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.
Immigration and administrative processing times may be longer over the Christmas and New Year period.
Housing remains one of the country’s most pressing issues. Germany faces a shortage of more than 800,000 apartments, with construction slowing due to high interest rates and rising costs.
In 2024, only around 245,000 new units were completed, well below the 400,000 target. Some landlords are selling rather than re-letting properties, further reducing supply.
In the meantime, 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. Landlords can put
4 years as a minimum.
Lease duration (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Landlord dependent.
NO pets in temporary 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.
National holidays
Country-Specific Nuances
School vacation time is different in each state.
Landlords cover exorbitant broker fees.
Unlikely to see more than 4 properties in a day.
Ireland
News
Temporary Housing
Local Immigration
Real estate agencies close for Christmas on December 19 and reopen January 5, with operations winding down the week before. No housing viewings will be available during this period.
Fair supply in Dublin but recommended prior reservation of 4 weeks.
Low supply locations: Cork, Limerick, Galway.
Temporary housing costs have risen dramatically in the past year. We recommend an annual budget review.
Due to high housing demand, expect a minimum of 1 month for individuals and longer for families.
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.
Irish rents are at record highs—€2,053 nationwide average. Limerick saw 20% year-over-year increases.
Open-market rents are 43% higher than pre-Covid, with only 2,300 rental homes available countrywide (down 25% from last year).
Registered tenancies are capped at 2% annual increases, but starting rents remain high.
In-demand locations
After years of high demand and decreasing supply, the whole of Ireland can now be considered in demand, as nowhere is there more than a handful of properties available at any given time.
Particularly hard hit are university towns such as Cork, Limerick and Galway.
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
Landlord dependent.
Increasingly difficult to have pets approved.
International school premium application dates
One international school in Dublin, flexible with application rolling throughout the year, most EE's children of secondary school age (12-18) go to private Irish schools as day students.
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 Italian Government recently published the Decreto Flussi 2026-2028.
The total number of non-EU workers authorised to enter Italy over 2026-2028 will be 497,550, broken down per year:
- 2026 → 164,850 entries
- 2027 → 165,850 entries
- 2028 → 166,850 entries
The allocation covers both non-seasonal (subordinate & self-employment) and seasonal (agriculture & tourism) work.
KEY CHANGE: the quotas will be distributed on a provincial basis, to cover local demand.
For applications, the 'click-day' mechanism remains in place. Between Oct 23rd and Dec 7th, employers can start pre-filling the forms on the Services Portal of the Ministry of the Interior.
Milano Cortina Winter Olympics (Feb 6-22, 2026) will impact temporary accommodation. Expect reduced availability and increased costs.
Demand remains very high, and advance booking is essential.
Temporary stays are often extended when long-term housing cannot be secured quickly.
Family reunification: non-EU citizens (with certain exceptions) must have at least 2 years of legal and uninterrupted residence in Italy at the time of application for reunification.
The contratto di soggiorno will soon become fully digital via the ALI portal. Employers will confirm entries online, generating the worker’s tax code, contratto di soggiorno (for digital signature), and, if applicable, the Integration Agreement.
Once uploaded, residence permit forms will be issued. Until October 2025, submission envelopes must still be obtained independently. The system is not yet in force but instructions have been published.
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.
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.
National holidays
Country Specific Nuances
We 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
Recently introduced in the new budget, the VAT rate for short stays in Netherlands (temporary housing as well) is due to increase from 9% to 21% starting with 1 Jan 2026.
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.
MUST CHECK: latest pricing updates for housing in Amsterdam:
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 Rotterdam (major port) 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: 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, and - if salary slips aren’t available - an employment statement from the employer.
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.
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 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 has introduced a safeguard clause in its EU agreement, allowing temporary limits on free movement if immigration, unemployment, or welfare thresholds are exceeded.
The Federal Court in Lausanne has ruled that, after renovations to the property, landlords are allowed to raise the rent by a maximum of 2 percent above the reference interest rate for Swiss mortgages.
2025 UPDATE: latest pricing for different categories of housing in the main Swiss cities:
In-demand locations
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.
Immigration fees increased in April 2025.
EU business travellers must now complete an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) when entering the UK.
The rental market has shown signs of improvement for prospective tenants. The market is still in a landlord’s favour, but there is less competition than we have previously seen, and rents are not increasing at the same rate we have seen in previous quarters and years. This can be attributed to slight increases in property stock, and a reduction in new enquiries.
As we enter the winter period, the market typically slows. It can be difficult to secure a new tenancy over the Christmas/New Year period as much of the market slows/closes.
In-demand locations
London, Manchester, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast
12 months minimum.
Break clauses are possible in some situations, but generally not agreeable with most landlords.
The upcoming implementation of the Renter’s Rights Act will impact lease duration, as all leases will be periodic by default once implemented.
Lease durations (minimum)
Permanent Housing
Pet acceptance
Landlords are not required to allow pets. Many landlords will allow pets, but some won’t, so owning pets can limit property choice.
The upcoming implementation of the Renter’s Rights Act will make it easier for tenants to request permission to keep a pet.
International school premium application dates
Rolling throughout the year, check for local state schools.
Local School
Banking restrictions timeline
National holidays
Prospective tenants must have able to provide their “right to rent” in the UK before they can secure a rental property. EEs should be prepared to move quickly with a decision as the property market moves quickly.
In Tier 2 locations outside the main hubs, local agents are less familiar with third-party relocations and may respond more slowly.
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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?
New school year starts between beginning of Aug and mid of Sept. depending on the state.
School holidays vary by state.
Local Kindergarten availability is low, with lengthy waiting lists (6+ months)
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 influx of refugees, there's high demand + long waiting lists in 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.
Private school fees have increased to reflect recent VAT changes (20% VAT rate on private school fees as of Jan 2025), prompting some families to move to state schools instead. High pressure on nursery places due to low availability.
- Salary thresholds for 2025: Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia.
- The new EU Blue card directive has been introduced in all regions. After 12 months, the employee can change employer as long as 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
- Stricter employment rules for companies that have insufficient economic activity/credit worthiness or newly-founded ones.
- Obtaining a work permit for non highly skilled workers becomes more difficult. Proof needed that no suitable candidate is found. The vacancy must be published for min. 9 weeks with VDAB and on the EURES platform.
- Only 29 middle-skilled professions are exempted of the market research.
- From 1 January 2026, new rules for employing foreign workers will enter into force as part of a tightened labour migration policy.
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.
Work Permit:
- 12 weeks (before visa application)
- 4-6 weeks after online submission
Electronic residence permit (eAT): 8-12 weeks.
Visa processing: approx. 2 weeks, depending on the assignee's country of origin
Collecting 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).
Competition is intensifying: private rental supply fell 36% year-on-year, with listings in the Randstad attracting on average 57 applicants and being rented out in under three weeks.
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.
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The Renters' Rights Act has become law. This is one of the biggest changes in legislation for renters the market has seen. The legislation will bring significant changes to the rental market, focusing on tenant rights and stricter obligations for landlords. Some of the changes include:
- End of Fixed-Term Tenancies: All tenancies will become periodic and will no longer have a set end date.
- More flexibility for tenants: Tenants can choose when they want to tenancy to end by serving 2 months’ notice.
- More security for tenants: “No-fault” evictions will be eliminated for new and existing tenancies. Landlords will not be able to end tenancies outside of a few specific situations.
- Bidding wars on rent will be prohibited: Landlords won’t be able to accept offers over the advertised asking price.
- Rent Controls: Rent increases will be capped and limited to once per year.
Timelines for these changes being implemented have not yet been announced, though the government expect this to be published shortly.
Special mention for school holidays:
There are differences between French-speaking schools and Dutch-speaking schools.
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven
Local registration is increasingly done online, with in-person visits often limited to biometric data collection. SEM statistics show declining immigration from outside the EU.
In highly competitive areas such as Geneva and Zurich, we strongly advise EEs to submit a motivation letter with personal details and photo to strengthen their rental applications.
Caution with lease takeover or reprise de bail arrangements: in Geneva and other tight markets, tenants risk inheriting unfavourable terms if contracts are not carefully reviewed.
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.
For landlords, this means a higher tax burden on short-stay activities, potentially leading to increased rental prices as they adjust to offset the added costs.
Consequently, short-stay tenants can expect higher rental prices in 2026.
Country-specific Nuances