Country Updates
Belgium
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
Lead time for booking is 8–10 weeks and supply is especially limited in the budget range.
Non-EU citizens must register on arrival at their residential address, which is not possible in hotels or Airbnb. To avoid compliance risks and delays in residence permits, only an accommodation that allows official registration should be booked.
Since May 2025, all rental contracts in Brussels must include the official reference rent, which reflects fair market value based on property
characteristics. A rent set more than 20% above this reference is considered abusive unless clearly justified, and tenants can
request a formal review.
In practice, however, this measure has had little impact so far and applies mainly to very low-budget properties. Using it aggressively to negotiate lower rents is not advisable and may backfire.
Other reforms introduced in 2025 include a rental guarantee capped at two months’ rent in Brussels and Wallonia (3 months in Flanders), short-term leases (max. 3 years) renewable only once, and planned investments to improve energy efficiency in existing housing stock.
In-demand locations
Leases are either 3 years or 9 years long.
A notice period of 3 months is always required to end a lease and a penalty must be paid if breaking a lease early.
Exceptionally and depending on the willingness of the landlord, a 1-year lease can be agreed. The 3-month notice still applies, as does the penalty for breaking contract before the end date.
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
International school premium application dates
Rolling throughout the academic year.
International year group spaces
Depending on the school
Banking restrictions timeline
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
Landlords pay broker fees.
Expert fees for the check-in are mandatory and need to be covered 50% by the tenant and 50% by the landlord.
For a successful home-finding process in this context, we recommend:
- Setting a realistic budget, and preparing the application in advance
- Always checking validity of ads (especially cheap options)
- Acting quickly on available properties
- For young professionals, considering co-living options
Germany
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
The property market typically slows down from mid-December until early January, when few viewings take place and most landlords pause new listings.
Demand for temporary housing remains high, with limited availability of larger furnished apartments.
Bookings should be made well in advance, particularly during major events such as the Munich Oktoberfest or major events taking place at the Messe Frankfurt.
While immigration and administrative processing times can vary, the following timeframes may be expected:
Housing remains one of the country’s most pressing issues and a landlord’s market with little room for negotiation or special requests.
Germany faces a shortage of more than 800,000 apartments, with construction slowing due to high interest rates and rising costs. In 2025 the German government was well below its target of 400,000 new units.
Rents continue to rise sharply, especially in Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt, making the search for suitable housing increasingly competitive.
Check out all housing price categories in the main German cities:
In-demand locations
Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Munich, Dusseldorf, Cologne.
1-2 years
In some locations, such as Berlin, it is more common for landlords to set a minimum term of up to 4 years.
Diplomatic clauses are rare, and always subject to the landlord’s discretion.
Lease duration (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Many landlords will still not accept pets.
NO pets in temporary (furnished) housing.
International school application dates
Rolling throughout the academic year.
Local Schools
Banking restrictions timeline
Registration in Germany must be completed prior to setting up bank account.
Sanctions on some foreign nationals are in place.
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
In most cases landlords absorb the cost of broker/agency fees (Maklercourtage).
Property viewings may take place as public viewings, and at the landlord’s schedule – particularly for lower budget properties.
Weekend viewings: rare.
Deposits: usually 2-3 months net rent.
Utilities are often prepaid to the landlord and a final reconciliation may not be available until up to a year after the lease ends.
Ireland
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
Real estate closed at Easter effective Friday 2nd April to Tuesday 6th.
Outside of Dublin, temporary housing is in short supply.
As of January 2025, all first-time registrations for any type of residence permission in Ireland must be completed in person at the Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin.
All residence permission renewals (regardless of county) must be processed online via the Immigration Service Delivery portal.
In February 2025, Ireland introduced for the first time a Seasonal Employment Permit.
The permit – open to non-European Economic Area nationals – allows for seasonal work for a maximum of 7 months per year, from April 14 until November 13.
Affordability calculator is being used much more frequently.
Keep in mind that only the employed person is taken into consideration, the partner's income does not count.
In-demand locations
Limerick is gearing up for the Ryder Cup with new buildings for Sept 2027. This is a positive signal for housing in the area.
1 year
Diplomatic or break clauses are not available under Irish rental law.
In some cases, digital signatures are acceptable.
Lease duration (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
New builds are being constructed in a pet friendly manner.
International school premium application dates
International school applications will be mainly submitted after Easter break for the start of new year August/September intake.
Local Schools
Banking restrictions timeline
Online banks are taking preference due to delays in 'old-school' banks.
Revolut is an increasingly popular option.
AIB now offers an online service for opening new accounts, but the account holder needs to confirm a residential address and physically be in Ireland in order to complete the account opening.
BOI has an option for residents of EU and US to open accounts online before relocating to Ireland.
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
1. Packimpex liaises with agents and property management companies to have access to properties before they are offered to the general market.
2. EE should have documents ready before starting home search: proof of funds (work contract, employer letter), landlord references, ID.
3. EE must be ready to make quick decision after viewing a property.
4. Set EE's expectations at an early stage, as rent inflation continues, and new properties become less affordable.
Italy
News
Temporary Housing
The Constitutional Court announced that the constitutional challenge brought against the new citizenship legislation has been rejected.
We are now awaiting an official statement on the reasons behind this decision.
Milan will host the International Furniture Fair from April 21st to April 26th.
During this period, demand for short-term accommodations will be exceptionally high. As a result, availability will be very limited and prices are expected to rise significantly, often increasing by 50% to over 100%, with peak rates in central areas potentially even higher.
We therefore advise you to take this into account when planning stays in Milan during these dates.
Difficulties with the online system that issues Work Permits to Italian embassies within EU.
As a result, non-European citizens are facing significant challenges with obtaining long-stay visas to Italy. Issues are being worked on.
The processessing time for Blue Card Work Permit has been reduced from 90 to 30 days only.
For Art. 27-quater work permits, the Employment Centre response time has been reduced from 15 to 8 days. After 8 days with no reply, the employer may proceed with the hiring process.
Housing is scarce; we recommend avoiding negotiating with landlords. Trust your relocation manager to guide you.
Realtor fees: We are hearing contradictory feedback on this topic. Some realtors deny issuing the invoice to an entity which is not part of the lease, others accept payment from RMCs with no issues. Be aware that in Milan, realtor fees are increasing, now reaching up to 20% of annual rent (previously capped around 15%).
Flat rate taxation system: cannot be applied to Company leases yet, because of opposition from the Revenue Agency.
Handover conditions for rental homes: A recent sentence of the Corte di Cassazione (Italian highest court of appeal) stated that painting is due only if the conditions of the painting go beyond normal wear and tear.
In-demand locations
Standard 4 year lease, can be renewed for further 4 years.
Increase in '3 + 2' rental contracts, especially in the Milan area.
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Landlord dependent
International application dates
Rolling throughout the academic year.
International year group spaces
Up to 1 year waiting list for kindergarten spaces in Italy. Consider that a child may need up to 1 month of adaption time before they can attend kindergarten full-time.
Banking restrictions timeline
2 types of accounts are available, resident and non-resident.
Local registration and an Italian ID card are required to open the resident account.
Some nationalities may encounter further difficulties.
National holidays
Country Specific Nuances
Car imports are challenging. We would recommend against it.
We also recommend assignees to:
- accept the first doctor that the health office assigns.
- be cautious about purchasing or importing electric cars. There's no proper infrastructure yet.
The Netherlands
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
The VAT rate for short stays in Netherlands (temporary housing as well) has increased from 9% to 21% starting with 1 Jan 2026.
IMPORTANT: For non-EU citizens staying less than 4 months and registering as non-resident (RNI), there are now only 2 places to register: Breda and Venlo. This means more travel time required.
10-12 weeks to obtain work permit and visa. V number takes 2 weeks to get and already allows to book appointments for town hall registrations.
Lead time for residence permit appointment is 8 weeks, and can be booked as soon as one has their V number.
HSM and Blue Card salary thresholds have increased by 6.7% compared to 2024.
Postal delays are increasingly affecting the delivery of IND and Tax Authority correspondence. Important letters, such as residence permit approvals or 30% ruling decisions, may arrive late or not at all. Clients should rely on digital portals and follow up proactively.
In-demand locations
The Randstad is the most demanding, urbanised and economically significant region in the Netherlands, with 4 major cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague (Den Haag), Utrecht.
Outside the region, Eindhoven (tech and innovation hub) and Maastricht are also desirable locations.
Surrounding suburbs and smaller cities are showing growing demand due to difficult housing situation in large cities e.g. Amstelveen, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Hilversum, Almere.
12 months fixed period, afterwards indefinite.
2-year contracts with flexible cancelation policy no longer exist.
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Landlord dependent
International school premium application dates
Banking restrictions timeline
BSN number, proof of identity and employment, and local address are most necessary to provide.
In general, it is an easy process with possibilities to open bank account in-person or online via mobile application.
Non-EU citizens must have approved immigration to set up bank account. In case of some nationalities additional checks and specific documentation are required.
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
The sooner the initiation the best.
Work with a local broker (in specific regions): Brokers are valuable in sourcing properties. Broker fees (typically one month’s rent + 21% VAT) must be covered by the employee or employer.
Documentation: Employees should prepare an introduction letter, photo, work contract.
Tips for success:
- Flexible and available for viewings.
- Quick decisions to secure properties.
- Budget for overbidding, as it’s common.
- Expanding search to surrounding areas/towns if on a lower budget.
- Consider semi-furnished properties for more options.
- Prepare for additional checks if applying for investment housing (e.g. salary slips and employment statement from the employer).
Switzerland
News
Temporary Housing
Permit & Visa Processing times
Business and housing markets in Switzerland remain under pressure. Geneva NGOs, along with pharma and watchmaking companies, are adjusting staff levels, adding to a climate of uncertainty.
On the housing side, the national vacancy rate has dropped to 1% - the lowest in five years. Geneva now has just 0.34% of homes available, and Zurich 0.48%, with vacancy falling 8% year-on-year across the country.
These developments combined with ongoing geopolitical challenges make early planning and expert local support more important than ever for incoming assignees.
Zurich & Zug have started to require 90-day minimum stay or unlimited housing contract.
Recommended solutions: Book 3-month temp housing or Unlimited contract with 2-week exit clause.
4-8 weeks
Switzerland retains work permit quotas for EEA, UK and third-country nationals in 2026.
2026 UPDATE: latest pricing for different categories of housing in the main Swiss cities:
In-demand locations
Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Zug
House 1-5 years
Apartment 1 year
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Dogs (especially large ones) not always accepted by landlords.
International school application dates
Rolling throughout the academic year but places can be limited.
Local School
According to UBS, Ukranian nationals must also have their permit to be able to open a bank account.
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
Quick decision-making for housing is key. Only apply for the properties considered a serious option in order to avoid upsetting the real-estate agencies.
Many things in Switzerland are Canton-specific: immigration process, rental rules and practices can be different depending on the canton.
Switzerland has four national languages, the language/s spoken depends on the Canton.
United Kingdom
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
Temp housing costs have surged over the past 12 months.
We recommend budget reviews.
Due to high housing demand, expect minimum 1 month temp accommodation for individuals, potentially longer for families.
Visa processing times remain 4–12 weeks depending on visa type.
EU business travellers must now complete an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) when entering the UK.
The Renters’ Rights Act remains the biggest impact on the housing market.
Increased regulation is prompting some landlords to exit the market. This reduction in supply will place upward pressure on rents, particularly in high-demand areas.
While rental supply in locations such as London has shown recent improvement, the overall outlook remains uncertain and potentially volatile as the market adjusts to the new legislation.
There is also a short-term risk of disruption ahead of implementation on the 1st May 2026. Some landlords may choose to serve notice before the new rules take effect, leading to a temporary increase in forced moves for tenants.
In-demand locations
London, Manchester, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast
With the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, most tenancies in England will start operating on a month-to-month basis.
Tenants will be able to end their tenancy via a 2 months’ notice, giving them greater flexibility to move when needed. In practice, this means tenancy lengths will become more fluid and largely tenant-led.
In response, landlords are expected to place greater emphasis on referencing and affordability checks, aiming to secure tenants for longer periods.
For comparison, Scotland already operates under a similar system, where tenancies are open-ended with no fixed minimum or maximum term.
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
There is a general increase in tolerance to allowing pets, though this is still ultimately at the discretion of a landlord.
Markets in some locations will be more flexible with regards to allowing pets.
International school premium application dates
Rolling throughout the year, check for local state schools.
Local School
Banking restrictions timeline
National holidays
Right to rent checks: Prospective tenants must be able to provide their right to rent in the UK before they can secure a rental property.
Regional variation: the experience of renting can be different across the country, particularly in tier 2 locations outside of London and other large cities.
Referencing checks: heavy referencing and affordability checks are carried out as part of securing a tenancy. Thus, meeting salary thresholds and providing verification from an employer is required.
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These Terms as well as our code of business ethics, our data protection policy and our anti-bribery policy can be found on our website.
Reach out to Benoit Meyer, Sales Director Packimpex Ltd., to understand how these updates may affect your relocation projects.
Do you need more insight?
The new school year starts between beginning of August and middle of September. depending on the state.
The German public school system is very good although foreign language support can vary between schools and location. A German address is required to access the public school system.
School holidays vary by state.
Local Kindergarten availability is low, with lengthy waiting lists (6+ months) in some locations.
Children are allocated to local schools based on catchment area. Private schools in Ireland are popular and are approximately €6000 per annum on average.
Rolling throughout the academic year.
Local School
Due to continued immigration and placement in local school system, there's high demand + long waiting lists for TaalKlass (classes for international children to help them integrate into the Dutch public school system).
Public school search is only possible once permanent housing is secured. Local schools can accept 4-5 yo children directly without an integration class.
First, reach out to school nearest to the permanent address.
The school year starts mid-August with an autumn holiday following end of September/ start of October (depending on the canton). Children are allocated the school in their neighbourhood based on catchment area.
In England state schools are often oversubscribed, with places allocated based on space.
Provision in schools for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is variable, and the process of placing children with SEN can take significantly longer.
As per the new EU Blue Card directive, after 12 months the employee can change employer if the new employment meets the same requirements.
In IT&C, 3 years of experience equals a university degree.
Integration (language) courses will most likely become mandatory for work and residency permits renewals. Still waiting for their enforcement, with variations by region and municipality.
Flanders
VDAB has released its 2026 shortage occupations list, highlighting jobs that are difficult to fill. This list is important for economic migration rules in Flanders. Since 1 May 2024, only occupations in the 'other' shortage‑category qualify for hiring foreign workers, and employers must show no suitable local candidates are available. The updated list has been used by the Economic Migration Service since 6 February 2026.
Existing work permits for the same role and employer can still be renewed based on the previous list. However, from 1 January 2026, low‑skilled shortage occupations are no longer eligible for economic migration.
Brussels
No yearly compliance check needed
No longer looking at the yearly salary but the monthly basic salary
Detailed job description and organisation chart needs to be added to the application
Local Immigration
All main Italian cities are in demand, especially Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin, Bologna.
Banking restrictions timeline
The Dutch housing market remains under heavy pressure. Private rental supply has fallen by more than a third compared to last year, while average rents have climbed to €1,830 per month, requiring a gross income of €5,490 to qualify.
Properties in the Randstad now receive an average of 57 applications and rent out in under three weeks, reflecting intense competition.
In major cities, Packimpex experience shows that budgets of at least €2,200 are now required for a one-bedroom apartment.
NO pets in temporary housing.
Landlords can't ban pets outright but they can choose a tenant that doesn't have a pet. In a competitive market it makes an application less appealing.
Belgium has raised the income thresholds for non-EU migrants relocating with their families. In particular, family members of Single Permit holders earning under €5,000 gross per month will no longer automatically receive visas from Belgian embassies.
These cases are now handled by the Immigration Office, leading to significantly longer processing times.
Pre-arrival: Work permit pre-approval upon submission: 2 to 6 weeks
National visa application upon submission: 3 to 12 weeks
Post-arrival: Registration at local town hall upon submission: 10 to 15 minutes appointment
Electronic work and residence permit upon submission: 6 to 12 weeks
Visa processing: Approx. 2 weeks, depending on the assignee's country of origin
Collection of documents: 1-2 weeks
Translation and apostillation:
1-2 weeks
All processing timelines are subject to change and depend on each authority involved in Germany and abroad.
IMPORTANT! You need to register your car before entering Brussels.
High-risk countries (listed by each financial institution) nationals may be subject to stricter limitations.
Other than that, non-EU nationals will need a D visa to open a bank account and EU nationals can open one with a passport, work and rental contract.
When timing is too tight, valid alternatives are: online banks like Revolut for bank account openings and Korfine for security deposits and home insurance.
A lead time of 6 weeks is required for booking.
The address must allow registration; this should be verified before the booking is confirmed.
Average prices for a 1-bedroom serviced apartment for 28+ nights are estimated to range between €4,700 and €6,100 (excl. taxes).
Depending on the country of origin and type of account required, an account can sometimes be opened prior to arrival in the UK.
When this is not possible, opening a bank account is a quick process. Packimpex can arrange for this to be done online in most cases.
Russian nationals are facing longer processing times & more extensive checks.
The Renters’ Rights Act, scheduled to go into effect on 1st May 2026, will fundamentally reshape how renting operates in England.
The legislation is designed to provide greater security and flexibility for tenants, while introducing a more regulated framework for landlords.
As a result, both tenants and landlords are already beginning to adjust their expectations and behaviours ahead of the changes.
Check our detailed analysis and recommendations:
Special mention for school holidays:
There are differences between French-speaking schools and Dutch-speaking schools.
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven
Some agencies in Geneva are charging prospective tenants several hundred francs just to visit apartments - a practice widely criticized as unfair.
Mainly seen in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, this reflects growing pressure in the housing market and makes access to housing even more difficult.
The change has led to higher temporary accomodation rates, as expected.
The Government’s goal is to align short-stay rentals with the broader commercial accommodation sector (e.g., hotels) to reduce unfair competition and improve regulation of the housing market.
Country-specific Nuances
The Residential Tenancies Act 2026 came into force on 1 March 2026. It aims to bring greater certainty and stability for tenants, while encouraging an increase in the number of rental homes available.
Read our analysis and guide for HRs and global mobility teams: