Moving to another EU country: the admin checklist
The hardest part of moving abroad is rarely the boxes — it is the paperwork, and the order it has to happen in. Miss a registration deadline and you can face fines or weeks of being unable to get paid. This guide explains the logic of relocation admin across five countries, and the tool below turns it into a personalized timeline with real dates you can export to your calendar.
By the Libravo editorial team · Updated 14 June 2026
Everything hangs off the first registration
Almost every country has one foundational step that unlocks the rest. In Germany it is the Anmeldung (address registration); in the Netherlands the BSN; in Spain the NIE and padrón; in Italy the codice fiscale. Your tax number, payroll, bank account and healthcare all depend on it — so it is the first thing to book, often before you have even unpacked.
The deadlines that cost money
Some steps carry hard legal deadlines. Germany requires address registration within 14 days. Dutch health insurance must be arranged within four months — premiums are backdated and fines apply. The Dutch 30% ruling must be requested within four months of starting to keep its retroactive effect, which is worth thousands. The timeline below flags these hard deadlines in amber so they do not slip.
Try it yourself
Moving to
This first version covers EU/EEA citizens starting a job. Non-EU and freelancer paths are on the way.
- 6 Aug 2026before the move
Secure housing and the landlord certificate
You need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation) to register your address — ask for it when you sign the lease.
Official source → - 20 Aug 2026legal deadline
Choose health insurance from day one
Statutory health insurance (Krankenkasse) must cover you from your first working day — your employer needs the membership confirmation.
Official source → - 3 Sept 2026legal deadline
Register your address (Anmeldung)
Mandatory within 14 days of moving in, at the local Bürgeramt. Bring ID and the landlord certificate. Almost everything else depends on this.
Official source → - 19 Sept 2026
Open a bank account
Most banks ask for the Anmeldung certificate. You need a SEPA account for salary and rent.
Official source → - 1 Oct 2026happens automatically
Tax ID arrives by post
Your steuerliche Identifikationsnummer is sent automatically after Anmeldung (typically 2–6 weeks). Give it to your employer or you'll be emergency-taxed.
Official source → - 18 Nov 2026
Broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)
One fee per household, €18.36/month. They write to you after Anmeldung — register or link to an existing household payer.
Official source →
Tax numbers and getting paid
Until your tax identifier exists, payroll often applies emergency tax or cannot pay you correctly. In Germany the tax ID arrives by post a few weeks after registration; in Spain the social-security number must exist before your first working day; in Italy the codice fiscale is needed for the contract itself. Sorting these early prevents a painful first payslip.
Healthcare, banking and digital identity
Beyond the essentials, each country has a health registration (a GP, an ASL, a tarjeta sanitaria), a bank account that usually needs your registration certificate, and increasingly a digital identity — DigiD in the Netherlands, SPID in Italy, Cl@ve in Spain — that unlocks government services online and saves endless queues.
Build your own timeline
Pick your destination and arrival date in the tool below and it sequences every step onto real calendar dates, with the dependencies in the right order and official links for each. Export it as a calendar file so the deadlines live alongside the rest of your move. This first version covers EU/EEA citizens starting a job; non-EU and freelancer paths are coming.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when I move to a new country?
Almost always the address or municipal registration — Anmeldung in Germany, BSN in the Netherlands, NIE and padrón in Spain, codice fiscale in Italy. Tax, payroll, banking and healthcare all depend on it.
What happens if I miss a registration deadline?
It varies: Dutch health insurance is backdated with fines after four months, late German registration can carry a fine, and missing the Dutch 30% ruling window costs money permanently. The tool flags hard legal deadlines.
Does this cover non-EU citizens?
Not yet. This first version covers EU/EEA citizens starting employment, the most common case. Non-EU visa routes and freelancer registrations are planned next.
Can I add the deadlines to my calendar?
Yes. The tool exports your personalized timeline as an .ics calendar file, so every registration and deadline lands in your own calendar with the official links attached.
Ready to claim?
Use our free step-by-step guide with a claim-letter template, or check your flight first.
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General information based on Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and its UK retained version, not legal advice. Libravo is not affiliated with any airline.