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Customs Information
Netherlands
- Used household goods and personal effects are duty-free provided:
- The Customer has lived outside the Netherlands for at least 12 months (six months if previous residence was within the European Community)
- Customer is transferring his principal residence to the Netherlands
- The goods have been used for at least 12 months (six months if being imported within the European Community) prior to import
- The goods are not sold or lent for at least 12 months (six months if being imported within the European Community) after importation
- The goods are in accordance with the social status of the Customer
- Re-importation of used household goods within one year requires special documents for duty-free import
- If Customer is not staying in the Netherlands for a minimum of 12 months, bond will have to be posted for duties and taxes
| Transportation |
Netherlands |
| Railways: |
total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2004) |
| Highways: |
total: 116,500 km
paved: 104,850 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)
unpaved: 11,650 km (1999) |
| Waterways: |
5,046 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
condensate 325 km; gas 6,998 km; oil 590 km; refined products 716 km (2004) |
| Ports and Harbors: |
Amsterdam , Groningen , Ijmuiden , Rotterdam , Terneuzen, Vlissingen , Zaanstad |
| Merchant Marine: |
total: 558 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,796,460 GRT/5,212,557 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 361, chemical tanker 32, container 48, liquefied gas 13, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 32, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 4
foreign-owned: 139 (Bahamas 5, Belgium 2, Canada 1, Denmark 4, Finland 7, Germany 62, Ireland 13, Norway 9, Sweden 19, United Kingdom 6, United States 11)
registered in other countries: 223 (2005) |
| Airports: |
27 (2004 est.) |
Airports -
with paved runways: |
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports -
with unpaved runways: |
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
| Geography |
Netherlands |
| Location: |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany |
| Geographic Coordinates: |
52 30 N, 5 45 E |
| Map References: |
Europe |
| Area: |
total: 41,526 sq km
land: 33,883 sq km
water: 7,643 sq km |
| Area Comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Land Boundaries: |
total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km |
| Coastline: |
451 km |
| Maritime Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Terrain: |
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast |
| Elevation Extremes: |
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m |
| Natural Resources: |
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land |
| Land Use: |
arable land: 26.71%
permanent crops: 0.97%
other: 72.32% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: |
5,650 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: |
flooding |
| Environment - current issues: |
water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling |
| Geography - Note: |
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse , and Schelde) |
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