Thinking about becoming a Dutch citizen? We have one more reason for you: The Netherlands has the third most powerful passport in the world!
According to the Henley Passport Index, The Netherlands snatched a shared third place for 2024, gaining visa-free travel to an impressive 192 countries!
The index compares how many countries you can travel to without needing to organise or pay for a visa, meaning Dutchies are just as mobile in the sky as they are on a bike.
The rankings
The Dutch passport is slowly climbing the ranks, ranking 5th place in 2022 and then 4th place in 2023. Dutchies are now tied for third with Austria, Denmark, and Ireland.
Curious to see which passports made the top 10? Have a look:
Ranking
Countries
Access to countries visa-free
1
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain
194
2
Finland, South Korea, Sweden
193
3
Austria, Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands
192
4
Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, The United Kingdom
191
5
Greece, Malta, Switzerland
190
6
Australia, Czechia, New Zealand, Poland
189
7
Canada, Hungary, The United States
188
8
Estonia, Lithuania
187
9
Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
186
10
Iceland
185
Three Asian countries, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, made the cut — and in the top 3, no less!
Other non-European countries nabbed a spot in the top 10, including New Zealand (6th place, 189 countries), Canada and the United States (joint 7th place, 188 countries).
This is a stark difference from countries ranked at the bottom 10:
Rank
Countries
Access to countries visa-free
10
Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan
45
9
Eritrea, Sri Lanka
43
8
Bangladesh, North Korea
42
7
Libya, Nepal, Palestine
40
6
Somalia
36
5
Yemen
35
4
Pakistan
34
3
Iraq
31
2
Syria
29
1
Afghanistan
28
Wondering where your country has wound up in the passport index? See the full list.
Where does your passport rank? Tell us in the comments!
Despite Amsterdam’s reputation for peace, love, and tolerance, a now-viral video is doing the rounds online, where a man is seen slapping and kicking two other men in Amsterdam. Their ‘crime’? Holding hands, apparently. 🤨
According to Het Parool, Amsterdam police are currently investigating whether a report has been filed on the matter but have yet to find one.
However, even if a report isn’t found, a police spokesperson has stated that they would still like to investigate the attack.
A seemingly random attack of violence
Threads user @nchikrii uploaded the video to social media, captioning it “Die platte voelde hij later” (He felt that slap/smack later).
Since then, the user has made his profile private, likely due to the warranted backlash his actions have earned him. Unluckily for @nchikrii, the video has already been crossposted to other platforms, including X (formerly — and more popularly — known as Twitter):
Geweld tegen onbekenden op straat en stoer posten. Dan is het vast niet erg dat ik het ook even deel toch? 😙 pic.twitter.com/E2qfC3GggJ
Ever wanted to try out a Dutch course without financially committing to weeks of lessons? Koentact gets it, which is why they are offering people the chance to try a free Dutch lesson with them.
And that’s not even the half of it.
Let’s talk about why you don’t want to miss Koentact’s upcoming open day on February 20.
A fun approach to learning Dutch
Hol’ up — who are Koentact? Before we get into the details of the open day, allow us to introduce the heroes of the hour.
Koentact is an Amsterdam-based language school that focuses on a practical and fun approach to learning Dutch.
How do they do this? By getting their participants to go out into the world and speak Dutch — with the Dutch! No more switching to English, alsjeblieft.
For Koentact, it’s important that you can put your study to good use. That’s why they get you involved in exercises and field trips (such as the one shown below!) to actually get the Dutch speaking Dutch with you!
Intrigued? Then it’s time to check out their upcoming open day. Let me tell you all about it.
A free trial lesson for beginners
Firstly, one huge point in favour of this open day is that beginners will be given the unique chance to trial a Dutch lesson — completely for free.
Let us tell you, that’s a rare find, especially in Amsterdam!
The trial lesson is perfect for people who are at a beginner level and want to dip their toes into the water before committing to a full course.
While this already sounds great, it’s not the only thing you can look forward to during Koentact’s open day.
Firstly, there’s the fact that participants will be given the chance to win a helemaal gratis (completely free) Dutch course worth €485.
If that’s not enough to entice you, you can also undergo a free language assessment.
This is great for people who have been here a few years, speak een beetje Nederlands (a bit of Dutch) and are unsure of which class level to sign up for.
I’m in, tell me the deets!
Ready to dip your toes in the water and have some fun? Here’s what you need to know:
⏰ When: February 20, 2024, from 6:45 PM until 9:00 PM. The free trial lesson takes place from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM.
The majority of the Dutch House of Representatives and the Senate are officially in favour of making the king cough it up.
In the Netherlands, a majority of two-thirds of the House of Representatives is needed to launch an amendment to the Dutch constitution.
This meant that those who wanted to see the king finally paying taxes had to get the majority of the House of Representatives and Senate to vote in favour.
This has finally happened.
“It is important that the king also pays income tax. The teacher and the police officer do that too. Everyone in the Netherlands contributes to public facilities”, D66 MP Joost Sneller, the man who came up with the proposal, tells AD.
What does this mean?
For now, the king can happily continue to enjoy paying absolutely zero tax on his annual income. However, his days as a tax-free royal may be numbered.
Now that there is a majority to amend the constitution, it’s up to outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte to see it carried out.
There’s just one problem, D66 doubts Rutte will listen to the Cabinet’s majority. “Rutte’s basic attitude has always been: the less changes, the better,” Sneller says.
However, there is hope in the new government — once it is formed. This is because parties such as the NSC, BBB, and PVV are not big fans of the king’s tax exemption.
In other words, we may have to wait for the new government formation before we will see the king paying taxes. 👀
The beginning of this week was a snowy one for many in the Netherlands — but will the wintery weather continue on this wonderful Wednesday? And what about the rest of the week?
Here’s what KNMI has to say! 👇
Snow only in the south
If you’re living in the south of the country in regions such as Limburg and Brabant, then you’re in luck! At least, if you love snow.
In Limburg, it will start to slow lightly this morning and is expected to continue essentially throughout the rest of the day, evening and night.
In fact, the KNMI has announced a Code Yellow weather warning for the south-east and is forecasting up to 15cm of snow! ❄️
For the rest of us, life must return to a non-snowy normality. While we can certainly expect freezing weather (expect icy conditions this morning!), we won’t have the snow to go with it.
If you want to catch some sunshine, this morning is the time to do it. From this afternoon, we can expect clouds with rain forecast for the north.
Sunshine AND snow?
However, Dutch weather likes to keep us on our toes.
Which is why tomorrow morning and afternoon, a large part of the country can expect a healthy dose of sunshine — followed by a chance of snow.
Tomorrow evening, coastal provinces can brace for more snow coming from the west, as well as strong winds.
In summary, we’d recommend you don’t forget your sunnies or your winter boots. 😎 ❄️
With many finding the cost of living increasingly unaffordable here in the Netherlands, energy stands out as a major wallet-drainer. One Dutch provider’s solution? Free energy! 💸
Although the thought of getting something for free sounds about as realistic as a stroopwafel magically appearing before your eyes, Dutch energy company Budget Energie appears set on making this a reality.
However, there’s a catch. (Isn’t there always? 😮💨)
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The spring and summer weekend deal
For a period between April and August 2024, Budget Energie plans to offer free energy during the weekends. Yep, you read that right: free energy.
That sounds a great deal, except… oh wait, ‘free energy’ is actually only free between the hours of 12 PM to 5 PM.
Oké, given how expensive everything is, that’s actually quite handy — but can anyone just sign up for a Budget Energie contract and take advantage of this weekend deal?
Thankfully, that part’s true! Provided that you’ve signed up for a one-year contract and are part of a household, you can nab this tasty deal all for yourself. 👇
Settle down, folks. It’s time I tell you about my life in the Netherlands during the 90’s and the various shocks I experienced when I first moved to Holland from South Africa.
Moving to the Netherlands from any country can be a bit of a culture shock, but coming from South Africa, there were a few things I just could not wrap my head around when I first arrived. Let’s take a trip down memory lane. 🚗
1. Driving on the wrong side of the road
In the Netherlands, everything is on the wrong side of the road. Image: Depositphotos
Driving on the wrong side of the road and getting into the wrong side of the car… What’s up with that?
In the Netherlands, they drive on the right side of the road. Back home in South Africa, we drive on the left side, so you can imagine my confusion when I first came.
I cannot remember how many times, as a passenger, I walked to the driver’s side before I finally got it right. Imagine the shock to my system when I came back home.
2. Open curtains and unlocked doors
Go ahead, enjoy other people’s lives from outside their windows. Image: Depositphotos
Back home, it was common practice to close the curtains or blinds of my home. Even more common at home is the locking of doors and safety gates. I could not get used to the idea that curtains were left open.
I must admit that nobody actually walked passed the house and looked in. It was just a very unnerving experience that took some getting used to.
I also got into trouble every day for thoroughly locking the doors. I think it took me four months before I could just casually push the door closed and go inside without turning every key and latch that I could find.
I’m quite eager to see if that practice is still the same 24 years later. I could not fully appreciate how safe the country was until it was almost time to leave.
One of the first things I told my friends when I came back home was that I could cycle or walk alone any time of the night or day without fear. (The second thing I told them was that there are no mountains 😱).
3. Owning summer coats
Even in the summer, you’ll still need a raincoat in the Netherlands. Image: Depositphotos
A summer coat? Wait a minute, do I have to bring one along in June?
When I was being shown around the house of my Dutch “family”, the kid’s mom pointed out the hall closet that contained their summer coats. Silly me!! I could not wrap my head around that at all.
Most times in Cape Town, I hardly required a winter coat, so it was quite a stretch of the imagination that I would need a summer coat. I soon got a taste of why a summer coat was needed.
Boy, do I wish that some of your rain could be sent to Africa… 🌧
4. Unfortunate Dutch translations
Poes means something else entirely in South Africa. Image: Depositphotos
A POES IS A CAT!?🙀
Okay, people, that one is not good for a girl from Cape Town. Nope. My knowledge of Afrikaans is good, which meant I didn’t require Dutch classes. My family, therefore, offered to pay for anything I wanted to do.
I chose jazz ballet, as I had been dancing since the womb and missed it terribly. I joined a dance class in Huizen (Studio Dansu) and went once a week for the whole year.
I ended up participating in a concert with my dance class and had to do an afternoon and evening show. One of the ladies in my class suggested that I go home with her between shows so that I didn’t have to commute back for the evening show.
As she opens her door, she says, “stomme poesen, (I gasped) zit hele dag te slapen.” OMG! Dead, dead on the spot. I caught on when I saw the cats sleeping on the windowsill. 💤
People of the Netherlands hear me now. You may have heard this before, but I will say it again: poes in South Africa is a derogatory word to describe a vagina.
Phew! I’m still grappling with that one.
5. Confusing traffic rules
Drivers getting the right of way was a shocking discovery when I first came to the Netherlands. Image: Depositphotos
My heart nearly stopped a few times whilst sitting in the passenger seat and thinking that I was going to heaven in a Subaru.
Yes, that brings me to the time I thought a friend of mine was a hell driver. After a few of my nervous gasps, he wanted to know what was wrong. I asked him if he was trying to get us killed.
When I asked him why he didn’t stop and wait for the person on the straight to pass, he explained that the one on the straight allows the side road driver to come out.
Is that even right? In Cape Town, if you want to get out of a side roa,d you may actually be sitting there for a while or until some courteous soul decides to give you a “break”. Or, as my dad used to say… “the only way to get across the road, is to be born on the other side.”
6. Dark skin attention
Dark skin attention… Oh, my… I was one of the wonders of the world for a whole year.
And I could not believe the attention I got back then. I frequented pubs in Bussum mostly, as it was closest to where I lived. I developed a tolerance for beer because every person who came to chat with me bought me a beer.
Some didn’t even talk to me; they just sent a beer over. I had people offering to marry me if I wanted to stay in the country.
It was very amusing but really good for my self-image at the time. I even had someone ask if they could feel my hair…. which brings me to my last point (yes, I must stop myself ‘cos I can go on for days).
7. Hair problems
Finding someone to cut my hair was a challenge. Image: Freepik
Nobody could do my kroes hair!
I called every hair salon in the surrounding area and eventually ended up going to Amsterdam to get my hair cut and blow-dried.
I really wish I could remember the name of the amazing woman who managed to sort out my hair. She deserved a medal. I’ll be bringing all my own tools this time, though; I’m not taking any chances!
Well, that’s it from me for now. The Netherlands is a weird and wacky place with a lack of hierarchy and some strict social norms, but it’s still a beautiful country.
Did you experience culture shock when moving to the Netherlands? Let us know in a comment below! 👇
Have you ever seen those videos of people going crazy over Black Friday deals in the United States? Well, something similar just happened at a branch of the Dutch supermarket PLUS.
The deal in question? Six rolls of toilet paper from the brand Page for a single Euro!
Usually these cost a little over €4, so I’ll admit it’s a great deal — but apparently too great of a deal for PLUS to handle. 🫣
Chaos and verbal aggression
It’s no secret that the Dutch love a good korting (discount), but PLUS branch owner Marco Meeuwsen was shocked when he saw the extent of it.
Camera images of the store show customers pushing each other in an attempt to snag some toilet paper and running to the cash register with full shopping carts. 🏃
But things got a little out of hand. Several employees of the store were faced with verbal aggression — including teenagers. Luckily, no physical fights broke out.
“It was not a fun day”, Meeuwsen tells RTL Nieuws.
Wat hebben mensen toch met wc papier? Plus-filiaal ‘geplunderd’ na wc-papieraanbieding: ‘Mensen scholden zelfs jonge medewerkers uit’ https://t.co/z47BjHreOq
Translation: “What do people want with toilet paper? Plus branch ‘looted’ after toilet paper offer: ‘People even aggressed young employees'”
“We thought we were good with 800 packages [for a day],” Meeuwsen says, but they were all sold out within four minutes.
At my local PLUS: “Page is unfortunately SOLD OUT. Excuse the inconvenience.” Image: DutchReview
But don’t be disappointed just yet! If you want to snag the offer yourself, you’re in luck: PLUS has confirmed that the promotion will continue until Saturday.
Please, just be respectful to the staff. 🙌
How far would you go for some rolls of toilet paper? Share your thoughts in the comments!
— Maris vdBurgh #NAFO 🇺🇦🇳🇱 #Dutchfellas (@vdBurgh) January 15, 2024
How much snow we will see depends on a cold front of air coming from the south of France and Belgium, says the NOS.
If the cold front shifts towards us, the Netherlands could have a few more chances of winter showers. The coastal provinces could especially see more white streets on Thursday, according to Weerplaza.
By the weekend, temperatures will rise to 8 degrees again, and the lowlands will return to its regularly scheduled weather programme of wind and rain. 🌧️
Chaos on the roads
Due to the low temperatures and snowy rain, roads across the country have been very slippery since Monday morning.
Because of this, the Dutch Royal Meteorological Insitute (KNMI) has issued a code yellow warning. This will continue until at least Wednesday.
If you’re driving (or even cycling) anywhere, be extra careful around the roads.
How are you spending these snowy days? Tell us in the comments!
Ever found a great deal for a flight only to be disappointed by the fact that it’s departing from abroad? Well, your life is about to get easier.
Corendon, a Turkish airline which mainly operates from Schiphol Airport, has big plans: it wants to start running trains to two major airports abroad.
First, they’re eyeing Brussels (Belgium), but later down the line, they want to operate in Düsseldorf (Germany) as well.
Skip the hassle, start the holiday
The intention of Corendon’s train expansion? To bring travellers from abroad to some of their most popular flights.
Corendon wants to save passengers the headache of getting to an airport abroad. “The vacation is supposed to start on the train,” CEO Atilay Uslu tells De Telegraaf. 💺🧳
That means no more riding on a regular train with a 20-kilogram suitcase and no more paying €200 for a week of parking at the airport.
So, how could we benefit from this? Well, Corendon flights leave Brussels and Düsseldorf to sunny destinations daily — in Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and Morocco.
But it also works the other way around: “We [also] want to bring travellers from Belgium to Schiphol in connection with our flights from Amsterdam to Curaçao,” Uslu tells De Telegraaf.
After the holiday, a train brings tourists back home.
Not a regular international train
Now, if you’re thinking: “Great, I can skip the Eurostar and travel to Brussels with Corendon,” I have to disappoint you.
The Corendon trains will not drive on a regular timetable where anyone can just step on. Instead, they will only be offered in package deals that also include a flight.
For now, it is unsure when exactly we can expect Corendon’s international train connections to start running.
Would you make use of Corendon’s train packages? Share your thoughts in the comments!
