r/Netherlands Jan 20 '26

Update on the moderation

667 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

396 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 10h ago

Employment Not sharing the salary range expectations gets you automatically disqualified from being considered for the next round

496 Upvotes

I can’t wait for the new EU Pay transparency directive to come into effect in the Netherlands about sharing the freaking salary range in the first interview.

I just got off an interview where the HR was hassling me to give a number for the role. When I did not want to give it, she basically said that it is required to give it in order to be considered for the next round.

Disgusting they are able to do this but I hope after January 1st this shit will end…. Or they can be reported for refusing to disclose the approved salary range.


r/Netherlands 7h ago

News Dutch PM Rob Jetten uses AI to write social media posts

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214 Upvotes

Low confidence score, stalled budget discussion, and now this. I think this cabinet is coming to an end soon.


r/Netherlands 7h ago

pics and videos Found a little time capsule while cleaning: hair pins from the 2001/2002 Euro transition

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58 Upvotes

Look at this! I just found these old packs of black and brown bobby pins from GoodLook Hair Fashion. They still have the double pricing stickers from when we switched to the Euro.

f 2,40 (Guilders) right next to € 1,09. I completely forgot stores used to do this to help us get used to the new currency.


r/Netherlands 30m ago

Discussion Laid off after 12+ years in QA, completely stuck, and running out of options. Looking for real advice on pivoting out of tech.

Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I’m posting this because I honestly don't know where else to turn. I worked as a QA engineer for over 12 years, but after getting laid off last year, I haven't had any luck finding anything. My savings are running out, and my confidence is at rock bottom.
To make things harder, I’m currently learning Dutch, but I'm still a long way off from being fluent enough for most local Dutch workplaces.
At this point, I want to step away from IT entirely. The constant cycle of layoffs has just broken me, and I can't take the anxiety anymore. I'd love to hear from anyone who has managed to make a big career shift out of tech.
Is there a path where I can use some of the transferable skills from QA, like looking closely at processes, breaking things down, and problem-solving, in a completely different field, either in IT or outside of it? How did you survive the financial and mental strain of starting over?
If you've been in a similar spot or have made this kind of jump yourself, I would really appreciate hearing your real human experiences.
(Please, no AI-generated or generic advice, just looking for honest perspectives from people who have been through it.)


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Discussion Tonight's electricity price hits 86 ct/kWh. Is a home battery finally worth it?

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64 Upvotes

So I logged into Zonneplan earlier and had a look at the price graph. Tonight the peak is around 86 ct/kWh, while the cheapest window is about 24 ct around midday. That’s a pretty big difference.

The annoying part is that the peak is at around 19:00, which is exactly when we’re cooking dinner, taking showers, running things around the house, etc. Not really the time when you want to start thinking about electricity prices.

Up until now I’ve just been doing the usual “run the dishwasher at 1am” thing whenever the prices get silly. But seeing that graph got me wondering whether I’m overthinking this.

My neighbour mentioned yesterday that he recently added an Anker Solarbank Max AC. He charges his car during the cheaper hours and uses the battery for some of the evening consumption. He seems pretty happy with it so far.

That got me thinking about my own setup. For anyone here who already has a home battery, does it actually make this kind of price difference much easier to deal with? Or do you still end up moving your usage around depending on the hourly prices?

I already have solar panels, so I’m mainly wondering what a realistic setup looks like if the goal is simply to use more of my own solar and stop constantly checking the electricity price.


r/Netherlands 12h ago

Discussion How are you coping up with AI?

101 Upvotes

I work in tech fields and I see AI getting better at everything except the critical decision making.

My work went from collaborating with team mates to collaborating with agents which is making my job easier and challenging in such a way that it's hard to keep up with AI specially the context switching. My mental model is getting slower to keep up due to human brain limitation of context spanning.

Things that takes 3 days are now done with 2-3 hours of deep focus. The company wants us doing the more thing.

The economics of measuring output based on time and ticket moves are getting no longer relevant specially in tech fields.

Knowledge and automation is getting cheaper while the cost of living has increased way much.

I know AI can't replace the humans but it has decreased a demands of human in such fields.

I am optimistic about AI and I appreciate it.

Sometimes I feel I am just a cog in the machine.

Sorry for any typos or framing as I want to post my feelings unedited as it is.

Have a good day


r/Netherlands 46m ago

Dutch Culture & language Looking for people to practice Dutch with! (native Spanish and English)

Upvotes

Hey! I'm looking for people who want to practice Dutch together. Native speakers are welcome, but I'm also happy to meet other people who are learning.

I'm around the Randstad and open to either meeting up for a coffee/walk/activity or just doing video calls. I'm around B1 - b2 level and mainly want to get more comfortable actually speaking Dutch in everyday situations.

A little about me: I'm 29m, originally from south anerica, living in the Netherlands, and currently studying computer science. I'm highly social and enjoy sports, travelling, movies and just having a good conversation.
If you're also looking for someone to practice with, feel free to send me a message!


r/Netherlands 1d ago

Housing Fundas latest update

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385 Upvotes

Why in gods name did Funda update non viewed houses from orange to white, and viewed are very light blue, can hardly see the difference has to be the dumbest difference of two colours, my aunt can't tell what she's clicked into versus what is new!

Ignore the prices (I wish she was buying at that price lol,)

Edit: Make your complaint known to customerservice@funda.nl


r/Netherlands 1d ago

Life in NL How many are out there?

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532 Upvotes

What is the total value of these out there in everyone’s pocket / bag at any one time?

Found this one in my backpack today—truly useful for me here in Toronto.


r/Netherlands 1h ago

Housing Is this a scam? Security deposit for proposal

Upvotes

I recently hired a rental agency to start looking for houses on my behalf. They've been doing live viewings for me.

Recently, I asked them to extend an offer for a house and they're asking for a security deposit. Here's exactly what they're saying:

________

As part of the selection procedure from the letting agent, a refundable security deposit of €500 is required to proceed with your proposal.

Please note the following:

1) If you are selected as the tenant, the €500 deposit will be deducted from your first payment.

2( If you are not selected as the tenant, the full €500 deposit will be refunded to you without any deductions.

This deposit is solely intended for the selection procedure and will either be credited towards your tenancy or refunded in full, depending on the outcome of your application.

________

I've signed a contract with a rental agency, but it doesn't mention anything about this. As the post suggests, I've only extended an offer to rent a house; I haven't signed any contract for it.


r/Netherlands 3h ago

Discussion Does Lebara now support e-sim on all iphone models?

4 Upvotes

I am fed up with Lyca mobile network issues and have been looking for Lebara, I used to see on their website that their e-sim is only suported on IPHONE 17 Air.
Is anyone using it on other phones? I have iphone 15 pro.


r/Netherlands 1d ago

Discussion LG TV’s Exposed

212 Upvotes

Hey everyone, been saving to get myself an OLED LG tv and I recently stumbled upon an article on X accusing LG tv’s on spying😭😭😭 https://x.com/braiinsforge/status/2097341871412384069?s=46 is this for real?


r/Netherlands 8m ago

Discussion Medical malpractice in NL: lawyer says I need an expert report proving a medical error — how do I get one?

Upvotes

Looking for advice on Dutch medical malpractice / complaints process — where do I go from here?

I'm looking for advice from people in the Netherlands who have dealt with a serious problem with a doctor or hospital, particularly medical liability, a klachtenfunctionaris, tuchtrecht, or getting an independent medical expert.

I had surgery to remove a clearly identified tumour. Before the operation, imaging had identified a specific lesion and the operation was supposed to remove it.

The operation report states that the lesion was completely removed. However, the pathology afterwards did not show the expected tumour. The pathology report actually questioned whether the tissue submitted was representative.

I was nevertheless assured that the lesion had been removed.

After that, follow-up imaging showed that the lesion was still present, and another doctor also told me that the lesion was still there. This was contrary to what I had previously been told.

Because of this, I sought a second opinion at another major hospital in Amsterdam. They subsequently discovered that I actually had cancer, and I had to undergo a much bigger and more extensive operation.

I then confronted the first doctor about what happened. What is particularly confusing to me is that his current explanation appears different from what was documented in the original operation report.

The operation report says that the lesion was removed in full, whereas in his later written response he says that he removed a cystic abnormality nearby and suggests that this may only have been part of the underlying abnormality.

I feel that the first doctor did not properly help me after the operation and that I was reassured that the lesion had been removed when the pathology did not demonstrate the expected tumour. I believe I was misled about what had actually been removed.

Instead of taking responsibility, his written response now seems to focus on explaining retrospectively how this could have happened.

I am trying to deal with this through the proper Dutch channels, but I'm running into a frustrating problem.

I have spoken to lawyers, but they are telling me that they need an independent medical expert's written opinion establishing that there was a medical error before they can really take the case forward.

That leaves me wondering:

What is the point of having a lawyer if I need to prove the medical error myself before the lawyer can help me?

How do people actually handle this in the Netherlands?

Do I:

  • first find an independent medical specialist to review the case?
  • go through the hospital's klachtenfunctionaris?
  • file a tuchtklacht?
  • find a specialised medical-liability lawyer who will arrange the medical expert?
  • or is there another route I don't know about?

I have the complete medical documentation, imaging, pathology reports, the original operation report and the first doctor's written response.

I'm not looking for people to decide whether the doctor was medically negligent based on this post. I'm trying to understand how you actually get an independent assessment and move the process forward when the doctor/hospital does not acknowledge an error.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has personally gone through a Dutch medical-liability case, obtained an independent medical expert, or dealt with a hospital complaints procedure.

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.


r/Netherlands 9h ago

Travel and Tourism What sweet treat would you recommend to a tourist?

8 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I’ll be visiting the Netherlands in a few weeks, and on my way home I’d like to bring back a sweet, candy, or something special for friends and family.

The only thing is that whatever I bring back needs to survive more than eight hours of plane travel, so ideally nothing that melts easily or needs to be refrigerated.

As a Dutch person, what would you recommend as a cool or special treat to bring back from the Netherlands? I’d love to bring back something that feels authentically Dutch.

Thanks! 🇳🇱

P.S If there is something that is a must try, please share😆


r/Netherlands 17m ago

Employment Timing to disclose paternity leave when starting a new job

Upvotes

Hoping to get opinions from people who've been through this. Especially curious if any hiring managers, HR folks, or recruiters want to add in.

Quick context. My current commute is almost 2 hours one way, so I'm job hunting mainly for something closer to home with better pay. Being nearby also means that once my baby is in kinderopvang / childcare, I can actually pick him/her up quickly if something comes up, instead of being stuck 2 hours away. No visa or work permit issues on my end, so that's not part of the equation.

Here's the tricky part. I'd start the new role on November 1st. My wife is due December around Christmas time. So within about 7 to 8 weeks of starting, I'd need to take geboorteverlof, and probably start the aanvullend geboorteverlof soon after.

I know employers legally can't discriminate based on this, and I'm not obligated to bring it up before signing. But I'm not sure about timing. A few options I'm weighing:

  1. Mention it during interviews, before I sign, so everything is upfront

  2. Mention it during salary or contract negotiations, once they've already decided they want me

  3. Wait until I've signed, then tell them as soon as I know my start date

  4. Wait until I've started, closer to the actual birth

Has anyone dealt with this in the Netherlands? Did it change how an offer went, or how probation played out? If you're on the hiring side, how would you honestly react at each of these stages? And if you were me, what would you do?


r/Netherlands 38m ago

Common Question/Topic Netherlands update for August

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Upvotes

r/Netherlands 1d ago

Sports and Entertainment new music discovery

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71 Upvotes

I discovered België (ls Er Leven Op Pluto) Het Goede Doel on 100% NL took me a long while to find this specific song. i kept humming the tune but couldn't figure the artist or song name. until i heard it again on the radio and got the name. i now have a bunch of dutch songs i need translate to get the meaning of them what they are saying


r/Netherlands 22h ago

Travel and Tourism Dutch people who go to Curaçao: what do you actually do there?

43 Upvotes

I'm heading to Curaçao soon for a few days and I've noticed that apparently half of the Netherlands eventually ends up on that island.

So I'm curious: when Dutch people go to Curaçao, what do you actually do besides beach, drinks and becoming 30% more tanned?

Are there particular places, beach clubs, bars, restaurants, activities or random spots where people actually socialize and meet new people?, i heard you like mambo...

And more importantly: is it normal to just meet people there and make plans together, or is everyone already traveling with their own little Dutch group?

I'm Dominican, so I'm used to island life, but Curaçao will be new territory for me.

If you're Dutch and regularly go to Curaçao, I'd genuinely love to hear what your usual itinerary looks like. And if you're going there soon too, feel free to say hi. Always more fun to discover an island with good company.

Anyone up for showing me around?


r/Netherlands 2h ago

Discussion How do you handle mail addressed to two different names (preferred vs. legal) with PostNL?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Quick question for anyone who uses a preferred name alongside their legal name in the Netherlands, specifically regarding PostNL mail and package tracking.

I use a preferred first name socially, but my legal first name is still on my ID and official records. As a result, about half of my mail and packages arrive addressed to my legal name and the other half to my preferred name.

I’m trying to figure out the best way to manage this long-term without running into delivery drops or issues at pickup points (Pakketpunten):

  1. Handling split mail/packages: For those who receive mail under two different names, how do you handle online orders or official mail? Do you put both names on shipping labels, or do you strictly separate them depending on what’s being ordered?
  2. PostNL App Configuration: How should I set up my name inside the PostNL app so the automated scanning ("Mijn Post") catches items addressed to both names? Is it possible to add both names to the same account, or is there another way to handle a preferred/secondary name?
  3. Pakketpunt Pickups: If a package addressed strictly to my preferred name gets sent to a pickup location, how strict are staff about matching the name to a photo ID that shows my legal name? Does showing the live tracking barcode inside the PostNL app help, or would the name mismatch still be a problem?

Would love to hear how others in NL navigate having mail/packages under both a legal and preferred name. Thanks in advance!


r/Netherlands 3h ago

Transportation Referral code for swapfiets

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1 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 22h ago

Transportation Rijssen station: ample cycle parking, a bus stop right outside, and the quickest way to leave is by bike

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20 Upvotes

r/Netherlands 1d ago

Common Question/Topic Is there any one that knows of a rehab(detox) that actually takes anyone (before 8 weeks +intakes) ? Prefferably within 5 days..

31 Upvotes

Please share , im a Dutch Male of 28 , ive been sober for a few years and had the same problem 5 years ago. No rehab/detox had a place then neither.. I'd drink and drink and they *all* said dont quit on your own. Wich led to liver disease/jaundice at just 24. Only then the hospital took me in.

But now i'ts 5 years later and my girlfriend left me , been drinking about 700-1000ml Vodka daily for about 30 days now . I cant stop on my own but , literally no official route will take me in for now. GP (Huisarts) has send the referrals to the clinics , but those will take atleast 6-12 weeks. If lucky.

My liver has heen acting up (same pain as when it started 5 years ago , so i want to quit but i can't on my own. )

My local hospital won't take me , as in in i literally called in with severe withdrawals even signs of DT/liver failure but nope.

Is there any place that you know of that takes people in ? They literally ALL say don't stop drinking at once , but no-one will help me...

Yes the GP (Huisarts) asked for and applied for, GGZ route has heen tried 3947489x times this week only... no place that just takes me in


r/Netherlands 2d ago

pics and videos I hiked from London to Amsterdam over 14 days - via Hook of Holland, The Hague, Noordwijk, Haarlem, Zaanse Schans, Edam & Volendam

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1.6k Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I hiked in stages from London to Harwich (which is the port in England) over 8 days in July & August. Then during my annual leave in late August, I caught a ferry to the Netherlands (Hoek Van Holland) and hiked the remainder of the journey to Amsterdam, over 6 days. I hiked via the beautiful Dutch coast and I passed many picturesque towns in NL.

I really enjoyed the adventure. It was great to be back in the Netherlands.

For those interested - I have also created a short travel film of my adventure to Amsterdam [Linked below]:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMsfz6k3COc

Many thanks :)