It’s that time again: the Dutch cabinet is currently discussing possible new measures to tackle the recent spike in COVID-19 infections.
This comes as no shock to anyone who’s been living in the Netherlands recently. The infection rates have seen a significant increase and the number of hospitalisations is soaring.
Possible return of the 1.5-metre rule
The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) gave advice to the cabinet on Friday — reports RTL Nieuws. Mayor of Nijmegen, Hubert Bruls, believes that the 1.5-metre social distance rule and the introduction of a corona pass to gain entry to the workplace are not probable. 🤷🏽♂️
However, the 1.5-metre social distance might soon be an “urgent advice” again. There may also be stricter regulation of checking corona passes in establishments.
Work from home as much as possible
We hope you haven’t converted your makeshift at-home office back to its original state. The advice to work from home may also be making a comeback. This is also no surprise given that more and more people in the Netherlands are contracting coronavirus at the office.
Facemask advice
Wearing face masks may also come back in style. However, if the government does decide to bring back mandatory facemasks, it will be a long legal process that may take weeks. 😷
More information at the press conference
Whether any of these potentials will come to fruition is the next question. Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge will host a press conference tomorrow evening at 19:00 to discuss the potential new measures.
More information about the press conference may also become available before tomorrow night.
Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest coronavirus news and updates in the Netherlands.
There’s only one question you ask yourself when you make the decision to buy a house in the Netherlands, and it’s simple: how high can my Dutch mortgage be?
Now, you might think “simple! It depends on how much I earn.”
Unfortunately, the answer to the question is more complicated because there are stacks of things that influence how much a bank is willing to lend you. Luckily, we’ve got the answers right here!
What determines how high my mortgage can be in the Netherlands?
To begin, it’s important to note that how high your Dutch mortgage can be is determined by a number of factors and, in turn, how these different factors combine. So what could affect how much a bank is willing to loan you? Good question!
Whether or not you are an international
As an international, there are some extra hurdles to jump when it comes to getting a mortgage in the Netherlands, like:
Some banks will not loan money to you
In the Netherlands, lending to an international is still seen as a bit of a risk by Dutch banks. For some, that risk is simply too high, meaning they will not grant you a loan for your mortgage.
But never fear, thankfully, many of the large Dutch banks still grant mortgages to international house hunters.
As an international in the Netherlands, there are a number of things that may affect your Dutch mortgage. Image: Depositphotos
How long you have been in the Netherlands
If you’re hoping to buy a home in the Netherlands without having lived here first for a while, you may struggle. Some mortgage providers will not offer you a mortgage unless you have been living in the country for at least six months.
What type of residence permit you have
If you are an international who comes from outside the EU, the above conditions apply to you, but it is also important that you have a residence permit to stay long-term in the Netherlands — meaning that this is necessary if you want to apply for a mortgage.
Your work contract and income
This one may seem obvious. Of course, the amount you can borrow will be determined by your income. But did you know that in the Netherlands, the type of work contract you have can play a large role in determining how high your mortgage will be?
How does a temporary (tijdelijk) contract affect my Dutch mortgage calculation?
Let’s say you’ve recently moved to the Netherlands and have started working here. When you are first employed in the Netherlands, your employer will typically offer you a temporary (tijdelijk) contract.
The type of work contract you have will also determine how high your Dutch mortgage can be. Image: Pexels
This means that you and your employer have agreed that you will work for them for a set period of time (this can be anywhere between six months and three years.)
If you want to apply for a mortgage, you may receive a lower mortgage calculation due to the fact that your source of income is not as stable as someone with a permanent contract — but this doesn’t mean getting a mortgage is impossible! To fix it you can:
Ask your employer to sign a letter of intent. This essentially claims that if your performance and the company remain the same, they intend on making you permanent once your temporary contract is up.
If your employer will not sign a letter of intent, the bank may also look at the last three years of your income to determine your borrowing power.
Warning: A letter of intent is not a legally binding document, just a show of good faith.
I am a ZZP’er, how will this affect my Dutch mortgage calculation?
It’s also still possible to get a mortgage when you are a ZZP’er (a.k.a, a freelancer.) While you do not have an employer to sign a letter of intent for you, you can still have the bank take a look at your last three years of income.
Based on the gross profit of your company, (i.e your profit including tax), the bank will decide whether or not to grant you a mortgage.
Haven’t been in business for three years? It’s not easy, but you still have a chance of getting a mortgage. The bank just has to have a lot of faith in your profits!
How does having a permanent (vast) contract affect my mortgage calculation?
If you have a permanent contract, then congratulations! You don’t have to worry about being held back by your contract. When a bank sees that you have a vast contract, they will determine your income as stable — that’s a big thumbs up when it comes to applying for a mortgage.
Whether or not you have any debt
However, even if you enjoy the stability of a permanent contract, another important factor in determining your potential mortgage is whether or not you have any debt.
Do you have debt? This will affect your Dutch mortgage. Image: Barriolo82/Depositphotos
Just how harshly this will influence your mortgage calculation, depends on the type of debt that you have.
Student debt
Look, we hate to bring it up but we need to talk about it. The good news is that if you have student debt, you don’t need to worry about having your home-owning dreams smashed to pieces. In fact, of all the debts you could have, student debt has the lowest impact on your mortgage calculation.
If you have student debt and want to buy a house in the Netherlands, either 0.65% of your original student debt (before 2015) or 0.35% of your student debt (after 2015) will be deducted by your monthly borrowing potential.
For example: Let’s say you have €20,000 in student debt. When calculating your monthly mortgage, the bank will deduct €70 from your monthly borrowing power.
Consumer debt
When you have consumer debt, 2% of that debt will be removed from your monthly mortgage potential. This means that having consumer debt has a larger impact on your potential mortgage calculation than having student debt.
For example: if you have €20,000 in consumer debt, when calculating your monthly mortgage payment potential, €200 will be removed from the borrowing power.
If your parents are willing to lend you money
Fun fact: in the Netherlands, your parents can chip in to help you get a mortgage — and they can do it tax-free. This is, of course, only up to a certain point. As of January 2021, your parents can gift you as much as €105,302 towards a house without worrying about paying taxes on it.
Whether or not they are willing to actually be this generous, is up to your family — but it’s nice to know. 😉
Ready to crunch those numbers and find yourself a home? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
Yep, you read that right. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has a superyacht sitting in a Dutch shipyard near Rotterdam — and it’s as ridiculous as you think it is.
Apparently taking a joyride to space for funsies wasn’t enough for Bezos, he had to go and do more obnoxious rich people things — like commissioning an insanely large megaboat in the Netherlands. 🛥️
According to Architectural Digest, Bezo’s 127-metre vessel was chilling at a shipyard in Zwijndrecht (near Rotterdam). It’s headed to Alblasserdam, also near Rotterdam, for a final fitting.
The project began in 2018 with Dutch luxury shipyard Oceanco, under the name “Project 721”, reports Bezinga.
And obviously, being the second-richest person on the entire planet, his yacht cost $500 million whole smackeroos. Being low-key is definitely not his thing. 🙄
Bezos didn’t publicly say that the ship was his, but a Bloomberg report stated that he was indeed the owner of Project 721.
Not the only one
And if you think that this superyacht is excessive well guess what! He has yet another boat: a 74-metre long support ship with a helipad, water toys, jet skis, waterslides, surfboards, and more.
Apparently buying a boat for your boat is the new thing now in the superyachting world. Go off, I guess? 🙃
What do you think about Bezos commissioning a superyacht in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Pathé Tuschinski in the centre of Amsterdam isn’t just your regular cinema but a true picture palace — and now it’s fittingly called ‘royal’. 👑
Yesterday, the 100-year-old cinema celebrated its centenary with the King’s Commissioner, who awarded it the predicate as a sign of Tuschinski’s history and prestige, reports the NOS. Quite the gift!
Crash course in royal etiquette
You may be wondering, when exactly is a company Koninklijk (royal)?
In the Netherlands, a company can be awarded the predicate if it’s at least 100-years old and has prestige in terms of its nature, size, and reliability.
In addition, it must hold a prominent place in its field — not just within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but preferably also internationally. In short, the royal trifecta consists of history, grandeur, and fame. 💁♀️
Ultimately, if a company ticks all the regal boxes (and after a year of applications, processing, reviews, and some good old Dutch bureaucracy), it can be awarded the title after an anniversary by a multiple of 25 years. ✨
Royal Theater Tuschinski: the most beautiful cinema in the world
So, Pathé Tuschinski is now Royal Theater Tuschinski. However, when walking through the building’s unique architectural mix of Amsterdam School, Jugendstil, and Art Deco, you’ll be surprised it hasn’t been called so all along. 😍
The General Director of the Pathé cinema brand says he is “hugely proud” that Tuschinski is now a royal company.
“We consider the award of the designation to be a fantastic tribute to the work of founder Abraham Tuschinski and to the decades-long commitment of all employees to safeguard Tuschinski’s ideas,” he continues.
Though perhaps the most prestigious, the royal title isn’t the only thing Theater Tuschinski has been awarded this year. In February, it was also named the most beautiful cinema in the world by Time Out Magazine.
Have you visited the Royal Theater Tuschinski? What do you think of its new regal name?Tell us in the comments below!
The Netherlands is once again completely red on the coronavirus map — meaning that the country is now sitting at the second-highest warning level. Wat jammer (what a shame)!
The provinces of North Holland, North Brabant, Groningen, and Drenthe were, until yesterday, orange. However, they have now turned red due to a rapid increase in the number of positive coronavirus tests, RTL Nieuws reports.
What is the ECDC map?
The ECDC is the European counterpart of the RIVM. Every Thursday they publish a coronavirus map that evaluates the risk level of European countries by looking at the number and percentage of positive tests in the previous two calendar weeks.
The map has four colours: green, orange, red, and dark red — with green meaning safe and dark red being the highest warning level. 🚦
Implications for travel ✈️
Countries often decide on the basis of the map whether or not to tighten the rules for travellers from other countries.
That means as countries review the map, we could see greater travel restrictions placed on people coming from the Netherlands.
Some provinces to go dark red next week?
It’s likely that Gelderland and Overijssel could take it one step further and turn dark red next week.
Meanwhile, Zeeland (the least populated province in the Netherlands) has become the province with the fourth-highest infections in the country.
In the past two weeks, 382 out of every 100,000 Zeelanders have tested positive — almost 82% more than last week’s map showed. 😳
How is the rest of Europe looking?
In other European countries, the number of infections is also on the rise. Like the Netherlands, Germany has also turned fully red.
Wallonia: red to dark red
The Spanish Basque Country: orange to red
France: partly green to completely orange
Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: completely dark red
The warning colours for Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria are also slowly darkening.
What are your thoughts on the Netherlands going red on the European coronavirus map? Tell us in the comments below!
As of today, the EU Commission has decided to recognise the coronavirus certificates given by the United Kingdom and Armenia as equivalent to EU Digital COVID Certificates.
What does this mean?
It means less sweating in line when residents of these countries are queueing up to get inside any Dutch entertainment or catering establishments.
Under this new ruling, any internationals who have received a coronavirus certificate from the UK or Armenia should be able to access anywhere that someone with an EU certificate can — so much for the implications of Brexit, eh?
However, EU residents stand to benefit from this new decision too. Seeing as the EU is now accepting certificates from these countries, anyone with an EU COVID Certificate should also be granted access to establishments in the UK and Armenia.
Join the club
In fact, UK and Armenian internationals in the Netherlands may not be the only ones who see life become a little bit easier.
The European Commission is happy to see other non-EU countries take this step. “We are open to other countries to join our system,” says Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.
Have you been affected by having an international certificate? Tell us in the comments below!
The past year and a half have been weird, but clearly, we haven’t seen it all yet — the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is investigating a valid QR code in the name of….. Adolf Hitler (say what!?).
Within the ministry, there is concern about how this QR code was created (and with good reason we’d say), and what measures should be taken to combat this form of fraud, RTL Nieuws reports.
The code was originally distributed on a well-known hacker forum where the cybercriminal offers his services, and RTL Nieuws managed to make contact with him. He told the outlet that he’s able to make a QR code with any name of his choice. He then sells them on for €300 — a crime that is punishable by law.
Who’s behind this?
Well, a cyber-criminal. 🙃
Hitler’s code was created and distributed by a cyber-criminal to show that he could create any QR code he wanted. According to said cyber-villain, he made some of them in France and Poland. These European codes are also valid in the Netherlands.
Possible scenarios
The Ministry of Health thinks it’s possible that this scammer could be a rogue employee of the French or German health department who’s creating these codes.
Another — and more frightening possibility — that the ministry is considering is that the private keys for the French and Polish QR codes have been stolen, meaning that all the QR codes from these countries would need to be reissued. Thankfully, there’s currently no evidence that the Dutch secret keys for QR codes have been infiltrated.
Fraud in the Netherlands
Nevertheless, there has also been QR code fraud in the Netherlands with more and more providers of false coronavirus vaccination and test certificates — and several members of the GGD have been suspended because of their possible involvement. “Apparently there is a market for this,” said a spokesperson from the GGD…. Who would’ve thought? 🙅♂️
What are your thoughts on Adolf Hitler’s fake QR code? Tell us in the comments below!
Finding a place to live in the Netherlands is no joke. The Dutch housing shortage makes itperhaps the biggest challenge of moving to the Netherlands and months of unfruitful search leaves people, well, a tad bit desperate.
Unfortunately, scammers are well-aware of that — and not shy to target internationals.
With fake advertisements, outrageous deposits, and false IDs they extort thousands of euros from international students, expats, and even Dutchies.
It’s such as big problem that, earlier this month, the Public Prosecution Service and the Fraud Helpdesk began a campaign to warn people against housing scams, reports the NOS.
Helpdesk often not involved with internationals
The Dutch Fraud Helpdesk, which helps victims of housing fraud navigate the unfortunate situation, receives about 200 reports a year. However, they suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg — many cases aren’t even reported.
Especially international cases are likely to be excluded from the Helpdesk’s numbers. “They probably don’t know where to find us,” a spokesperson says.
It seems that internationals in particular are victims of rental fraud and that indeed we’re also more vulnerable to it. Moving to a different country can be overwhelming and you want a place to live — so is it really surprising?
Having to, for example, organise your housing from abroad makes it difficult to verify the identity of your potential landlord but luckily there are a number of red flags to look out for when navigating the Dutch renting market.
What’s your experience with the Dutch rental market? And have you ever been in contact with the Fraud Helpdesk? Tell us in the comments below!
Moving to the Netherlands likely has meant that you’ve had to find new connections — with the people around you, the Dutch culture, and yourself.
But, during the time that you’ve lived here (be it a day or decades), have you ever paused to think about how you create and maintain those connections?
We sat down at Bar Lokaal (one of our favourite cafés in Leiden!) to have a chat with Luca Grasso about Nonviolent communication, coaching, and human connection. You know, all those deep thoughts that come when you’re a fresh international in the Netherlands — or just any human trying to live your best life in this day and age.
Introducing Luca, an international coach in Leiden
Originally hailing from Italy, Luca has now been living in the Netherlands for 20 years. As we strolled across the church square to the terrace, he told us how he spent his earlier career immersed in corporate life. However, once he became increasingly interested in the way people communicate with each other, corporate life seemed less meaningful to him.
That doesn’t mean he jumped ship from one job to the other. Rather, he gradually learned about Nonviolent communication (which we’ll chat more about later 😉) in order to improve his own relationships. And as he saw the results of its application, he wanted to share his tools with others.
So, Luca began giving courses and workshops to friends, became a certified coach and Nonviolent communication trainer and, ultimately, ditched corporate to found his coaching agency, UP!. 🙌
UP! is a coaching agency with a twist. Luca combines traditional coaching with Nonviolent communication training, making sure that it’s appropriate on a client to client basis.
What is Nonviolent communication?
The best interviews are filled with lots of laughter. Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied
Chatting to us on the terrace with a cup of hot tea in front of him, Luca told us that Nonviolent communication (NVC) is “a language of collaboration.”
He explains that it’s based on the principle that communication can unite us or divide us and that practising Nonviolent communication “allows human beings to have better, richer, relations with one another — relations through which they can empathise with each other rather than judging their own behaviours and actions.”
Sounds like we could all need some more of that!
How do you teach NVC?
After gaining a better understanding of what NVC is, we wanted to know more about how Luca works with it. UP! offers both coaching services (often interwoven with some NVC) as well as Nonviolent communication training — for individuals, couples, and groups.
He told us about the formalised NVC techniques for creating connections between people such as (actually) listening, paraphrasing, and making intentions clear to one another, but says “there is no clear roadmap and it takes time to create a connection.”
For example, in Luca’s experience of working with couples, people sometimes think they are already connected while, in reality, they aren’t really listening to each other. (Like when you tell your partner about your day and they are too caught up in their phones — reading DutchReview 😉).
“Sometimes it takes 10 weeks of nonviolent communication training for them even to see that there is a disconnect between them.” He says “they don’t realise that a disconnect has somehow sneaked into their relationship until they’ve experienced what connection truly looks like” and assures us that such experiences are completely normal when a couple is doing NVC training together.
Luca emphasises that rather than focusing on the “rights and wrongs” of the discussed situations, NVC is rooted in the raw facts of what happened: “It’s about using what happened to create an empathetic space where people can listen to each other’s feelings, without taking responsibility for the feelings of others,” he continues.
What makes UP! different from other coaching agencies?
Luca Grasso. Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied
“During the coaching, there is a relentless focus on self-empathy. I support the client in what’s essentially a careful research exercise into themselves and the narratives they tell about their life.”
Luca continues: “by flooding each session in an abundance of empathy, I encourage clients to be inquisitive about their relationship with themselves and others.” He clarifies that “empathy isn’t about pity but rather about researching the truth. It’s about taking responsibility for our own narrative and stepping up in order to change it if the narrative doesn’t serve us.”
Essentially, if you want to change your life, you need to take action and stop making excuses for yourself (or others).
Sitting and chatting with Luca on a rainy day (which could be any day in the Netherlands, to be honest) clearly showed his abundance of empathy. Certainly brightening our day, his easy smile and insightful thoughts made us curious to learn more about nonviolent communication ourselves…So, naturally, we bombarded him with questions. 🙈
One thing that struck us about UP! is that Luca doesn’t adhere to traditional coaching categories such as “life coach”, “career coach”, etc. He explains that oftentimes “when we make categories out of peoples’ challenges, we simplify them.”
So, to avoid dismissing the multifacetedness of peoples’ experiences and their understanding of life, Luca takes a more person-centred approach to coaching. He finds that focusing on empathy for oneself and others is what really gets to the core of what makes people seek out coaching in the first place.
He shared that “in many instances, once we get to the root of what is bothering people, it boils down to — not one’s career or health — but the connection with oneself and others and how we take responsibility for our own emotions and reactions.”
How does UP! help internationals in the Netherlands?
Just as Luca doesn’t believe it’s beneficial to categorise his coaching practice, he doesn’t differentiate between internationals and Dutch folks. He explains that “people’s distress and challenges are common across all cultures. Creating culture-based distinctions can often lead to superficial, and thus inaccurate, explanations for our feelings.”
So, to cultivate the responsibility that is crucial in coaching, Luca works with the way peoplefeel. There are enough boxes and labels in the world anyway, right? 💁♀️
That said, there are some common themes he encounters when working with clients. Namely, indecisiveness and a sense of guilt. And if you winced when reading those, we feel ya — they are uncomfortable topics but also familiar to many of us.
Finally, what is one tip you would give to internationals in the Netherlands who are considering completing a coaching or NVC program?
Getting ready to head back out into the rainy Dutch weather, we asked Luca if he had any tips for people who want to embark on a Nonviolent communication or coaching journey. He smiled and said: “Ask yourself: Are you ready to explore? Because it takes commitment, curiosity, and a good dose of playfulness.”
If you are indeed ready to explore (and live near Leidse Hout) then Luca has a workshop about Nonviolent communication coming up on November 14 that you don’t want to miss!
Connect with Luca! If you’re interested in beginning your own inwards journey, or just want to hear more about the UP!, coaching, and nonviolent communication, contact Luca.
What’s your experience of finding connection in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
Does swooshing through low-pressure tubes, powered by an entirely electromagnetic propulsion system sound futuristic to you? Well, then the future just got one step closer!
Not only is that a lot of money but it also shows that the European Commission really believes the hyperloop could be the future of sustainable high-speed travel.
Hold on a second, what even is a hyperloop?
A hyperloop is the new public transport. Forget expensive and polluting flights. Forget slow but less-polluting trains. The hyperloop is an energy-efficient and CO2 neutral form of high-speed travel. 😎
Like almost any sci-fi movie you’ve ever watched about future cities, the hyperloop will transport you from A to B in an autonomous vehicle travelling at high speed through metal pipes.
The investment technically comes from the European Innovation Council, which has awarded funding to a number of companies that are leading the way with world-changing innovations.
However, it’s also a step towards realising the European Green Deal — and hence the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 🙌
The co-founder of Hardt, Tim Houter, says the support from Brussels “will help to accelerate the development of a European hyperloop network, bringing us much closer to significant CO2 savings. European cities will be connected smarter, faster and cheaper.”
Of course, it also has a snazzy and sleek interior. Image: Hyperloop Development Foundation/Plomp/Supplied
Groningen will soon be home to the European Hyperloop Center
The €15 million will also be noticed in Groningen where a so-called Hyperloop Centre is on its way. There, a test facility will prove the hyperloop’s advantages in action.
Importantly, the Groningen test facility is due to demonstrate lane-switching for high-speed hyperloop in 2023. And while lane-switching may not sound revolutionary, it’s the key to a hyperloop network in Europe that’ll take you on vacation in France (or wherever) without any intermediary stops. Pretty neat, honestly.
What do you think of a European hyperloop network? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: Hyperloop Development Foundation/Plomp/Supplied
