You may need to show several of these at immigration.

What to pack in your carry-on:

• Passport and all travel documents
• DAFT application documents (copies)
• Laptop and phone with chargers
• EU power adapters (at least 2)
• Medications (in original packaging)
• Change of clothes
• Toiletries
• Snacks for the flight
• Pen (for customs forms)
• Printed address of temporary housing

Final US Tasks

• Clean your apartment for move-out inspection.
• Return keys and get deposit confirmation in writing.
• Cancel remaining US services: Car insurance, renter's insurance, etc.
• Notify your employer about your new address for tax documents (if applicable).
• Say goodbye. This sounds obvious but schedule it. We almost ran out of time for the people who mattered most.

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Day of Departure

• Final walkthrough of your apartment
• Take photos of empty apartment (for deposit disputes)
• Confirm all documents are in carry-on (check twice)
• Confirm temporary housing check-in details
• Set phone to airplane mode when boarding
• Breathe

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First 48 Hours in the Netherlands

This is not pre-departure, but knowing what comes next helps you prepare:

• Get through immigration (have DAFT documents accessible)
• Buy an OV-chipkaart at Schiphol station
• Get to temporary housing
• Buy a Dutch SIM card (Lebara, Vodafone, or KPN prepaid)
• Find nearest Albert Heijn for groceries
• Sleep off the jet lag

For what happens in your first full month, see first month in the Netherlands: what happens.

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What to Pack for the Move

This checklist covers tasks. For the complete packing list -- what to bring, what to leave, and what we regret -- read what to pack when moving to the Netherlands.

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The Biggest Mistake We Made

We did not start early enough. We crammed everything into the last two weeks and it was miserable. Arguments, stress, missed tasks, and zero sleep.

Start at 30 days. Work the checklist. Cross things off. By the time moving day arrives, you will feel something surprising: excitement instead of panic.

You have got this.

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We're not immigration lawyers -- just Americans who did this. Requirements change, so verify with official sources.