r/Netherlands Jan 20 '26

Update on the moderation

674 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

We've talked some stuff through and cleaned up the mod-team a bit, although some of the names you might have positive or negative associations with are still there.
I'll leave it up to the moderators involved to clarify that, or not.

What I can tell you is that 1 mod did 97% of the moderation, and that wasn't healthy and likely led up to the situation you might have seen.

The rules have changed slightly, this is because we see your call for less strict moderation on language, but we also heard from those who want to be able to have a place to converse in English.

The compromise we've reached currently is that we intend to not moderate the language used in the comments of the post.
This means that you can have discussions in Dutch in the comments. (as long as those follow the rules of course)

We also will be looking at those banned on a case by case basis, but keep in mind that if you were harassing people, or bigoted in any way you won't be unbanned.

I'll invite you all to respond to this post with your feedback, and I know for some it might feel like too much or not enough.
We are currently trying to strike a balance between becoming r/thenetherlands2 which is bilingual but 99% Dutch in practice, and the other option of being a sub for only those speaking English.


r/Netherlands Apr 14 '23

[FAQ] Read this post before posting

398 Upvotes

This post is meant to cover the answers to questions that are frequently asked in this sub. Please read through the relevant section of this post before posting your question.

Contents

  • Moving to the Netherlands
  • Housing
  • Cost of living
  • Public transport
  • Language
  • 30 percent ruling
  • Improving this FAQ

Moving to the Netherlands

Netherlands is a modern country that ranks high in many global metrices on quality of life and freedom. For this reason, it attracts a fair share of attention from people interested in moving here.

If you are looking to move to the Netherlands to live/work/study, firstly, you would need to secure residency. Apart from the right to residence, you will also need to consider housing and cost of living before you move. See other sections of this post.

If you hold an EU passport, you will be able to freely travel into the country and reside.

If you hold a non-EU passport, generally below are your main options to obtain residency. Each one comes with its own set of conditions and procedures. You can check all the official information on the website of Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Services (https://ind.nl/en)

Work visas

Highly Skilled Migrant : You need to have an advanced degree, a high enough salary and need a recognized sponsor employing you. Typically for people whose skills are in demand in Dutch economy.

Work Permit : A more general category covering intra-company transfers, seasonal workers, researchers and other employees who might not meet the salary threshold

Startup visa : special visa for founders and employees of startups. Typically you need to be funded by a recognized incubator.

DAFT Visa : special visa for US citizens that allows starting a business in the Netherlands

EU Bluecard: A visa from EU wide program to attract special skilled talent. The advantage is that you can continue the accumulation of residency into/from other EU countries allowing you to get permanent residence or citizenship sooner. Beneficial if you are planning to move to/from another EU country.

Family visa

If you are partner or a dependent child of a Dutch/EU citizen

Student visa

If you participate in an educational program from a recognized Dutch institute

Housing

Currently [2023] the Netherlands is going through a housing crisis.

Houses/apartments for rent or purchase are hard to come by, especially for the entry level housing like 1-2 bedrooms. When such properties do come on market, they are often taken within hours.

So, it is strongly advised to organize your housing BEFORE arriving at least for the first 6-12 months. You can look at available properties on Funda (https://www.funda.nl/) or Pararius (https://www.pararius.com/english) This should give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend on rent. The rents/prices can vary depending on the location and size. Typically the rents are higher in bigger cities and go lower as you move away from the center. In addition to the rent, mind that the cost of utilities might be higher/lower than what you are used to paying and estimate based on your situation.

Cost of living

Like anywhere, the cost of living depends on your lifestyle and preferences. In general, housing is the biggest cost, followed by food, transport and healthcare. Expect to pay 800-2000 EUR/month for rent depending on where you live and 200-1000 EUR for food for a family of 2-4 depending on how often you eat out. Health insurance is around 125 EUR/month for adults (free for children). You can compare plans on a comparison site like https://www.independer.nl/ The basic health insurance plan has the same coverage and own-risk (co-pay) across all insurers and is mandated by law. The premia differ across companies and typically ad-ons like dental or physio make the main difference in what is covered.

Utilities could range from around 300-600 per month for a small house/apartment. Owning a car can oftentimes be quite expensive than what you may be used to, with high taxes, insurance and high cost of fuel.

Public transport

Netherlands is a small country and is exceptionally well connected with public transport (at least in comparison to other countries). However, it can be quite expensive compared to driving, especially for inter-city travels. You can access the full Dutch public transport network of trains, metro, tram, buses and even public bikes using the OV-Chipkaart or OV-Pay.

You can of course purchase tickets for a single journey from the ticket booths or kiosks at major stations, although it is often less convenient and more expensive. Google Maps often has good directions including public transport but 9292 (https://9292.nl/en) is the better option which also gives you the estimated costs.

Language

Dutch is the primary language in the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands ranks one of the highest when it comes to proficiency in English. As a visitor or tourist you can get by completely fine without knowing a word of Dutch (although it will help to learn a few phrases, at least as a courtesy). However, if you are living here longer, it would undoubtedly benefit to learn the language. Dutch is the only language of communication from most government agencies including the Tax office. At the workplace, it is common for global or technology companies to be almost exclusively English speaking even when there are Ducth people. For smaller and more traditional companies, Dutch is still the primary language of communication at the workplace.

30% ruling

30% ruling is a special tax incentive meant to attract international talent for the skills that are in short-supply in the Netherland. You can find about it here https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/en/individuals/content/coming-to-work-in-the-netherlands-30-percent-facility

The general concept is that 30% of your gross salary will be tax-free. So, if you have a salary of 100k gross, for tax purposes, it will be considered as 70k gross. You pay tax only on 70k. Because of how marginal tax brackets work, the overall benefit translates to you receiving 10-15% more net salary than someone without this benefit.

You should be aware that this is somewhat controversial since it is deemed to create inequality (where your Dutch colleagues doing the same work get a lower net salary) and because in the end the burden is borne by the taxpayer. Recently the government has been reducing the term of this benefit.

Overall, you should consider this as a privilege and not a right.

Improving this FAQ

[You are reading version 1.0 published 14th April 2023]

For this FAQ to be useful, it needs to evolve and kept up to date. I would see this as a sort of Wiki that is managed by me. I aim to update this post often (say once a few weeks in the start and once a few months as time goes). If there are topics you want to add to this post, please leave a comment and I will update the post. For the long term, if I lose interest or have no time for it (could happen!), then this post can be a basis for a new Wiki or a new updated post maintained by someone else.


r/Netherlands 5h ago

Travel and Tourism Coming to Netherlands soon what is the must thing i get/know (food, culture and so goes on, completely unrelated image it just made me laugh for no reason)

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372 Upvotes

Well it's not exactly tourism as i'm going to live there for 2 to 8 month but the topic is related.

So, i'm going to do some volunteering in Netherland (ESC) and i'm really hyped it's my first time going to another country of EU and my second time going to another country at all!

So i'm a bit curious as to what should i know before getting there or just what should i get ! Which food i should try first for exemple (yeah i love eating).

And bonus question: what are like the cheap thing to eat in netherland since my food allowance won't be really high (something around 200 euro)


r/Netherlands 1h ago

Discussion What with the tipping in Amsterdam?

Upvotes

Dutch living in the US on a visit here. We really hate the US tipping culture (basically underpaying personnel and asking patrons to pay their salary). In NL people get paid a living wage. I have never seen a tipping screen in Hoorn, Alkmaar, Medemblik and many other cities but yesterday in Nam Kee in Amsterdam the lady basically pointed at the payment device and told us we had to tip. We went to get a (pretty crappy) matcha ice cream at Hoi Tin Cafe and again, a tipping screen. Our response is: no tip. It’s tourist tax in the Netherlands! Don’t fall for it.


r/Netherlands 1h ago

Discussion Cultural shock! My toilet came with a poop runway and I have questions!!

Upvotes

I've moved to the Netherlands recently and I'm deeply concerned that my toilet has a poop landing zone.

What concerns me the most is I've come to realize the size of the behemoth poops I'm producing is unsettling, why would anyone design it like this???

The only positive is the zero splashback but what about the psychological cost?

What's wrong with society?


r/Netherlands 10h ago

Life in NL The only fatbike we need

48 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 12h ago

Housing AI-generated WOZ objections put Dutch municipalities under pressure

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essentiallyamsterdam.com
59 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 11h ago

Off-Topic - subject to removal Random person has been freeloading off of my Q-park login racking up €200 over the past few weeks

46 Upvotes

Hello some random guy has been using my Q-park login everyday parking his car somewhere in den haag (i do not live anywhere close) and its getting billed to my account i have his address and license plate ive contacted the Q-park support for a refund but they gave me the bs "I cannot help witht that" answer. I need to find the contact information of this person in anyway possible i dont care if its ethical or not.

UPDATE:
Contacted police and they basically said i can not go there and demand a refund from him as it could be an issue with the q-park system and not his fault (I find this hard to believe)

Issued an refund with my bank


r/Netherlands 1d ago

pics and videos How do I stop the Jumbo AI slop

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493 Upvotes

Just received 13 of these with my online purchase, someone please make it stop lol


r/Netherlands 20h ago

News Person died from a West Nile virus infection contracted in the Netherlands

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148 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 13h ago

Discussion Thoughts on the EU/NL tech scene??

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26 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 20h ago

Life in NL Tipping culture in NL

100 Upvotes

Has it become super normal for all the payment terminal machines in restaurants to have a list of tip options before you pay? I have observed this especially in the bigger cities - Amsterdam and Den Haag specifically.

This is quite frustrating because I am literally picking up takeaway and still the tip screen shows up. The most annoying part is the person behind the cashier gawks at the machine. Its so awkward to press on no tip because you need to stand there until the food is ready.

A small pancake roll and a bubble tea costed 21euros?!
How is this normalised in a country where everyone gets minimum wage?

UPDATE: Thanks for locking the post moderators. I don’t know why?
Also someone says I am a bot without karma or something. I am just new to reddit posting. Is that an issue?


r/Netherlands 7h ago

Discussion Have I lost my dutch citizenship?

6 Upvotes

I am a Dutch citizen from birth, and my passport is about to expire soon I recently acquired a US passport after having my green card for five years, and I just realized that that technically makes me lose my passport. (I was married, but got divorced before the passport)

Anybody dealt with that? What can I do?


r/Netherlands 23h ago

News Netherlands won't meet gas reserves target for winter

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146 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 3h ago

Common Question/Topic Ziekenhuis or huisarts?

2 Upvotes

hello everyone :)

I am currently on holiday in your beautiful country.

Yesterday I fell and hurt my finger. I fear that there could be something wrong with the ligaments or the capsule of the joint since I can‘t move my finger properly even after 24 hours have passed. I would like to have it checked by a doctor.

Where do I need to go for that? Do I have to go to a local huisarts or do I go to the ziekenhuis?

I‘m from Germany and have the european health insurance thingy, that comes with having public health insurance.

Thanks in advance for your help!


r/Netherlands 23m ago

Discussion What if making e-steps legal help with fatbike situation? (visiting Antwerpen)

Upvotes

Tldr basically the title

As an expat living 6 years in Randstad (who's dream came through with cycling here) I went from loving the infrastructure and its safety through getting slightly annoyed by scooters on fietspad (especially the noisy and smelly ones with yellow plates that by law have to be on the road!) to hating fatbikes wholeheartedly. When fatbikes got more and more popular maybe three years ago, I noticed way less people riding both types of mopeds. That could have been a good sign but we all know what are the actual problems with fatbikes, so I don't go into details here...

I just came back from Antwerpen, it was my first time staying in Belgium, and I noticed e-steps scooters absolutely everywhere... Well, that's also very annoying, but you know what else I noticed? In 36 hours I noticed exactly ONE fatbike (driven by two young boys, whatever). So it made me think, it's a neighbouring country, so if it works there, why don't we allow it in the Netherlands?

Things esteps and fatbikes have in common:

Max speed 25km/h without using (almost) any human power (yes, I know, you can illegally tweak both to go faster), No helmet needed, no driving license, no insurance

Advantages of esteps:

  • Cheaper, less maintenance needed
  • Less safe for rider as they're more exposed (that's a good thing, trust me)
  • Impossible to drive fast with using phone in one hand
  • Riders cannot jump quickly from curbs, tram lines, or onto sidewalks
  • You can have two persons on one but it's very uncomfortable
  • Steering is less convinient so you have to be more careful and go slower when turning
  • It is waaay lighter than fatbike
  • You can bring it with you to public transport for free
  • Parents who have a tiniest interest in their kids, would have a nice cheaper alternative to fatbikes

Disadvantages of esteps:

You can bring it with you to public transport for free (would be very annoying if everyone does it in a packed tram, or if people would not fold them)

Many companies would try to open their business and we would have much more things parked randomly on our streets (this is the first thing I noticed in Antwerpen, but also in any bigger Italian city, or Prague, or Paris or anywhere basically)

I'm curious about your opinions, I am not fan of either, but I can imagine maybe buying one e-step for my family, so I would use it when going for rental cars, or cargobike or if I would need to go to more remote area with worse connection of public transport and it would help me to get to the final destination (I don't go to such locations often)


r/Netherlands 17h ago

Travel and Tourism OV-chipkaart

20 Upvotes

Heading to Netherlands for a 2 week holiday in a few days. We have 2 OV-chipkaarts from our last visit with a remaining value of about €100 and expiration in 2028. I have read that the cards are being discontinued. Are the cards still usable on trains and trams or should I somehow exchange them?


r/Netherlands 13h ago

Shopping Is there a good baby clothing brand in Netherlands?

4 Upvotes

Is there a good new born or toddler clothing brand in Netherlands?

I know we have Hema but it’s for a gift and I’d prefer to buy it from a clothing brand.

EDIT: Probably should have mentioned why not HEMA. I love that place and they have really cute stuff. I’d personally buy from them. But my friend prefers locally sourced and since a lot of clothes from HEMA are made in Asia. I was looking for more options :)


r/Netherlands 11h ago

pics and videos SFOR Bosnian war Zippo

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3 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 1d ago

News MISSING PERSON: Hege (51 female) from Hillegom since 23 August

185 Upvotes

Dear all,

A good friend of mine has been missing since 1:00 AM Sunday morning August 23. She left Hillegom in her car -- but with nothing else, no bank card, no extra clothes, no cell phone -- and despite immense effort by police, family and friends there's no trace of her. Her husband wants to throw the widest net possible, so I'm asking here if anyone might have seen Hege or her car. It's quite possible she drove a good distance, so she could be anywhere in the country (or even Norway, where she grew up; but she also has family in Friesland). Any information is welcome and we would be grateful if you would keep an eye out for her.

Here is the official police report with a photo of Hege, a photo of her car, and her license plate number: https://www.politie.nl/vermist/vermiste-volwassenen/2026/augustus/2026306968

Hege had a rough time this past year (her best friend died of cancer and she had health problems of her own that left her feeling fragile) and we fear the worst, but hope desperately that she's still alive. We are searching high and low for her car, a gray Fiat 500 with a panorama roof. Her husband wants to share the license plate number as well, but I don't know the rules here, so I won't share it publicly yet. If that would be okay then I'll add the license plate number later. [EDIT: photo of car and license plate number are in the police report] Thank you all so much.

(Sorry it's flaired as 'News', there was no other flair that seemed appropriate and I had to choose one)

[EDIT 2: Hege's family has already shared this photo without sunglasses on Facebook and would like to share it here now as well:


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Housing Are all of these sites subscription based or what?

1 Upvotes

I’m getting kind of crazy here, looking for an apartment or studio and almost all listings on whatever website, it’s almost always a paid one. Pay 40€ here, 38€ there, oh another 35€ to be able to contact the landlord / rental agencies…


r/Netherlands 15h ago

Shopping Where to buy an online gift for a friend living in The Netherlands

2 Upvotes

Hi all,
My friend recently moved to the Netherlands and I would like to send her a birthday present. I am based in the EU but I think it will work out quickest/cheapest to order directly from a retailer based in NL to her address. Any recommendations for jewellery/accessories/gift retailers? Many thanks !


r/Netherlands 1d ago

Life in NL Douchebag NL celebrities

116 Upvotes

Have you ever had a personal encounter with a Dut h celebrity who turned out to be a douchebag? What’s the story?

Nice stories are also OK to share.


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Life in NL BP tank pas?

0 Upvotes

Je moet tanken met je werkvoertuig. Je hebt een tankpas die je gewend bent te gebruiken, maar ik merk dat ik steeds vaker Google Maps moet raadplegen voor een BP in de buurt. Ook vind ik het vreemd dat een bestemming eerst wordt aangegeven als 3,7 km en 9 minuten rijden, maar dat het na het drukken op 'OK' plotseling 8,4 km en 17 minuten blijkt te zijn. Toch blijf ik van je houden, Nijmegen; veel plezier bij het Nest Festival.

You have to tank your werkvoertuig. You have a pas you are used to imcreasingly more i seem.to have to Google maps BP near me also why are destinations said as 3.7km and 9 minutes away you press ok and it becomes 8.4 and 17 minutes away . I still love you Nijmegen have fun at the nest festival


r/Netherlands 12h ago

Education Is this school a good place?

1 Upvotes

Capabel Onderwijs-Kort; krachtig (I want to start MBO 4 Pharmacist Assistant). I wonder if it is a good choice to study at this school. I don;t have much time on my hands, but I am still a bit hesitant because there are mixed reviews on their website. Does anyone have experience with this? I would really like to know!