So you’ve just arrived on Dutch soil, suitcase in hand, ready to study in the Netherlands. You may have some questions about what to do first — but fear not! Here are seven main things you need to set up once you arrive. 

“Should I buy a Dutch SIM card? How do I get health insurance? How do I even go about paying rent, for that matter?” — I’ve been through it all, let’s walk through it. 

1. Utilities for your apartment

One thing we know for sure is that at some point, you’re going to come home after a long day of lectures and want a relaxing, steaming hot shower. 

You’re also probably going to crave a warm mug full of something or other.

But imagine if the shower head’s water was freezing cold and the kettle refused to switch on because you forgot to arrange heating and electricity?

READ MORE | Utilities in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide to gas, electricity, and water

This can be an issue that you’ll face if you have an exclusive rental contract (utilities not included in your rent) or have bought your own home. 

If so, you better sort out those utilities the second you arrive in your new home!

2. A Dutch bank account

Once in the Netherlands, you’re going to want some basic amenities. You know, food? A roof over your head? Clothes and IKEA furniture? You might even want to get a job upon your arrival. 

However, you may quickly realise that your foreign card doesn’t work for many transactions.

READ MORE | The best banks in the Netherlands for internationals in 2024

Yup, we’ve all been there! That’s why opening a Dutch bank account pronto makes your life and daily interactions much smoother.

To set up a Dutch bank account, you can either make an appointment online or simply rock up to a bank with the following items in your possession:

• A BSN
• Proof of address (such as a signed tenancy contract)
• Residency permit if you’re not from the EU
• A valid ID 

Once that is done, the bank will send you a shiny, new pinpas (bank card) that’s ready for you to start swiping.

3. Internet and television

There will be times when, after a long day of classes, studying, and socialising, all you want to do is kick back your feet, turn on the telly (or Netflix), and chill. 

What do you need in order to do so? You guessed it, a good internet and television connection! Just like with your utilities, you will usually have to find your providers on your own accord.

READ MORE | Video streaming services in the Netherlands: the complete guide

The good news is that these two services are often offered as part of a package deal, meaning you pay a flat monthly fee, and in return, you get both working WiFi and television. Don’t need a TV connection? Geen probleem, you can also opt for an internet-only subscription.

From Ziggo to Odido to KPN, there are countless great providers out there, as well as various tools that let you compare prices, internet speed, and available television channels. Happy deal-hunting!

4. All the important insurances

Sh*t happens, even in the magical country of windmills, canals, and stroopwafels. 

The best way to be prepared for bad scenarios is by setting up essential insurances as soon as you arrive in the Netherlands. 

Most importantly, you should consider getting health insurance, liability insurance, and home contents insurance.

5. A Dutch phone plan

First things first, we would recommend getting your hands on a local phone number by purchasing a SIM card at one of the many Dutch stores available — Albert Heijn is one of them! 

READ MORE | Mobile phones and SIM cards in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide

Depending on how often you call and use mobile data, you can pick and choose which Dutch phone subscription best suits you. 

The options are endless, but here are some of the more popular providers in the Netherlands: 

• Vodafone has some of the best coverage for 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, especially in rural areas. 
• Odido is renowned for having very fast upload speeds — faster than all other providers in the Netherlands.  
• KPN has a whopping score of 980 out of 1000 points for its network, which was crowned the highest-scoring phone provider not only in the NL but also worldwide. 
• Simyo is handy in that you can use a “self-care” approach with its online-only services that let you manage your account by yourself.  

6. A social life

Take it from me: Moving to a new country as an international student can be tough. You have no family around you, no friends, and often you don’t even speak the local language. 

That’s why one of the most important things to set up as an international student in the Netherlands is a supportive social circle.

Making friends isn’t always easy, but these are some of my top tips for making friends as an international student: 

• Sign up for your university’s introduction week (I met some of my best friends there!)
• Take a class — be it in a sport, pottery, painting or cooking
• Join Facebook groups for international students
• Attend events planned by your university or student associations, such as ESN
• Interact with your neighbours and the people in your course

7. Your Burgerservicenummer (BSN)

To set up all of the most important services and utilities listed above, you’ll usually be asked to provide your Burgerservicenummer (BSN). 

Your what? A BSN, which translates to “Citizen service number” in English, is a number that helps the government process your personal data. 

Without this unique, personal sequence of numbers, identifying yourself for your healthcare provider, educational institution, bank, and employer is damn near impossible.  

In order to get yours, you must book an in-person appointment to register at the municipality where you will be living for the next four or more months. 

8. Your DigiD

Next up, in order to log in and out of all the various bureaucratic databases, you’ll need to set up your own DigiD. 

In short, the DigiD helps you verify your identification when you log into online portals. Think of it as the ID card that you virtually flash at a virtual bouncer — you’ll be needing it a lot. 

Want to log in to your healthcare website? DigiD required. Got to pay your taxes? DigiD alert. Need to access literally anything government-related? Bam! DigiD.  

You can register for a DigiD using the online DigiD application form. You must provide your BSN, the address you’re formally registered at, as well as your phone number. 

READ MORE | The ultimate guide to setting up your DigiD in the Netherlands [2024]

Once you’ve submitted the form, you should receive a letter at your address containing an activation code within three business days. Once you have inputted this code, your DigiD should be up and running! 

9. Any government allowances you’re eligible for

In the Netherlands, international students are actually eligible for a number of different Dutch allowances (called toeslagen). 

If you’re eligible, the government will help you pay for some of your most vital monthly expenses, such as healthcare, rent, and child-related expenses. 

Benefits you can claim from the Dutch government as an international student include:

• Huurtoeslag (rental allowance) 
• Zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) 
• Kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare allowance) 
• Kindgebonden budget (child-related budget)

Depending on your situation, you may also be able to claim Dutch student finance, which gets you free public transport and makes you eligible to loan money from the government.

To access these benefits, be sure to log onto the Mijntoeslagen portal using — you guessed it — that DigiD of yours!

While moving to the Netherlands to study can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, there are plenty of people and services ready to help out as you traverse these cheese-filled lands. Go forth and conquer!  

Do you have any other advice for students who have just arrived in the Netherlands? Share your tips in the comments below!   

If you want more time with friends and family and less commuting, working from home some days could be just what you need.

However, there are some things you should know before transitioning to hybrid work in the Netherlands. 

Since the coronavirus lockdown made hybrid work commonplace, there are plenty of regulations and infrastructure in place to accommodate remote workers in the Dutch job market. 

We’ve put together this guide of five important things you need to know before you get started with your own hybrid working journey.

1. How popular is hybrid working in the Netherlands?

You might be wondering, what’s all this fuss about hybrid working? What’s so great about it anyway? Why is it that 62% of millennials and 63% of Gen Zers say they want to work remotely at least part-time? 

Let’s hit you with some stats to share with your boss.

For a start, 82% of employees say being able to work anywhere outside an office makes them feel more content.

Not only that, but studies show that 60% of participants reported their productivity being boosted by the added flexibility. 

Maybe this hybrid worker satisfaction has something to do with the fact that — for 79% of respondents — their work-life has become more balanced since starting to WFH (work from home). 

You could also say it appeals to that (in)famous Dutch frugality. Yup, 76% of hybrid workers claim they’ve saved money by working from home — have you seen those NS fares recently?

READ MORE | The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2023 

Plus, two-thirds of people reported that they cut back on at least four hours of commuting time per week. Now that you don’t have to bustle back and forth to work every morning and afternoon, you spend that quality time doing something else. 

Maybe that’s why seven out of 10 respondents say their relationship with their family has improved since they began hybrid working. Aww.

2. How many people in the Netherlands are hybrid workers?

Since those dreaded coronavirus times, employees and employers alike have had their eyes opened to the possibilities of remote work. 

So, a lot of people want to do hybrid work, but how many of the Dutch population actually do? 

According to a Dutch government survey, the country’s entire workforce spends an average of 6.5 hours working remotely. Four out of ten employees work remotely at least twice per week.  

In fact, the amount of hybrid workers has doubled since the time before the pandemic — and we better get used to it! A KPN survey found that three out of four hybrid employees believe that this trend is here to stay. 

3. How does the new ruling by the Dutch Senate affect hybrid workers?

Since hybrid working is widely accepted and even sometimes preferable in the Netherlands, you might be asking whether the Dutch government has responded to this trend. The answer to that question is… nope. 

Sadly, hybrid work has yet to become legally entrenched in the Netherlands’ employment market. In September 2023, the Dutch government decided against passing this law.

This means if you want to become a part of the hybrid-working family, you’ll have to submit a formal request to your place of work. 

However, the good news is that they’re only legally allowed to refuse your request if they have a “good reason.” 

Here are two basic requirements for submitting a hybrid working request to employers:

• The company you work for must have at least 10 employees
• You must submit the request at least two months before you wish to start remote work 

4. Still, there’s plenty of room for NL hybrid workers

Don’t throw in the towel just yet! Despite not passing the law, the Dutch government is generally supportive and encouraging of hybrid work. 

This is because hybrid work has many perks for employers, too! For one, it means that companies also save money by not having to secure a physical office space for all employees. 

READ MORE | 7 top pieces to upgrade your home office in the Netherlands

This is why it’s also no surprise that the Netherlands has a generous amount of infrastructure dedicated to making the life of a hybrid worker easier, such as:

• Hybrid working hubs that allow you to sit in a cosy space with unlimited WiFi and other amenities together with other hybrid workers.
• Plenty of public libraries with quiet spots for a highly concentrated work environment — as well as endless books that you can use for research. 
• 5G and broadband across the country to ensure that your online work experience runs as smoothly as possible. 

5. What are the Dutch allowances and conditions for hybrid workers? 

Speaking of the facilities and tools for hybrid work, one super important tool is the allowances available to hybrid workers in the Netherlands. 

Working from home means you’ll likely find yourself dishing out extra cash on heating, water, electricity, coffee, and even toilet paper, which could leave a dent in your wallet at the end of the month. 

As a hybrid worker, you should know your rights. Extra costs as a result of working from home mean that you’re entitled to reimburse these costs tax-free using a thuiswerkvergoeding (working from home allowance). 

And that’s not all. You are also entitled to receive a daily allowance of €2.15! 

However, you must ensure that your out-of-office workspace is acceptable by legal working condition standards.

Check to see if your home setup meets the “ergonomic” requirements, which include amenities such as:

• Good lighting
• A functional keyboard
• Proper desk height
• A good chair 
• Strong internet 

Also, note that although employers may be allowed to monitor you as you work remotely, they can’t use just any tracking software to do so — you have a right to privacy! 

Curious and want to know more? The Dutch Data Protection Authority outlines the legal conditions of employee control. 

Are you feeling ready to enjoy the tax-free allowances, comfortable spaces, and flexibility in your schedule? 

With these five things in mind, you’re all set to begin the process of climbing aboard the hybrid worker bandwagon. Welcome to the family.

What other queries do you have about hybrid working in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments! 

If you know, you know. And if you don’t know, well…now you do. Since 2008, having sex in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark has been legal — as long as you stick to a few guidelines. 

That’s right, you can ‘sleep’ with someone (minus the bed) smack in the middle of Amsterdam and in the great outdoors.

Does this progressive law make strides for the sexual liberation movement? Or did the Dutch government’s indulgence in people’s thrill-seeking go too far? That’s up to you to decide. 

Here are the facts

Vondelpark amasses millions of visitors per year. 10 million visitors, to be exact. Some of these are, well, freakier than others. 

So how did this wholesome park, once a stylish recreation ground for middle-class Amsterdammers in the mid-19th century, become a swing-set-by-day, sex-swing-for-swingers-by-night kind of place? 

READ MORE | The complete and unadulterated guide to sex in the Netherlands

It all started on a fateful September day in 2008, when Amsterdam Alderman Paul van Grieken made a life-changing and controversial announcement. 

It was suddenly legal for consenting adults over the age of 18 to, *ahem*, get it on in Vondelpark — so long as they: 

• did so under the cloak of night (never when it’s light outside), 
• didn’t have “intercourse near the playground,” 
• and cleaned up their “garbage” afterwards.

You’re welcome to the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. Funfact: It’s allowed to have sex in public HERE, if you take the trash with you after . Except around the playground . pic.twitter.com/sDIt2ZVbNt

— ⬣ SuzannesArt ⬣ #HEX #TYRH #PLS #PLSX (@suzannehexican) October 4, 2022

The reason for this new law? Who knows. The way Van Grieken saw it, it wasn’t something he could regulate even if he wanted to. Perhaps the sexual activity was already happening, so much that Amsterdam police were tired of fighting it.

As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, join — okay, yeah, maybe not. 

What’s the catch? 

Let’s hope you didn’t just glance at this article’s headline, grab a suitcase full of sex toys, and make a beeline for Vondelpark in broad daylight. Slow down there, cowboy!

First, and very importantly, keep in mind that sex is not legal in other Dutch parks, only in Vondelpark.

Should this article inspire you to venture into the Volderpark shrubbery for your own sexcapade, whether it’s to spice up a dead marriage or because you’re without accommodation (Amsterdam is expensive, after all), remember the three S’s: 

1. Sort out the trash (Ew)

While the municipality claims to be indifferent about any sex that may or may not be happening behind closed doors/vegetation, they are tired of finding the condoms people often leave behind. (Um, understandably so). 

So, unless you want your DNA traced back to you (just kidding), make sure you clean up after you wrap up. 

2. Stay secluded, voyeurs should be excluded 

Although this might seem like common sense, some adventurers before you have failed in this area. Let their mistakes be a lesson to you. 

You’ve got to stay camouflaged, buried deep in bushes, even wear all camo if possible, and make sure you sufficiently stifle the sounds of your midnight lovemaking. 

If you’re an innocent dog walker who isn’t interested in park sex: try to steer clear of bushes if you happen to find yourself frolicking around Vondelpark after hours, lest you accidentally encounter some naked cuddling. 

Consider this a warning. (That said, please don’t try your hand at voyeurism either. Don’t be that guy/girl.) 

3. Stop, just stop

Wait, you weren’t actually going to go there, were you? Please don’t. This is an intervention.

Think about the stinging nettles that could end up in any…orifices. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty of ticks in the Netherlands. Stay safe out there! 

Enter at your own risk

In 2017, police chief Bernard Welten issued a warning reminding park-going sex-havers to keep things tasteful and, above all, discreet. 

One couple got so caught up in the throes of the passion that year that it became an audible, visible “nuisance” to those around them. 

It’s perfectly fine to go at it “at times when no one is walking their dog in Vondelpark,” suggested Welten at the time. 

But if a wide-eyed dog walker stumbles upon a scene that’s mentally scarring and then notifies the police, the authorities won’t hesitate to “act”. 

Basically, do try to keep your dignity and respect for others intact when partaking in some horizontal tango in Vondelpark. (Well, in this case, it might be more of a vertical tango, but you know what, let’s not get into it.) 

READ MORE | How the pandemic pushed sex workers into the shadows

Mixed reception 

Like any progressive, sex-positive decision, this Vondelpark law was met with its fair share of pushback. 

Among the most critical voices was an employee of Vondelpark’s Blue Tea House, who called the whole affair belachelijk (ridiculous). 

He also pointed out the government’s hypocrisy, considering how many restrictions there are for paid sex compared to unpaid sex. 

READ MORE | In the Netherlands, it’s legal to offer driving lessons in exchange for…sex?

An elderly couple strolling through the park with their grandchild back in the day also scolded the municipality for being “irresponsible” and for promoting “filth.”

Whether or not you agree, it’s important to keep the opinions of locals in mind when embarking on your own…journey. 

Significance in the LGBTQ+ community 

Over the years, the site has gained a reputation for its significance concerning Amsterdam’s LGBTQ+ community. 

Well before the law was in place, parts of Vondelpark were reportedly a hotspot for gay men to have late-night trysts, dating back to, some say, the 17th century. 

READ MORE | Hiking in Amsterdam: top 7 places for wandelen near the city

Considering the strict, discriminatory rules they faced, doing it at home may not have been an option. 

Cases like that do demonstrate why meeting somewhere outside to engage in funny business — so long as it’s both safe and consensual — might not be that bad of an idea. 

Along #Amsterdam Pride Walk route, standard bearers held flags from the 71 countries where homosexuality is still criminalized. Afterward, the flags stood together in shame in Vondelpark. #ZeroFlagProject #LGBTQ #HumanRights pic.twitter.com/j907azF1AL

— David Swatling (@davidswatling) July 31, 2022

Is this law reasonable, helpful, or just plain disturbing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!  

After an intense meeting with the US earlier this week, it seems the Netherlands has been bullied into abolishing the Schiphol reduction plan.

Yup. Remember how months ago it was determined that Schiphol would be reduced to only 460,000 flights per year?

Well, turns out that after receiving much scrutiny from the European Union and the United States, that idea has gone down the drain.

America strikes back

The decrease would mean that several companies would lose take-off and landing slots at the Amsterdam airport — including the American budget airline JetBlue.

Safe to say, the US of A was not thrilled about this, the NOS reports…

READ MORE | A ban on Dutch airlines in the US? It’s possible, says American government

On Monday, there was a meeting where the US pushed back against the reduction and even threatened to strike back by banning Dutch airlines (such as KLM) from landing in the US.

“Baffled” by the “blackmail”

While KLM is reportedly pleased with the Dutch government jumping to their defence, the local residents’ organization Schiphol Watch has been left “baffled”.

Flights need to be scrapped for a reason, explains Alfred Blokhuizen of Schiphol Watch, to shield the environment from both noise and air pollution.

That’s why he’s horrified by the fact that the Netherlands has let themselves be “blackmailed” by another country into compromising the size of their airport.

The Nature and Environment Federation of North Holland is hoping to “reverse this decision on day 1 after the elections”.

However, Minister Harbers promises to try and maintain a balance between Schiphol’s size and its surrounding environment. Good luck to them!

How do you feel about the decision to abandon Schiphol’s downsizing plans? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Emergency rooms and care in the Netherlands work differently from other countries. 

But let’s face it: medical emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere.

Want to know what to do? Here is your guide to navigating emergency care in the Netherlands!

Types of emergency care in the Netherlands

Emergency care in the Netherlands comes in all different shapes and sizes. It’s important to know which to access and when.

There are emergency rooms and urgent first aid, but there are also general practitioner appointments and dental emergencies.

We’ve broken them down into a few main categories so that you know who to call and where to go for each type of Dutch emergency care.

READ MORE | Mental healthcare in the Netherlands: all you need to know for 2023

Help! I have a life-threatening emergency

Do you require emergency care because of an accident? In the case of a life-threatening emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke, call 112. 

In the Netherlands, ambulances are only really reserved for serious, life-threatening emergencies. 

When you call 112, the operator will determine whether or not an ambulance should be sent to collect you or if you can make your own way to the emergency room. 

I have a problem that is not life-threatening 

What if you have a medical problem that requires emergency care but is not life threatening? Well, in the Netherlands, there is a slightly different procedure for non-emergency help.  

GP or your huisartsenpost 

If the situation is not life-threatening, call your huisarts (general practitioner) first. They’ll advise if you need to go to the emergency room at a hospital (spoedeisende hulp).

However, if your huisarts is closed or unavailable, you can search online for the number of a nearby huisartsenpost. A huisartsenpost connects you to nearby doctors who are on standby to help. 

READ MORE | How to register for a doctor in the Netherlands

Then, the receiver should either invite you to visit their office, refer you to the hospital, or tell you to wait for your own huisarts to become available again. 

Dental emergencies

Annual dental checkups are part of a normal routine — but if you suffer from continuous bleeding, a knocked-out tooth, intense pain, or broken bones in your face, you’re in need of emergency dental care.  

READ MORE | Pharmacies in the Netherlands: 8 questions answered

While it’s advisable to try contacting your own dentist first, if that’s not an option, you can call the spoed tandarts (emergency dentist). These dentists are available to help residents in the Netherlands and tourists as well.

The easiest way to find one? By looking up the number of emergency dental clinics in your city — every city in the Netherlands has at least one that’s open 24/7. 

Cost of emergency care in the Netherlands

If you’re living in the Netherlands for more than four months, health insurance is mandatory (unless you have a health insurance card from within the EU). 

READ MORE | All you need to know about healthcare allowance in the Netherlands [2023]

The good news is that your health insurance plan, which costs an average of €138.11 per month, should also cover many expenses of emergency care in the Netherlands. 

It’s important to know that if you use your GP or the huisartsenpost, your insurance should cover everything. 

However, if you need to be transported by an ambulance or go to spoedeisendehulp (the emergency room), you’ll likely need to pay the excess (eigen risico) on your insurance policy. This is typically around €385.

What if I’m a tourist or am not insured? 

Emergency care can be necessary at any time  — even while on vacation in the Netherlands. 

Unfortunately, if you’re not a resident of the Netherlands and also don’t have a European Health Insurance card, you will have to pay for your own healthcare costs. 

READ MORE | The complete guide to getting health insurance in the Netherlands

Some countries, like the UK, have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the Netherlands, where they provide medical care to each other’s citizens. 

If your home country is one of them, you could get reimbursed for your healthcare costs while in the Netherlands. 

Ambulances in the Netherlands

Ambulances in the Netherlands are reserved for life-threatening emergencies. For example, if you broke your arm playing football, it’s normal to have someone you know drive you to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance.

Whether you require a land ambulance (van) or an air ambulance, the Netherlands is fully equipped with Rapid Response Vehicles. 

Each ambulance is staffed with at least two people and at least one trained paramedic. 

READ MORE | All you need to know about going to the hospital in the Netherlands

However, note that the word “paramedic” is not used for emergency care in the Netherlands — instead, they’re referred to as “nurses”. 

If the ambulance’s staff manage to stabilise you on the spot without transporting you to the hospital, the service is free of charge.

Whether you’re living here or just a tourist passing through, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with emergency rooms in the Netherlands work — that way, you won’t have to wait until the actual emergency.

Do you have any other tips for emergency care in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below! 

Emergency care in the Netherlands: Frequently asked questions

Happy New Year (almost)! Starting January 1, health insurance premiums across the Netherlands will rise.

As RTL Nieuws reports, some of the most common Dutch insurance policies — including Zilveren Kruis, VGZ, CZ, and Menzis — are increasing by a whopping €5 to €8.50 per month.

Not as bad was we thought — but not great

On average, the cost of a basic policy in the Netherlands will go up by €9 in 2024, reaching €147.35 per month.

READ MORE | Dutch health insurance in 2024: what’s new?

While this will hurt our wallets, the good news is that this is less than the Dutch government had previously predicted. In September, they estimated that all premiums would increase by an average of €12 per month.

However, while insurance policies are only rising slowly, the maximum healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) is set to “decrease sharply”.

READ MORE | 9 things you need to know about Dutch health insurance as an international

In 2023, depending on their income, individuals could receive a maximum of €154  per month from the government to help pay for health insurance. In 2024, this allowance will be limited to a maximum of €127 per month.

Time to switch it up

So, after hearing this news, do you feel like switching your own health insurance policy? If yes, we don’t blame you.

Just make sure to do so before the deadline of December 31. Also, if you just take out a new health insurance from a different company, you won’t even need to cancel the old one. Handy!

Are you surprised to hear about the increase in health insurance costs? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Hoera! The daunting plan to increase the NS’s travel rates by 2024 has been rightfully abolished…at the expense of international train prices.

Up until Tuesday, people living in the Netherlands were under the impression that come January 2024, the railway company NS’s travel rates would increase by 3.5%.

In fact, traveller interest group Rover warned that ticket prices could rise by 6.5% in 2024, reports the NS. Ouch.

However, last week, our prayers were answered, and the plan was stopped in its tracks.

Keeping trains attractive

That’s right — to keep travellers’ wallets happy, the House of Representatives voted in favour of having the government allocate €120 million to maintaining current ticket prices.

According to Tjalling Smit from the NS Board of Directors, this budgeting is a welcomed improvement “at a time when many things are becoming more expensive” in the Netherlands.

Translation: “Good news: train tickets and season tickets will remain the same price next year as in 2023 thanks to money released by the cabinet.”

But this decision doesn’t just benefit regular train riders.

By keeping prices low, the NS could earn more money in the long run by ensuring that trains continue to be “an attractive choice for travel”.

At what cost?

Even so, there is no such thing as a free lunch. So what’s the catch exactly?

Well, since the government’s €120 million subsidy will only aid domestic trains, international trains are set to become more expensive.

READ MORE | Why is there a first and second class on trains in the Netherlands?

By January 1, travelling abroad from the Netherlands via train will become 7.85% more expensive, to be exact.

Considering renting an OV bicycle instead of taking the train? Just know that the NS will increase the rate for those too, raising the price from €4.45 to €4.55 per 24 hours.

If you want to see the whole price list for NS products in the year 2024, you can find that here.

Are you happy about this news? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

For the fifth year in a row, our beloved NL snatched up the title as the number one country with the highest English proficiency. Which came as a shock…

…to absolutely no one.

This year, the EF English Proficiency Index set about ranking 113 countries to determine which one is the most proficient in the English language.

*drum roll* The Netherlands came in first place.

Are Dutchies TOO good at English?

Many were unfazed by this result, given it’s well-known that Dutchies have a firm grip on the English lexicon.

READ MORE | Why are the Dutch so good at speaking English?

Many internationals even blame the Dutch population’s smooth ability to transition into English for the fact that they can’t pick up the local language.

There were a total of 2.2 billion test takers, with the median age being 26 years old and 55% of the participants identifying as female, EF reports.

Interested to see if your country landed among the top 10? Check out the results in the table below!

Communication and innovation

You might be wondering, what’s so good about being able to speak English anyway?

Well, aside from allowing you to communicate with clueless internationals, English proficiency has a correlation with “economic balance, productivity, and potential”, according to EF’s findings.

Also, since innovation is apparently dependent “on the frictionless flow of ideas”, the Dutch’s ability to communicate well with other nations might explain why they’re so darn innovative.

So much for making the Netherlands “Dutch again”.

Why do you think the Dutch are so good at speaking English? Share your theories in the comments below!

Other nominees in the running for this year’s ‘European City of the Year’ included Estepona (Spain) and Exeter (England) — but they proved to be no match for the Netherlands’ Amersfoort.

Yup, good ol’ Amersfoort stole the show, snatching up the award for best European city in 2023.

High-quality uniqueness

After a trip to the charming city in the province of Utrecht, the jury of the Academy of Urbanism decided it was the best in Europe.

How did they reach this decision? By taking into account factors such as “urban development qualities, social cohesion, sustainability and how the city is governed”, the AD reports.

READ MORE | The perfect daytrip: 4 things to do in Amersfoort

Plus, lead assessor Jon Phipps cited Amersfoort’s “quality of life”, “innovation”, and “unique character” as some of the city’s stand-out features.

Amersfoort is basically a utopia

So, what makes this medieval Dutch city so great? All in all, it’s the happiness of its citizens.

Unlike in other Dutch cities, inhabitants don’t have the weight of a housing crisis on their shoulders; and homes are actually more affordable than in many other places!

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Even the air smells sweeter in Amersfoort — literally, as it’s not being clouded by carbon dioxide. Yup, the city takes active steps to limit the amount of car use in its vicinity.

Amersfoort’s Mayor Lucas Bolsius is delighted by their win, explaining that Amersfoort has “grown enormously in the past fifty years, but the history and people have always remained central”.

Isn’t it wholesome?

Are you surprised by this year’s ‘European City of the Year’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Dutch National Youth Council wants to put mindless dating app-swiping to good use! Together with Tinder Netherlands, they’ve created a campaign urging love-hungry singles to vote in the upcoming elections.

According to Benjamin Puygrenier of Tinder Netherlands, young adults (aged 18 to 25) are the least likely to vote during political elections.

Maybe that’s because they’re too busy getting lovey-dovey on Tinder? After all, the same demographic makes up 50% of the swipers on the popular dating app, Online Marketing reports.

Love is in the air, and so is political change!

If you’re a Tinder user yourself, keep your eyes peeled and your thumbs ready! No, you won’t be able to swipe on dreamy Dutch politicians — instead, between November 1 and November 22, you’re going to stumble upon some “Swipe Cards” while on the app.

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If you swipe right on the card, you’ll be catapulted to an Instagram reel containing tons of resources to learn about the upcoming elections.

The campaign aims to give young people instructions about how to register to vote, how to authorise someone else to vote for them, and also provides them with a voting checklist.

Youth are the future of tomorrow

The point is that young people need to stop feeling excluded or excluding themselves from the upcoming election.

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Since the future of the Netherlands affects the youth just as much as any other group of people (if not more), it’s important that they engage in “topics such as mental health, climate change, and the housing crisis”, explains Kimberley Snijders, chairman of the NJR.

How effective do you think this new campaign will be? Share your thoughts in the comments below!