עדכון מצב השווקים בהולנד ובאירופה - 2023

General Update

Increasing costs

• Inflation increases, surging fuel, labor and energy costs will result in relocation cost increases, so we expect to see prices going up more than 10% + throughout Europe. This article makes the very interesting point that increased inflation will also have an impact on our claims, as the replacement of furniture items damaged during the move could cost 20% more due to the current situation.

Freight/Road Transport  

• A positive start to the new year was the news that the congestion previously experienced in the North American ports has improved.  In 2022, 100 container ships were waiting in the ports compared to the current report of 30 vessels.  As explained in this article the situation will improve further due to the factory closures for Asia’s Lunar New Year, which will allow the ports to clear the remainder of the queues.
• Freight rates continue to stabilize but capacity could continue to be a challenge as the shipping lines reduce the number of sailings. This Loadstar article reports that 53 sailings from Asia to Europe have been cancelled in the first 7 weeks of 2023.
• Whilst we see the easing of port congestion, we are not seeing the same on our roads, as we return to pre-Covid traffic levels, INRIX researchers have found that 42% of urban areas in Europe had more congestion in 2022 than before the pandemic with 39% more congestion in the USA.  London, Chicago, and Paris make up the top three worst cities in the world for delays and for the second year in a row London was identified as the most congested city with drivers spending an average of 156 hours in traffic in 2022.  The top ten most congested cites are London (1), Chicago (2), Paris (3), Boston (4), New York (5), Bogota (6), Toronto (7), Miami (8), Palermo (9) and Monterrey (10).

Relocation Services – the Netherlands

The new year has also brought changes to many other official rules and regulations in the Netherlands, from taxes to energy costs, building permits to compulsory helmets on mopeds. Many of these changes will affect internationals, so check out our overview so you up to date. 

Housing

• To stabilize the rental property market, the Dutch government will apply a points-based system with the objective of setting rent prices.  These articles link | link explain why the changes could mean that more homes will fall into the rent controlled sector. 
• Price ceiling for utilities – max price now set based on usage, this will approach could become a template for other countries.  link | link
• Isolation action City Hall Amsterdam

De municipality of Amsterdam is currently running an isolation action for private landlords, offering a tailor-made advice and guidance in insulating the home. The goal is to save as much energy as possible by making the property more sustainable. From 2030 homes with Energy label E, F of G may no longer be rented out.

Education

• In the larger cities there are limited school spaces, particularly for children in the 14+ age group, this is also the case in the international schools.  
• More and more internationals want to enroll their children to the Dutch education. To prepare non-native Dutch children for the Dutch public school system, Newcomer’s (5,5- 12-year old) or Ithaka classes (12+ year old) are recommended to transition.

Local / Registration procedures

Setting up bank accounts is possible on receipt of the BSN in most cases; however, ABN AMRO has reported that in some cities physical appointments at the bank are limited so it is necessary for bank accounts to be opened online.

Immigration

• The Dutch Immigration and Naturalization service (IND) adjusts its fees for applications for residency in the Netherlands annually. Usually this means the fees go up, however 1 January 2023 saw changes that will put a smile on many faces. The IND has equalized the large differences in fees for certain permits, meaning many types of permits are now much less expensive.
• The gross monthly salary thresholds are indexed annually. The below thresholds apply as from 1 January 2023 (excluding 8% holiday allowance). The gross monthly salary has to be fixed, guaranteed, and must be paid directly to the foreign national’s bank account.
• Highly Skilled Migrants 30 years or older: € 5.008
• Highly Skilled Migrants younger than 30 years: € 3.672
• HSM subsequent to graduation or after search year: € 2.631
• European Blue Card holders: € 5.867

IMPORTANT - Changes to conditions for visa-free travel from 2023

From November 2023, non-EU nationals who do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area, will need to request prior authorization to visit Schengen countries. This authorization is not the same as a visa. Applications for authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) can only be submitted online. The exact date on which these changes will come into force is not yet clear. For more info, click here.

Tax 

As advised in previous updates, the reimbursement of travel expenses will change and a 30% ruling will be introduced in 2023, please find attached a link which provides additional information and examples.

Ukraine / Russia

• For most destinations, all modes of export shipments are possible and for those locations where it is not, we continue to utilize our warehouse in The Hague.
• Continuing the trend of 2022, the main booking activity is for exports from Russia with negligible import bookings to Russia.
• Our domestic business is operating as normal, there are some periodic changes in the legal entities of some companies, these are due to changes in sanctions or in the management structure because of relocation.
• One significant change which has had an impact on air shipments is that a range of electronic items have been listed as prohibited for exportation.  The review of these sanctioned items has increased the crew time at residence and as the situation is dynamic, we have had instances where items have been removed during the export clearance and must be returned to the assignee.   We are working with our customs broker to produce a cohesive list but as the changes in the legislation are subject to change it can be difficult to maintain the prohibited list. In some cases, the airline has put restrictions on items which has resulted in shipments being returned to origin.   Our advice is to exclude all electronic items from air shipments.

Our commitment

Our move management teams will continue to work proactively with the families moving and our corporate contacts to keep everyone updated.  We will continue to review and improve our processes to achieve cost efficiencies without impacting the quality of service.  We continue to encourage flexibility from all parties when scheduling packing and delivery schedules and we remain committed to our clients and to meeting expectations.

Your commitment

Our industry will continue to experience capacity and resource issues and we ask that you reach out to us with new initiations as early as possible.  This will assist us to understand and meet the needs of the transferee and the transit time requirements, also to set realistic expectations at the beginning of the relocation journey. If you have any questions, please reach out to your account manager or customer services contact.

Proactive communication

As always communication remains key and whilst it is difficult to predict all the developments and consequences, we remain actively involved in industry associations on all continents to ensure that we are prepared to serve our clients in the current market conditions. 

We believe in strong partnerships. Therefore, transparent communication and mutual trust form the basis for close cooperation with our partners and suppliers. Prompt communication, as well as quick resolution of problems, is essential to us. This allows us to improve delivery reliability, promote innovation and drive our growth.

The combined effort of our supply chain and logistics teams along with The Harmony Relocation Network allows us to continue to create and expand operating capabilities. We will continue to optimise our service and keep you updated regularly.