However, since then, Europe’s dependence on Russian gas has been dramatically reduced thanks to the importing of more gas from the United States and Qatar.
As a result of both consumers and companies becoming more economical and this year’s relatively mild winter, gas stocks have remained thankfully stable in various European countries.
What are your thoughts on the falling gas prices? Tell us in the comments below!
Moving to the Netherlands as an international is challenging in lots of different ways; from learning a new language to dealing with a new culture, there is much to adjust to.
Over our time in the Netherlands, we’ve come across 12 expat services that have made our lives here so much easier, so we’re sharing the love.
Expat services in the Netherlands: FixThatNow
Handyman to roofer. There’s always someone up to the job! Image: Depositphotos
One of the trickiest parts of being an expat is not knowing where to find reliable people for odd jobs around the house. Plenty of companies exploit this — they know you don’t know local rates, so they charge you absurd amounts for simple repairs.
It’s a platform that connects you with professionals across the Netherlands. Handymen, cleaners, roofers, tilers, window cleaners, plumbers, painters — you name it. The whole point is to let you compare rates and find someone you actually trust.
Here’s how it works: posting a job with your budget is completely free. Professionals can send you up to five quotes. Whether they’re freelancers or full companies, you get to check out their reviews and decide for yourself who you want to hire.
Expat services in the Netherlands: bunq
This is the type of card that makes you happy. Image: Vedika Luthra
bunq is a Dutch bank that’s breaking all sorts of boundaries. It’s fully digital, with a customer service team ready for all your questions in your language.
That’s really handy — if you’ve gone through the process of setting up your life in the Netherlands, you know just how easy it is to get wrapped up in a bureaucratic circle of doom.
bunq breaks that vicious circle, and in the process, provides you with an account at a bank that only invests ethically, and doesn’t pay its staff massive bonuses (like most other banks).
Expat services in the Netherlands: Helpling
Squeaky clean. Image: Freepik
When you’re trying to adjust to a new life, make friends, and find a job or a house, the last thing you want to be worrying about is how clean your house is.
When you’re busy, it’s so easy to let scrubbing the bathroom slip (let’s be honest, it’s already easy for it to slip when you’re not busy). That’s where Helpling comes in.
Helpling is an online marketplace, which links cleaners and people who need one for their homes. In this internet era, scouring local noticeboards in search of a cleaner is truly passé, especially when Helpling is so convenient.
You can select a time and date, and a list of cleaners who are available and ready to do the job will automatically come up. SO handy, and you don’t have to clean. What a win!
Expat services in the Netherlands: Partner Pete
The perfect expat service for sorting out your utilities in the Netherlands. Image: Depositphotos
Another thing no one wants to deal with, nor truly knows how to deal with, is setting up utilities in a new country. In the Netherlands, most utility websites are only in Dutch, so having someone to walk you through the process, or even better, to do it for you, is helpful.
We loved working with Partner Pete, a utility provider in the Netherlands that offers electricity, internet, phone connections and insurance to expats — yes, all in one go. That’s much better than hunting down individual providers of each.
Partner Pete’s customer service is in English, and it also offers flexible contracts, which is really nice if you’re not sure how long you’ll be staying in the Netherlands.
Expat services in the Netherlands: Undutchables
Trying to land a Dutch job? This one’s for you. Image: Freepik
While most people will move to the Netherlands with a job already set up, there are plenty who take the plunge and arrive jobless. Finding work as an expat, especially if you don’t yet speak Dutch (more on that later), can be really difficult.
That’s why we love Undutchables: they’re an employment agency for expats in the Netherlands, and they can help you with finding your new Dutch career in the Netherlands.
Even if you haven’t arrived yet in the Netherlands, get in touch with them, and they can show you their list of current vacancies, and maybe you’ll be able to arrive in the Netherlands with a job already set up and ready to go.
Expat services in the Netherlands: N26
N26 is another great, expat-friendly bank — particularly if you travel a lot, or come from a country that doesn’t use euros.
N26 has a variety of tiers, the swishest of which is N26 Metal, which is €16.90 a month. With this tier, you can make free cash withdrawals anywhere in the world, pay without bank fees anywhere in the world, and you get an insurance package.
N26, like bunq, is purely digital, so there are no physical branches, but customer service is there to help you at any time. Plus, their cards are transparent, so: aesthetics.
Expat services in the Netherlands: Learn Dutch
Learn Dutch is the perfect expat service if you want to finally learn to say Scheveningen correctly. Or anything, for that matter. Image: Pixabay
You’ve almost certainly seen videos from Bart de Pau’s Learn Dutch: you can check our favourites out here. But there’s more to learning Dutch than videos of expats being confused by Dutch culture, though admittedly, that is extremely relatable.
The Learn Dutch website has lots of different Dutch courses for you to choose from, as well as a blog filled with handy tips about the whole process of learning this strange language.
Learn Dutch also offers a summer school and a winter school, if you’re up for intensive classes for a shorter period of time.
Even though pretty much all Dutchies speak amazing English, learning Dutch is really important for your career and your social life as an expat.
Expat services in the Netherlands: TransferWise
Sending home some money? Why pay higher exchange rates? Image: Freepik
This is another important financial expat service: it’s almost certain that at some point, you’re going to need to either transfer money to the Netherlands from another country or the other way around.
When you’re dealing with non-euro currencies, that can VERY quickly get expensive.
A lot of banks will tell you that transferring money costs a certain amount, but what you’ll end up paying is still higher than it should be, because your bank uses an exchange rate that’s higher than the true one.
TransferWise cuts this out: it tells you what the fee is, and that’s what you pay. No sneaky money-grabbing here.
And when you’re sending money out of the Netherlands to somewhere else, TransferWise is particularly great, because usually you’ll get charged extra by the banks on both sides of the transfer. Again, TransferWise cuts that out: you pay exactly what it says on the tin.
Expat services in the Netherlands: Mortgages
ExpatMortgages helps you navigate the complicated Dutch housing market. Image: Freepik
It’s fully understandable that you want to settle down in the Netherlands: from the bikes to the canals, it’s a beautiful country with a high quality of life.
Buying a house here can be complicated, especially given the current property market. Still, mortgage agencies, such as Expat Mortgages, specifically work with expats to give the best information on the process possible — in English!
They can help you figure out how big of a mortgage you can get, where to get one, how to make an offer on a house, and all the delicious paperwork that follows.
Financially, buying a house in the Netherlands makes a lot more sense than renting when you’re staying here for an extended period of time — but it’s a complicated process, so having a mortgage broker on board can be helpful.
Expat services in the Netherlands: Expat centres
Sometimes, you just want to go somewhere where you can find all the answers to your questions — and for expats, expat centres are just that.
At DutchReview, we have experience with the ones in Leiden and Tilburg, so we’re recommending those specifically, but there is an expat centre in most major cities in the Netherlands.
They can let you know what’s going on in a city, from cultural events to sports, and they can also give you some tips on the nicest spots in each city.
Plus, if you’re having trouble with any of the bureaucracy that comes with moving to the Netherlands, they can also help you out. So really, expat centres are a one-stop-shop for almost anything you’ll need as an international here.
Expat services in the Netherlands: Animal shelters
The Netherlands is super pet-friendly! Image: Depositphotos
Whether you’re a dog or a cat person (or a rabbit person, or a bird person, or a snake person, we accept everyone here), an animal shelter is a much better place to get your new best friend than from a pet store.
There is a dierenopvang or a dierencentrum in most major cities (find yours by googling these two words in combination with your city), and they can help you get started with your pet search.
Most have a procedure whereby your needs are matched with an animal’s, so you have some assurance you’re going to be able to provide a happy home for your new child.
Expat services in the Netherlands: DutchReview Instagram
Here’s an expat laughing at our content. Image: Depositphotos
Listen, we have to promote ourselves a little bit, okay? But seriously, we have an Instagram account that is super helpful (and fun) for the international community.
It’s a friendly, cosy space where you can ask questions, get information on current events, and best of all, feature in our articles if you respond to our questions about your experiences of life in the Netherlands.
We post awesome photos of different parts of the Netherlands, so if you’re looking for exploration inspiration, it’s the place to be. Also, if you’re considering moving to the Netherlands, it is a great account to follow, because you’ll get a real sense of what life here is like.
Which expat services have helped you the most while settling down in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below.
Residents of the Netherlands can apply again for a STAP budget grant in two weeks’ time.
After a major malfunction in which no one could apply for the subsidy of €1000, The Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) will move the STAP training budget application round to Friday, March 17, reports the NOS.
What is it again?
The STAP subsidy is a government budget directed at helping employees of the Dutch labour market advance their career skills via training and education.
The subsidy covers €1000 of the costs of listed training programs so that employees can learn skills without having to stress about spending money —echt fijn!
Every year, there are a number of registration times, where people can stand in an online queue in advance to apply.
According to the UWV, the online web portal was not accessible due to a “combination of a technical error and large crowds,” with 300,000 people logging in simultaneously.
Ronald van Zijp, STAP national manager at UWV, has addressed the chaos: “Of course, we immediately tried to solve the problem, but it soon became clear that this was not going to work. We had to make the decision to move the opening.”
New rules apply
Due to the great popularity of the subsidy, the benefits agency is working on a solution so that the web portal can handle “extreme” numbers of online users.
The web portal is scheduled to reopen at 10 AM on March 17 so that “interested parties have time to prepare for the new application date properly,” reports UWV.
However, there are now stricter rules for educators, and training providers to take measures against abuse and prevent scams.
These requirements include trainers not accepting more than 300-course participants per year, and trainers not being allowed to offer trips or gifts to get students to register with them.
Will you be applying for the new STAP budget date? Tell us in the comments below!
For those hoping for sunny spring weather, you’ll be waiting a bit longer because cold weather is here to stay.
This week, winter showers will make an appearance across the Netherlands. There is also a chance of snow in the southeast of the country, reports weerplaza.nl. Brr!
Get that winter coat out again for Tuesday
A mix of rain and wet snow will fall on Tuesday morning, especially in the southeast, making us all want to stay inside for the rest of the day. ❄️
The temperature will be just above 0 degrees Celsius. Some sunshine might break through in the afternoon, but there is also a chance of wet snow showers, so you might want to dress for both scenarios. 😀
Tuesday evening will have snow, causing wet road sections to freeze; watch out while driving early Wednesday morning!
A bleak rest of the week
While Wednesday should remain mainly dry in a large part of the country, residents might find wet snow with moderate winds in the south of the Netherlands. 🌬️
If you have plans to go outside on Thursday, the weather might be in your favour! It should be mostly cloudy with the sun breaking through, and it will be slightly less cold than the previous days, with temperatures rising to 5 or 6 degrees.
Maart roert z’n staart – de komende dagen doet het weer winters aan – met overdag temperaturen rond 4-6 graden en kans op winterse neerslag. In de nachten lichte vorst. Later in de week wordt het minder koud en het blijft wisselvallig. https://t.co/gydDmWRRWWpic.twitter.com/k6JZh3Mgqq
While temperatures will rise throughout the weekend, it won’t be what we expect of spring. There will be a strong southwest wind on Friday, and it will be mostly rainy during the weekend, echt niet leuk!
What do you think about this cold weather in March? Tell us in the comments below!
Amsterdam is sitting proudly among the top three cities ranked in the world’s top 100 city destinations for 2022! Are we flabbergasted? Echt niet!
The report from Euromonitor International has revealed that Paris retained the title of the world’s top city destination, with Dubai coming in second and Amsterdam third! 🎉
Why the ‘Dam?
The ranking of European destinations in the index largely came down to two important factors: tourism policy and attractiveness, and tourism infrastructure.
Since COVID-19 restrictions have eased, the attractiveness of many European cities for tourists has risen faster than the number of Tikkies exchanged the morning after a borrel.
In fact, if you happen to be living in Amsterdam, we ask you to take a moment and look outside your window. Chances are you can see some bikes, some nice houses — and hordes of tourists looking right back at you. 👀
Given the number of people toting cameras, souvenirs, and the vague smell of weed in the city, Amsterdam definitely has quite the pull for tourists.
Let’s just say we’re not too shocked that this Dutch city made it to the top three! 😉
So, who’d we beat?
Taking tourism, sustainability, and economic performance into account, Europe truly dominated this year’s top 10 rankings, with Dubai and New York as the only non-European countries on the list.
Now that’s something you thought you would never see in a museum: a decomposing finger.
We’re not kidding. In Museum Jan Cunen in Oss, ‘living materials’, also known as bio-art, are currently on display as part of their new exhibition ‘Live and let live.’
The idea behind the exhibition is simple: everything that dies can produce something new. This is what the slowly decomposing human body part is meant to show.
Press officer, Annemarie Baaijens, of the museum tells RTL Nieuws that “the decomposition process generates energy in this way. There is no difference with, for example, an autumn leaf that decays. That provides nutrients that other organisms can live on again.”
Ok, but where does the finger come from!?
A human finger in a glass box begs the question — where on earth did a museum get that? As it happens, the finger is actually from a living friend of artist, Martin uit den Boogaard, who makes art with living objects.
Uit den Boogaard explains that his friend “had an accident, and his middle finger could not be saved.” As a result, the friend decided to donate his finger to the artist — now that’s friendship.
Yet, the process of relocating the finger from the hospital to the museum wasn’t an easy one.
Since it isn’t exactly common to take an amputated finger from the hospital, the proposal first had to pass an ethics committee. “They said: if the patient has no objection and the surgeon gives permission, then it’s allowed,” reports Uit den Boogaard.
Something worth seeing?
Van den Boogaard has realised that not everyone is particularly enthusiastic about his work.
“This form of art is very sensitive. Someone who has had a miscarriage found my work far too confrontational. But art should question things. I find the ethical issue interesting,” he explains to RTL Nieuws.
WARNING: the below Twitter post is graphic ❗️
Hebben mensen nog grenzen en waarom mag dit? Het gaat mij te ver. Rottende vinger in museum: ‘We beschouwen dingen te snel als afval’https://t.co/bRzw1cOScT
— Henriette de vreede (@1975henriette) March 1, 2023
Translation: Do people still have limits, and why is this allowed? It’s going too far for me. Rotting finger in museum: ‘We regard things as waste too quickly.’
Van den Boogaard isn’t the only one who wants to make a statement. Baaijens also has hopes that the exhibition will make people think. “There are crazy leaps and bounds, but you start wondering: could it work that way? And sometimes what seems like a really crazy idea is the start of something revolutionary,” she states.
Would you go see this decomposing finger at the museum? Tell us in the comments below!
A 10-year-old Dutch girl has been left seriously injured after she was stabbed by a man while walking with her grandparents in the Swedish city of Gothenburg yesterday.
The incident occurred in broad daylight when the girl was walking through the Brunnsparken town square at around 12:30 PM. The man stabbed the girl in the stomach while the grandmother tried to shield the child with her arm.
The grandmother also suffered an injury to her arm when she tried to protect her granddaughter from the attacker.
The grandmother’s efforts thankfully paid off. While the girl was seriously injured in the attack, she is now in a stable condition, and out of the danger zone, a spokesperson told RTL Nieuws.
Known to police
It is reported that the attacker was known to Gothenburg police. It’s believed that the 35-year-old man probably attacked the girl at random while in a “state of confusion,” a spokesperson tells RTL Nieuws.
The girl from Amsterdam was visiting her Swedish grandparents when the attack took place.
There’s no denying the reality of the housing crisis in the Netherlands — but there is hope for those struggling to find a place, with landlords possibly no longer able to ask for crazy rental prices anymore.
In fact, landlords who charge too much rent for their homes could risk a fine of up to €90,000, starting from next year, reports RTL Nieuws.
The new points systems
Housing Minister Hugo de Jonge wants to help more people with middle incomes to find affordable rental housing.
For many people, especially in bigger cities, renting a place is simply not affordable anymore. According to De Jonge, many tenants pay the top price for a home that “is really not worth it”.
sorry idk you but i have to warn you there’s a severe housing crisis in the netherlands and it’s almost impossible to find an apartment 😭🫶
For this reason, De Jonge wants to use the WWS, the home valuation system, to determine the amount of rent.
The points system is now used to calculate rents in the social sector, but according to De Jonge’s plans, this will also include mid-rental homes, making rent cost a maximum of €1,000 a month.
Better protection
With this new proposal, tenants will be better protected. Municipalities will also soon be obliged to open a counter where residents can go with complaints about landlords.
If there is a mistake in adding up the points, the municipality can warn the landlord. However, landlords are looking at a hefty fine if they ask too much for a house that falls under protection.
For the first violation, it is €20,000, but if the landlord continues to violate the law, that can rise up to €90,000. 😳
Unfortunately, these changes will apply to new rental contacts, not existing ones — so start stashing moving boxes.
The House of Representatives is expected to discuss the next steps for this plan after the summer.
What do you think about this new law? Tell us in the comments below!
Sure, the Netherlands has tulips — but personally, our favourite botanical babe here has to be the penis plant. Yes. The penis. Plant.
He’s a grower, he’s a show-er, and he’s come to Leiden — in a big way.
Ok, we’ll stop now.
Introducing the Amorphophallus gigas
Leiden’s Hortus Botanicus is home to a colourful variety of plants, and, now, a very special piece of wood. (Listen, we can’t help it.)
Although technically, the Amorphophallus gigas, translated as “formless giant phallus” — 😏 — it isn’t a piece of wood at all.
It’s a 3.5-metre-tall phallic plant, featuring a very long ‘peduncle’ #dirtytalkinspo, consisting of a spadix and a bract. Part of the plant’s charm is not just its sexy silhouette but also the fact that its flowers emit a “corpse-like” odour. 😬
All of these features (ok, perhaps not the corpse-like odor — we hope) have led the plant to be given the more common name, penis plant.
Not one, but three erections
The Amorphophallus gigas actually isn’t the first penis plant to pitch a tent in Leiden’s Hortus Botanicus. Two other members of the penis plant family have also bloomed here over the past two years.
In 2021, the hortus welcomed the arrival of the Amorphophallus decus-silvae, and in 2022, not one but two Amorphophallus titanum penis plants bloomed.
This year, the botanical gardens welcomed their biggest penis yet. In fact, they welcomed twins, with two Amorphophallus gigas plants shooting their sprouts — we’re proud of you boo.
Go take some dick pics
Want to see a penis like never before? Us too. You’ll find these beauts on display in Leiden’s Hortus Botanicus between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take the only type of dick pics we will ever condone.
Will you be checking out the latest penis plant? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
That’s right, everyone, it’s that time of year once again: EUROVISION — and the Dutch have just dropped what we reckon is a bonafide banger.
Whether you’re a full-blown, singing, dancing, costume-wearing fan or a casual watcher, there’s no avoiding the Eurovision fandom that will hit Europe (and the world) this May.
Ready to get pumped? Warm up your foot-tapping, neck-bobbing muscles for Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper’s entry, ‘Burning Daylight’.
According to Cooper, the song is about “falling, making mistakes and then getting up again,” he said in a mini-documentary.
“But it’s also about accepting that we’re all human, experiencing pain and that we have to go through it.”
When can I watch the Netherlands rock it live?
The first Dutch semi-final will be held on May 9 on location in Liverpool, England. If they win, they’ll get a ticket to the final on May 13.
However, this wasn’t the original plan for the location. Ukraine should have had the honour of hosting this year after winning last year, but due to Russia’s invasion of the country, it was no longer possible.
Do you think the Netherlands has a winner? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
