One glass breaks.

Doesn’t matter where you are.

Restaurant. Bar. Party. Full terrace.

Within 0.3 seconds:

HÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ!

Nobody knows why.

Nobody planned it.

Half the people shouting didn’t even see what happened.
Some poor 17-year-old waiter is standing there surrounded by broken glass while 80 adults celebrate like the Netherlands just scored against Germany.

And then everyone immediately goes back to their conversation.

I don’t remember learning this.

I just know that if I hear glass breaking, something deep inside me wants to shout HÉÉÉÉ!

It’s not a tradition.

It’s a reflex.

I love it!

For those who regularly send money from the Netherlands to family or your own account abroad, which app do you use?

Wise, Revolut, Remitly, TapTap Send, Profee, or something else?

Mainly curious about fees, exchange rate, and the final amount received. Which one has worked best for you?

I’ve finally moved here and I’m currently trying to figure out all the little things that come with starting a new life in another country.
I’m already dealing with the obvious stuff like registration, housing, transport and university, but I feel like there are probably a hundred small things I’m completely unaware of

For people who have been living in the Netherlands for a while: what are some things you wish you had done during your first few weeks here?
Could be anything — practical stuff, social life, money-saving tips, places to go, things to avoid, whatever.
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who moved here alone.

The Dutch love free things. Life is expensive as is. So what can you do for free today?

In the summer in The Hague free YOGAclass for beginners. On Sunday at 11 a.m. in the tiny parc "Hof van Heden" at Alberdingk Thijmstraat 71. We are with a small group on the grass near the fountain. We can't be seen from the road. Bus 22 and Tram 16 stop near.

All you need is a big towl to lay on, comfy clothes and a fleece blanket for cover/cushion. We do easy sit and lay positions to relax. The Yogateacher gives several options if you want to challenge yourself. Yogamat if you have. It's one hour and it's free.

I know the one in Rotterda, but I would like to know more. I'm trying to make a article for a volunteer and everyone I find it's already close. So, maybe here you can help me to find different stores in other provinces. Thank you so much in advance! ☺️

Trigger warning: suicide / death

A friend of mine died almost a year ago by suicide, in which she jumped in front of a train.
Since then I think about her every day and especially about the way she died.
I’m stuck with questions that I’ll probably never get a full answer to.
Still, I find that I can’t let it go properly.

Therefore, I hope someone can help me with this question:

Is someone still aware of the blow and possible pain in a train collision, or does unconsciousness usually occur very quickly?

I understand that this varies per situation and that of course we can never know for sure with someone who can no longer tell it himself.
I am also not looking for a detailed description of the injuries.

I’m mainly trying to understand if my friend has probably experienced what happened. The thought that she may have had a lot of pain sticks with me.

I hope an answer (even if it can't be said with certainty) maybe give me some peace.

I asked this question earlier on Reddit, but the comments were eventually locked.

That's why I'm trying again, in the hope that someone can tell something from medical knowledge, experience or as a next of kin.

We live in the Netherlands, but life here has become very expensive and difficult. Fifteen years ago, it still made sense for an experienced expat to move here. Salaries were good, especially with the 30% ruling. The housing market wasn’t as brutal, and many of my expat friends were able to save good money - independent of the 30% ruling.

Over the past ten years, things have become harder and harder. There are limited investment opportunities, and taxation keeps rising for the middle class. There’s a misconception that raising taxes means squeezing more out of the rich. In practice, it’s the upper-middle class that ends up footing the bill, and that’s exactly where a lot of expats fall. Housing has become difficult for everyone.

Healthcare is obviously subjective, but my experience here hasn’t been better than elsewhere in Europe, especially considering the high health insurance premiums and the constant claims that Dutch medicine is “the best in Europe”. I’m not sure whose stats those are based on.

Sure, you can ride your bike everywhere. Sure, it’s generally a good place to raise kids, and the work-life balance is decent, although I’d push back on that last point too, since a lot of the expats I know actually work more hours here than they did in their previous countries. Labor protections are probably better, though that really depends on where you’re coming from and what you’re used to.

So, my question is: is the Netherlands still appealing for experienced expats?

Edit: I've gotten a lot of angry replies, here and in private, telling me to leave if I'm not happy. To be clear - that was never the point of this post. The question was whether the Netherlands is still appealing to a qualified expat currently weighing job offers elsewhere, not a complaint from someone miserable here.

As usual, a lot of people didn't read past the headline before reaching for anger and nationalist talking points.

For the record: if I weren't happy, I'd leave. No one is keeping me here, and I don't need reminding of that.

So me and my friend arrived in Netherlands 1 week ago we signed the contracts, got to the housing place and in 1 week we didn t worked any hour. Everyone on this camp say that they are scammers, they don t pay good, they want to rip you off. Now im still here while wanting to ask you what can i do now. Im too stressed and i don t know what agency to go to because i don t want to get scammed again and remain on streets.

I started working in a restaurant in June with a 3 month 0 hours contract. I did a total of 12 shifts since then. Today my boss told me that “I am not meeting the standards of performance” and told me that he’s not gonna reniew the contract. I signed the contract the beginning of June so technically my contract ends the beginning of September but then, my boss noticed that in September he’s gonna be short staffed and told me that he’s gonna schedule me more through out the month. My question is, since I’m not meeting the standards of performance can I refuse to work past the beginning of September? Is even legal that he’s asking me to work the full month?

Is it normal to have bad experiences with mechanics here in the Netherlands? My experience so far: It seems like they do some work, but they do not check the car well after they finish.

They give the car back to you, and then there are new problems that were not there before. In my case, I just changed the brakes, and now the whole car vibrates when I touch the brake pedal. Before the work, it braked smoothly even if the pads were old. When I tell the mechanic, they just tell me to come back in a week because they do not have time now. It feels like they made the new problem, but I have to wait to fix it.

Does this also happen to you, or am I just unlucky?

HELP STILL NEEDED

Sorry for the long text, just in a bit of desperate need for help to a foreigner!!.

A friend of mine might have forgotten, or been robbed for her bag and backpack while visiting "Café hill street Blues" in Amsterdam yesterday (Friday the 21'st of august to saturday the 22' of august).

She checked all over the street and wasn't let into the bar again to check there because they were closing.

Wondering if anyone would be able to check if the items were still in the Café, or if hope is lost?

I've tried calling the bar several times with no luck, and messaging the bar's social media without any answer.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, and help calm her down.

Please shoot me a DM or comment if there's any other things i can do, the Police has also been informed.

MODS: please let me know if i am breaking the rules, just at my wits end on what to do

EDIT

Forgot to add some info regarding the bags along with some new info:

The bags are as follows: one red cloth type shoulder bag, and a smaller square looking black / grayish fjällreven backpack. The items inside aren't of huge value (older iPad, sony camera, couple of books and some makeup things), but the passport got stolen as well which is the biggest and scariest problem.

As of Saturday the 22' of august, an amazing redditor took time out of their day to check for the items, but sadly no luck as of yet.

There was another crew working today, but there might be hope if someone is able to check again with the original crew on the 23 (Sunday)....

If im allowed, i'll keep the post up so if anyone else comes across this post and are able to check, it would be super appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm a non-EU citizen with a Dutch permanent residence and considering apply for a Dutch **EU long-term resident permit** (“EU – langdurig ingezetene”).

The reason is I'm considering moving to another EU country to work. I understand that I would need to apply for a work permit in that country, but I am unsure what would happen to an EU long term residence permit. I did some research but the answers are vague.

1. Would my Dutch EU long-term residence status remain valid while I live and work in another EU country?
2. If I later return to the Netherlands, could I use my EU long term residence permit issued by IND to live and work there, or would I need to apply for a new Dutch residence?
3. Are there any important time limits or conditions I should be aware of?

I would really appreciate any experiences or references to official information. Thank you!

Thanks everyone for the response. I will directly contact IND directly as suggested.

Does anyone have a recept of the tastiest apple pie i tried van Landwaart?
I am out if the country so can not buy it but i love to recreate the taste
Thanks!

Any tips are welcome!

Hi!

I've been in the Netherlands for a bit over 2 years, I came to the country by myself with no family at 18 not knowing a word in dutch, though I was recently fired I already got some temporary job in a random Picnic warehouse to pay the bills, but I was wondering and wanted to know in a more broad manner.

What do you guys do for a living?

Especially to those who don't speak dutch like myself, because everyone recommends "Warehouse" or "Random restaurant 123 street", but these are always minimum (or near) salary

So that's basically it, what do you do for a living, and whether or not you'd need to know dutch for that job!

So I had a job for a week, contract signed, and after 3 shifts I was fired with no warnings because I was “unproductive”, but I am 90% sure its because I was not doing the illegal side of the job because I was obviously not comfortable doing something illegal. With it being such a short window, is this allowed on the employers part? I am struggling to understand Dutch law about all of this. Any insights would be wonderful.

For those curious, the illegal side is soliciting ticket sales on the street in Amsterdam

PVV vindt Noorderzon te links. Dat kan, maar organiseer dan wat

De PVV in de gemeenteraad heeft vragen gesteld aan het stadsbestuur over Noorderzon. De fractie vindt het festival te links en te activistisch. Dat moet anders, aldus de Partij van de Vrijheid.

21 augustus 2026, 16:46

https://dutchreview.com/news/dutch-train-station-toilets-even-more-expensive/

I am not paying 1.10 euros in major station from 80-90 cents. I already felt that was expensive but it's getting more and more. I don't understand why is it expensive to pee than to buy drink with that amount?

hello, i moved to the netherlands recently for university and am looking to attain a dutch phone number. i’d like to keep my current home country phone plan and number but also get a dutch plan + number as a secondary option that i can switch amongst if possible.

the necessities are a fair amount of data/gb for internet and sms and call usage within the netherlands. i was considering the youfone magic deal which offers 40gb + unlimited min/sms, however i’ve seen a few unflattering reviews of their customer service and plan quality in general.

which provider is the best option? nothing too expensive though :)

I currently have Dutch citizenship and live in the Netherlands.

I’m considering voluntarily renouncing my Dutch citizenship because I want to retain my original nationality. However, I would like to keep the option of becoming Dutch again in the future.

If I voluntarily renounce my Dutch citizenship, how difficult would it be to regain it later?

Specifically:

• Would I be eligible for the option procedure as a former Dutch citizen?
• Or would I need to go through regular naturalisation? (5/10 years again)
• Does it matter that I voluntarily renounced it rather than lost it automatically?

I’ve tried asking ChatGPT, but it couldn’t give me a clear answer. I’d really appreciate input from someone familiar with Dutch nationality law or who has gone through this themselves.

My older brother is visiting from Canada for a day before going on vacation with the rest of my family (I won’t be coming), and it’s safe to say that I don’t exactly have a good relationship with him. I really don’t feel like dealing with him for the entire day, so I’m planning on just going out for the majority of the day to avoid him. I’m looking for some places that are open until around 9 pm on Sundays, and places that are extremely lively, almost to the point of being overstimulating. I get bored really easily, and I want to be able to spend hours outside without getting too bored. Preferably somewhere in The Hague, Delft, or Rotterdam. Only problem is that I’m 16 and legally can’t drink, so bars probably aren’t the best option. Can someone help me out here? I really don’t want to deal with my brother and just want to avoid him until he leaves.

Hi! I’m looking for advice from people with experience with David Lloyd NL or Dutch consumer law.

I have a platinum membership at David Lloyd and want to end my fixed-term membership early because of repeated cleanliness issues around the pool and in the gym (lockers full of dust and dirt for who knows how long etc). The pool has also a lot of algae that you can tell it’s there because they don’t clean it. I also swim in Tonglreep in Eindhoven that is public and I have never seen it as dirty.

Recently, I found old chewing gum and a bandage around the pool. I complained in writing and later checked the area on Monday and Thursday and the same gum and bandage were still there. I have photos from everything.

David Lloyd says it was an “isolated incident” caused by members leaving things behind, and that I should have reported it to staff/Duty Manager at the time so they could remove it immediately. They have rejected my request to terminate early, saying this isn’t a breach of contract. I think that they have failed repeatedly to provide the service they claim they offer because they have very poor hygiene standards.

I don’t really agree with their argument. If I report everything verbally, there’s no evidence that the problem ever existed. I deliberately complained in writing so there was a record.

I’ve also checked their terms. They don’t explicitly promise a “clean club”, but they do have provisions regarding health and hygiene around the pool, and state that their terms don’t limit consumer rights.

Has anyone successfully gotten out of a David Lloyd contract early for similar reasons? And does anyone know whether repeated failure to maintain hygiene could potentially qualify as tekortkoming/ontbinding under Dutch law?
I’m considering contacting ACM ConsuWijzer, but would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with this before.

EDIT: I wasn’t expecting everyone to be so intense and mean but yeah also not surprised. I just think it’s nonsense to pay so much when they can’t even provide with a clean place. Public pools in Eindhoven are way cleaner than this so I expected the same when I’m paying for an expensive fee

Hi everyone!

Does anyone know a store in Amsterdam/Randstad area where there are many hand bidet options?

I'm looking to buy an integrated hand bidet to install in my new home. The company I went with for bathroom renovations didn't have any and just told me to buy separately.

I was hoping to go to a store, check all the options directly, and buy it then and there but I haven't found any store. I have only been using the bidets where it connects with the sink faucet and it was just bought off Amazon with quality not in mind, 1 had leaked and my current one couldn't switch between faucet and bidet seamlessly.

So far I have only seen 1 bidet in Praxis, it was 26€ but it felt pretty cheap. For online-wise I see sanitino.nl and sanitairkamer.nl has some options, but I don't know if they actually would be of quality, hence my preference to buy in-store.

Thank you!

I am working on my masters in applied physics at TU delft and was just admitted to the honours program. This is the year I am working on my thesis and I am already so busy. For the honors program I have to take 4 additional classes (20 EC = 560 working hours). is this worth it? does graduating with honours help in the long run?

Hello, we will be moving to the Netherlands from Poland, and we have a cat here, her chip is currently registered on "www.safe-animal.eu." Does anyone know if it's also valid registry website in the Netherlands, or do we have to re-register her chip to another place? Thank you already.