A formal apology by the Dutch government to the tune of €200 million will be made, along with projects to raise awareness of the Netherlands’ past slavery.
The Dutch government will also be setting aside an additional €27 million for a museum on slavery, reports the NOS.
An apology has been in the works for a while
On a recent visit to Suriname, Prime Minister Rutte stated that the next year should be dedicated to acknowledging the Netherlands’ involvement in the slave trade.
The majority of the Tweede Kamer also pushed for a formal apology to be made.
And even the king agrees! He brought up the subject of an apology on Prinsjesdag — noting that 2023 would commemorate 150 years since the Netherlands abolished slavery.
King Willem-Alexander didn’t hesitate to point out the importance of taking responsibility for this part of Dutch history.
Not everyone thinks it’s necessary
Although the Dutch government’s persecution of Jews and their horrific treatment of Indonesians (following the decolonisation period) have been formally apologised for, slavery hasn’t been directly addressed.
Dutch conservatives: We must teach children to be proud of our [colonial] past when we were rich thx to the East/West Indees Company!
Also Dutch conservatives: I have nothing to do with the genocides in Indonesia or slavery! Why should we teach kids about the past? Now is now!
Due to track work, no NS trains will run to and from Amsterdam Zuid between November 13 and 27. Those looking to commute to Schiphol Airport during that period will also see fewer to no trains operating.
As a result, folks will have to find alternative transportation options to get around the area during those two weeks, so in other words, 9292 to the rescue! 🚂
15 dagen geen treinen naar Amsterdam Zuid en minder treinen naar Schiphol vanwege werkzaamheden ProRail. https://t.co/iPpsOniI46
Translation: No trains to Amsterdam South for 15 days and fewer trains to Schiphol due to ProRail work.
The alternative options
Those who need to travel to one of the two stations can make a detour via Amsterdam Centraal. From there, you can take the metro to Amsterdam Zuid or a train that goes to Schiphol.
The metro lines in Amsterdam that you should look out for are 50, 51, and 52. For any unknowing internationals, you can use your NS train ticket to travel. 🎟️
During that period, the NS also plans to use extra trains on weekdays between Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol, and Utrecht Centraal. Direct trains between Rotterdam and the airport will continue to run as normal.
International trains also affected
Alas, those travelling abroad by international train will also fall victim to some disruptions.
From November 13 to 27, the train to and from Brussels won’t go further than Rotterdam Centraal, writes RTL Nieuws.
And due to international train traffic, the Thalys, Eurostar, and the train to and from Berlin will have a change in departure and arrival times to and from Amsterdam Centraal.
The NS advises travellers to keep an eye on the NS app before departing on their train, as track changes, detours, and extra travel time can take place at any minute.
Not just that, but people should expect extra crowds on the trains and at stations.
Will you be travelling by train during that period? Tell us in the comments below! 👇
If you think Dutch ticket prices are already way too high, we have news for you: NS is about to get even more expensive from January 1, 2023.
The single ticket for a second-class seat will rise by 5.5%, but subscriptions for unlimited rush hour or fixed routes the tickets are becoming 2.4% cheaper, the NOS reports.
Hopefully, these adjustments will make it more charming for passengers to travel outside of rush hour (as if crowded trains weren’t enough to turn people away come 4 PM).
While with all the rising prices, you would think that the NS is trying to copy the rest of the world. Buuuut, they’re adjusting their ticket prices based on the expected inflation. And well, that’s not the most ideal this year.
The never-sinking boat
The NS has gone through a lot in the past mounts, but somehow they are still functioning. 🤘🏽
And on top of everything, they got a new captain to lead the company as the new CEO (Well, succes!).
Even on first class
While the first class passengers might not experience the overcrowded trains as much as the people who travel in second class, their ticket prices will rise as well. In fact, even more.
According to NS, first-class ticket prices have been a bit too low in recent years, so they will pay 7.4% more from the 1st of January.
And if you can pay the ticket prices, it’ll be a challenge to find a train that can take you to your destination.
What’s your latest adventure with NS trains? Tell us in the comments!
Doctors in the Netherlands will soon be able to prescribe Paxlovid, or the “corona pill”, after it was approved by the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) in January.
The country will introduce Paxlovid in the basic health insurance package. So, you won’t have to pay extra when buying it anymore.
However, the pill is only eligible for certain groups of people. Particularly, those who are at very high risk of developing the disease, writes RTL Nieuws.
“This concerns, for example, people who do not receive the vaccine properly due to an underlying disease that affects the immune system, or because of old age,” says Joost Wiersinga, an internist-infectiologist at UMC Amsterdam.
Doctors will only prescribe Paxlovid to high-risk patients, such as the elderly, those with heart and lung diseases, and people with a reduced immune system.
If your doctor doesn’t think you are suitable for the medicine, but you still want to take the pill, you will have to pay the manufacturing costs of €1242 for it.
When and where can I get Paxlovid?
The National Health Care Institute of the Netherlands recently advised Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Public Health, to include the medicine in the basic health insurance package.
It will still take a couple more weeks before doctors in the Netherlands can prescribe it to their patients.
But, you can expect to find Paxlovid at your local physician no later than December 2022.
A hefty amount to pay
However, introducing this medication to Dutch society doesn’t come without setbacks. The National Healthcare Institute must pay €1242 for a complete pill cure — €707 more than what the US government currently pays.
Lovers of the racist anthem “Hanky Panky Shanghai” may have hanked their last pank, as a new anti-racism initiative has its sights set on quashing this song.
Anti-Asian racism has long been allowed to flourish in the Netherlands — and, along with it, the exclusionary processes holding people of Asian descent back.
A teaching package against singing the song “Hanky Panky Shanghai” is soon to be launched in schools, says the National Coordinator against Racism and Discrimination Rabin Baldewsingh to the NOS.
But wait…what exactly is “Hanky Panky Shanghai”?
This is a song, sung to the tune of Happy Birthday, that contains the words “Hanky Panky Shanghai” and “Hanky Panky” repeated over and over again. (Yes — that’s the full extent of the lyrical brilliance involved. 🙄)
And, as if a mere sprinkling of racism wasn’t enough, it is accompanied by hand gestures such as pulling one’s eyes into slits. Really innovative stuff, for sure.
Benieuwd hoe de – meestal toch witte – mensen die het zingen van Hanky Panky Shanghai geen probleem vinden op zouden kijken als hun kind door de hele klas gezellig toegezongen werd met 🎶 Melkfles Kaaskop Volendam – Melkfles Kaaskop Volendam 🎶
Translation: It’s curious how the — mostly white — people that find singing Hanky Panky Shanghai no big deal would look up if the class sang 🎶 Melkfles Kaaskop Volendam 🎶 (making fun of Dutch people) to their child.
The song is generally more popular with children, due to it being spoonfed to them by parents and teachers that want to uphold this great traditie (tradition).
What does the new initiative intend to do?
The anti-racism coordinator Baldewsingh will be organising conferences on discrimination in education.
A new teaching packet has also been released with the support of the Asian Raisins Foundation, which helps fight racism against East and South Asian people in the Netherlands.
In addition to this, the organisation has created a petition against “Hanky Panky Shanghai” that calls for it to be banned.
What do you think of this new initiative? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
Last night, Dutch police in Gelderland were flabbergasted after receiving a report of a dead body on a beach, only to discover that it was something far less critical — a sex doll.
The police rushed to the Havenlijn in the Dutch city of Nijkerk, when they made this “special find” — and a special find it was, indeed. 🥴
Aan de Havenlijn in #Nijkerk is vanavond een lichaam aangetroffen in het water. Na onderzoek door de Forensische Opsporing (FO) bleek het niet om een lichaam te gaan maar een levensechte sexpop. De politie had groot ingezet. De omgeving is inmiddels vrijgegeven. pic.twitter.com/WnhWhNla6x
Translation: A body was found in the water on the Havenlijn in #Nijkerk this evening. After an investigation by the Forensic Investigation (FO), it turned out not to be a body but a lifelike sex doll. The police had made a big effort. The area has since been released.
A case of mistaken identity
People spotted what they thought was a woman’s corpse floating in the water and notified the police at around 6:30 PM yesterday.
Once the police arrived at the scene, they closed off the Havenlijn area for trace research and called upon forensic officers to analyse any potential evidence.
Then, it turned out that there was no dead body at all, but a large human-like sex-cessory instead.
Why and how did this sex doll end up on a beach in the middle of the night… and who put it there, has yet to be determined (and frankly, we’d rather not know). 🤷
What do you think about this police story? Tell us in the comments below! 👇
If you are one of those people who react to spiders like they are Satan’s spawn coming to eat you, then we have bad news. More and more people are reporting sightings of false wolf spiders in the Netherlands.
What does this mean? According to experts, we might just have to — pauses to shiver — get used to them.
“They are going to spread even more evenly across the country; it can become as common as the cross spider,” spider expert, Peter van Helsdingen, tells RTL Nieuws.
Growing number of legs
The number of venomous false wolf spiders, also known as zoropsidae, has increased tenfold in the last five years. So if you didn’t find the perfect crisis to freak out about yet in 2022, this can be the one!
The first false wolf spider was reported in 2007 in a supermarket.
“It was one among the vegetables in a supermarket. It is a spider species from southern Europe that has been supplied via transports and can now survive well here,” biologist, Jinze Noordijk, explains to RTL Nieuws.
They are here to stay
If you think they are only here to visit the Netherlands to check out some windmills, you are wrong. Because of climate change, now they are perfectly happy in the land of tulips.
“They don’t freeze to death in the winter. If it’s freezing here, that’s only for a short period,” says Van Helsdingen.
That’s it? Are we all going to be eaten?
No. This is not the end of humankind (yet.) While by Dutch standards, the false wolf spiders have big size (with the headpiece and abdomen together, they are an inch or two), they won’t eat your family (and the whole neighbourhood) for dinner.
“They are real insect eaters: crickets, locusts, woodlice,” says Spider expert Lars Vermeeren of animal park De Oliemeulen in Tilburg.
If you see one and you have enough presence of mind to do something, you can report it on waarneming.nl.
Would it solve your problem? No. But you can be together with another 1,060 people who already had the same experience as you this year. Last year there were significantly fewer, only 331 reports.
Arachnofobie? Als je bang bent voor spinnen, is dit misschien geen leuk nieuws. De #wolfspin wordt steeds vaker gezien in Nederland. Vier jaar geleden ongeveer 40 keer per jaar en nu al ongeveer 500 keer. Wij haalden deze uit iemands slaapkamer #HulpTerPlaatse#Vrijwilligerspic.twitter.com/5gc3MBvjjz
Translation: If you are afraid of spiders, this may not be a fun news. The #wolfspider is seen more and more often in the Netherlands. Four years ago about 40 times a year, and this year already about 500 times.
That being said, some people appear to be ‘crying wolf,’ so to speak.
“We have recently received dozens of phone calls from people who say: help, there is a wolf spider in my house. Then we ask them to send a photo, and in half of the cases, it turns out to be an ordinary house spider. That’s mainly because there’s a lot of attention for it now,” says Vermeeren.
So they will murder us with a poison bite, right?
No. They are no more dangerous than a wasp, and (unlike wasps) their biggest goal in life is not to inflict pain on us.
“Spiders are not aggressive, but defensive,” Lars Vermeeren says to RTL Nieuws.
“They prefer to leave us. Only if they can’t go anywhere, they might bite you. Their teeth are small but just big enough to get through human skin. You don’t feel much of the bite itself. And the poison is not very strong, similar to a wasp sting.”
What’s your relationship with these eight legs friends? Tell us in the comments!
The Dutch story of Shrek is coming alive in front of our eyes: the furry, albeit, scary wolf is trying to build a friendship with the Dutchies — and they’re reaching for some interesting weapons.
Wolves in Gelderland are ready to take their relationship with humankind to the next level — but it looks like we are not there yet.
And how do the Dutch plan on communicating this to Mr Wolf? A paintball gunfight!
The goal is simple: make the wolf hate us enough to never come closer again than 30 metres, the NOS reports.
Too close to home
A tame wolf was recently seen next to a family in the Hoge Veluwe, and the internet went crazy.
We all know that after we put a fence around a forest and call it a National park, it belongs to humans, so it is time to inform the wolf about this as well.
The Dutch Shrek with the family. Image: Depositphotos
The decision to have a one-sided paintball fight was made last week:
“We are dealing with a wolf who is too tame. So we have to scare him off,” a spokesperson tells Omroep Gelderland. (The paintballs sound ideal for that, indeed! 🙃)
Not everyone is into paint guns
Park director Van Voorst tot Voorst of De Hoge Veluwe National Park is not so happy with the idea, he would rather just see the tame wolves captured or killed.
“They want to scare the animals, so they don’t attack people. It’s a fake solution [so they don’t have to say]: shoot the wolf,” says Van Voorst tot Voorst.
The Faunabescherming claims the park management has willfully caused wolves to get tame, which would also explain why the park management would prefer capturing or shooting the wolves (and not with paint): the park management would just want to get rid of the wolves.
Creating tame wolves would be the first step leading to capturing or killing. The park management has denied these allegations.
The National Park says they have zero interest in tame wolves — but we have to admit, paintballs sound a bit nicer than the alternative.
What do you think of this method? Tell us in the comments!
As of yesterday, Wouter Koolmees was appointed as the NS’s new bossman — and (get this), he wants to kick off his days on the job doing the work of a train conductor! 🚂
Koolmees, who was previously Minister of Social Affairs, will remain CEO of the Dutch railway company for the next four years.
In an effort to learn, first-hand, what his struggling employees experience on a daily basis, he’ll receive schooling to be a train conductor, writes RTL Nieuws.
Wouter Koolmees D66 is nog niet eens officieel begonnen bij de NS of de treinen komen massaal stil te staan. Net zo als bij Schiphol wordt dit door ons kabinet bewust gecreëerd. Chaos, chaos en nog eens chaos is wat D66 creëert in opdracht van het WEF En dit is nog maar het begin
Translation: Wouter Koolmees D66 has not even officially started at the NS when the trains come to a standstill en masse. Just like at Schiphol, this is consciously created by our cabinet. Chaos, chaos, and more chaos are what D66 creates on behalf of the WEF, and this is just the beginning.
Koolmees might’ve won the title as the NS’s new CEO, but not every customer is happy about it.
NS employees don’t feel heard
In light of the many (and we mean MANY) problems that the NS has been facing lately, the company uses fewer and shorter trains.
As a result, people in the Netherlands are boarding more jam-packed intercities and sprinters, with little room to sit and stand.
One particular cause of this is the fact that NS employees feel as though they’re not being listened to, ergo coming to a solution for the train crisis grows more difficult.
Luckily, the new CEO plans to tackle this issue. “That is a serious signal, which I have to work with”, Koolmees told Op1 last night.
A step towards a solution to train failures
NS announced that they plan to deploy office workers on trains as assistant conductors, and in the evenings, bring in private security guards to ease the work of the conductors.
By doing so, they hope to prevent more train failures.
In addition, the NS recently made more train cutbacks on 22 intercity and 20 sprinter routes across the lowlands.
Alas, woners will continue to face restricted train timetables, as the NS plans to start operating even fewer trains on a number of routes from next week onwards.
What do you think about NS’s new CEO starting as a train conductor? Tell us in the comments below! 👇
So, you’re planning on renting a property in the Netherlands and using a Dutch rental agency? First things first, welcome to the Netherlands! Also, welcome to the wonderful world of renting.
In order to make sure you’re on the right track, we have compiled a list of things you need to know when using a Dutch rental agency so that you don’t get caught out by any of those scams out there!
Before we start, finding a place to rent in the Netherlands is hard work. The country, in general, has a shortage of houses, especially concentrated in the bigger cities, so sometimes, the minute you find a place to rent, it has gone before you’ve refreshed your webpage.
It’s important to be on the ball and ready for a lot of disappointments along the way. However, it’s good to know that the rights of tenants are taken seriously in the Netherlands.
It’s hard for the landlord to even get rid of a tenant without getting the courts involved (not so good for the landlords, though 😬).
Rest assured that you’re safe, as long as you remember these seven things to know when renting a property in the Netherlands and using a Dutch rental agency. Let’s get started…
What can I expect when I rent in the Netherlands?
How does it work? What is the etiquette, what do you need? Say no more.
What can you expect when renting an apartment in the Netherlands? Image: Pexels
Rental cost and property type
When renting a property in the Netherlands, rent costs vary substantially throughout the Netherlands. You could be paying as little as €200, or over €5500 per month.
As usual, the centre of big cities is often the most expensive and the outskirts or other small cities tend to be cheaper. So, be prepared to pay if you want to live that city lifestyle!
Many places are self-contained flats and are usually unfurnished. If it’s listed as “bald” or “shell”, this means that even flooring and light fittings are not included. Please make sure to check this before you decide to rent somewhere, or else it’s going to be costly.
Also, note that most places won’t let you rent unless you earn a certain amount, and some even require that your employer is the guarantor.
You’ll almost always need a valid ID, like a passport, employment contract or study proof, residency details, and your BSN. So there are no secrets about your personal and financial life here.
Duration of a rental property in the Netherlands
You’ll find that most rental properties in the Netherlands are a minimum of 12 months. It’s possible to find a place with a shorter contract, although this is usually by sub-letting someone else’s property.
This is rare, though, so be prepared to sign for 12 months. Make sure you can do this and can afford it! If you’re after much shorter tenancies, prepare to pay more and take more risks.
It’s important to know that in Amsterdam, unless you have a special license, it’s illegal to rent somewhere for less than six months. Please be aware of this if you’re trying to find somewhere to live in the Dutch capital.
Note: If you find a property and decide you want to leave, make sure you give your landlord one month’s notice. You can ask for a “break clause” to shorten this in instances such as losing your job. Even after the 12-month period, if you don’t let the landlord know that you are moving out within this period, the contract could be renewed automatically.
What are the normal rental agency fees in the Netherlands?
Whether you agree or not, Dutch rental agency fees are normally a bit of a con. They aren’t 100% legal or illegal, though, unless it’s a sleutelgeld — we’ll get onto that in a minute. Agency fees can range from under €50 (rare) to hundreds of euros.
A lot of fees are taken in the form of one month’s rent or more. The truth is, the agency fee is a bit of a grey area. There have been a record number of people trying to claim the fee back, especially if you found the property yourself, most contact has been via the landlord, and the agency hasn’t really done much.
Hiring an agent to find a place to rent can be costly, but it can also be worth it! Image: Depositphotos
Basically… don’t pay more than a month’s rent, and even then, that is extortionately high. I paid a few hundred for €710 rent. If you have any doubts that the fee is unfair, please take it to a tribunal. Remember, you have many rights, don’t let them fob you off!
What is in my rental contract?
Of course, rental contracts vary, but at the very least, your contract should contain this basic information:
Your name
The address of the property
The landlord or estate agent’s details
The rental cost (per month, per quarter or per year)
The duration of your rent
The notice period
Any service cost or utility costs, if applicable. If you are paying for your utilities, by law, the landlord has to show you how much you have used to see if you are due for reimbursement or owe the landlord money, once a year at least.
Note: Your contract for renting something in the Netherlands should easily be available in English.
The deposit
Your contract will also usually detail the deposit you should pay. The deposit is normally one month’s rent upfront. This is used to protect the landlord if you trash the place or don’t pay your rent.
Make sure you take photos of any damages that were present before you arrived, so you don’t get wrongly charged for them. Your deposit should never be paid in cash and never consist of more than three months’ rent.
Rules and regulations for renting in the Netherlands
Before you sign any contract, you should be aware of the rules and regulations in place to protect you when renting a property in the Netherlands.
Technically, to have a verbal tenancy agreement in the Netherlands is completely legitimate. However, that’s definitely not advisable due to the difficulties in proving the tenancy agreements between you and the landlord. Take a witness or better still, have a written contract instead.
Make sure to thoroughly read the rental contract as many details can often be overlooked. Image: Depositphotos
Make sure that you try and get a written contract with both your and your landlord’s signature on it. With your contract, you should have another estate agent guide, telling you all you need to know about the property and rules and regulations.
Please make sure you read them! It may say “no pets”, and then you don’t realise and get a pet, you could be in trouble and forced to pay a fee to deep clean the property afterwards.
It’s also worth messaging the landlord if you want something. For example, my tenancy says I can’t have pets, and I can’t decorate the walls. I kindly asked my landlord after a year of being a good tenant, and he agreed that I could.
So although they are rules, if you ask nicely, they can be amended. (Make sure you keep the proof of agreement after, though!)
What’s a key fee, aka sleutelgeld?
In order not to be totally ripped off by your landlord, there are regulations in place to protect you. Your landlord can not charge you for something if you are not getting anything in return for paying it. It’s illegal if they do.
You should never have to pay for access to your rented place. Image: Pixabay
One such illegal fee that they may charge is a fee to receive your keys or access to your property. This is called a sleutelgeld. It basically gives you nothing and is a con.
If you get charged a fee for something, and you aren’t getting a service for it (e.g. estate agent fee), then don’t pay it!
What’s a rent ceiling?
The Netherlands has regulations to limit changes in the price of rent if it’s not “liberalised”. This means that it is subject to a “ceiling” price. Meaning, that if a place is liberalised, you are able to make negotiations with your landlord because it’s private.
With public housing, this is different. This has a ceiling price and matches the quality of the housing. You can find out the maximum rent for your house through the Dutch government’s website. However, it’s only available in Dutch (hello, google translate 💁).
How can I spot a fraudulent rental?
Sadly, in the real world, this does happen when renting a property in the Netherlands. The safest bet is to stick to actual official agencies. If you do decide to find your housing outside of an agency (a route many take), watch out for these signs:
They are “out of the country”, so cannot meet, but you must still pay them either a fee or deposit upfront
You can’t register at the address you want to rent
They want you to pay all of your deposit in cash
They won’t show you the property you are willing to rent in person (they’ll only show pictures)
Generally making excuses for things, being indecisive about the contract and not being willing to meet
I nearly got caught out (Kamernet experience)
I personally nearly got caught out on a site calledKamernet, which is where you can advertise that you’re looking for an apartment/room, and then the owners can get in touch with you.
I’m not wanting to drag their name through the mud because they did resolve my query about a fraudulent landlord, but just be wary that some fraudulent rentals can slip through the net, even on a good site.
Make sure to be vigilant when looking for a rental property in the Netherlands. Image: Pexels
I had placed an advert saying I wanted an apartment in Rotterdam, and then randomly, one evening, I had an email from someone saying that he had an apartment for rent which was a decent price.
He apparently didn’t live in the Netherlands, and couldn’t sort the contract at first, so he suggested that we can rent it for the first two months on Airbnb until he was back.
I had read online about a similar scam, so when I was in the area, I rang the doorbell of the flat. There was a woman living there, who told me that it was not up for rent and that she had loads of people asking about it.
So we nearly lost out on two months’ rent with nothing to show for it. I reported the landlord, and they removed it from the site as soon as possible. So be careful, folks!
How do I resolve disputes about renting in the Netherlands?
Have you got a complaint, and nothing has been done? I’m sorry it has come to that. Firstly, you need to bring it up with your landlord/Dutch rental agency.
If that doesn’t work, you can file a dispute, and they can be brought before the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal).
Costs for this are only €25 for a person wanting to take them to the tribunal and significantly more for a company. The Huurcommissie’s job is to handle these complaints, and they can vary from poor maintenance, unknown charges or unfair rental cost and more.
This is mainly used for people who have social housing, however, others can apply to use the service.
If this service isn’t for you, then you can get a lawyer to sort it out for you. Prices vary for this service, so it’s worth weighing the pros and cons before going down this route.
Tenants have many rights in the Netherlands, so rest assured that it’s probably going to be sorted (and sorted well).
Have any more personal tips about using a rental agency that you want to share with us? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in March 2018, and was fully updated in November 2022 for your reading pleasure.
