The Dutchies’ interest in e-bikes leapt from a mere 6% of total bike sales in 2007 to 42% in 2019. 🚴♀️
By May 2020, this new purchase habit took an additional leap of 38% compared to the previous year, with Dutchies purchasing as many as 58,000 new e-bikes. 💰 This was the second-highest number of e-bikes purchased, with our neighbour, Germany, taking out the top spot.
Naturally, e-bikes don’t come cheap: the latest data shows that Dutch consumers are willing to spend as much as €2,000 to purchase an electric bicycle.
Of course, are we surprised? After all, the Dutch and their bikes made the Netherlands THE cycling country of the world where 22.8 million bicycles are shared by 17 million people! (and no helmets.) 😎
Two-wheeled benefits
The emerging e-biking subculture means good news. For Dutch commuters, e-bikes can improve how fast and easy their trips will be in the future, especially with transportation preferences changing now that more people want to avoid crowded public transport in light of the coronavirus crisis.
With almost 50% of employees who live within a radius of 7.5 kilometres of their work are still travelling by car, the environmental impact is a key consideration in this shift. More and more people may be open to making a switch from their non-bike transportation method towards an e-bike.
Additionally, the biking industry will also benefit from this retail shift. In 2019 alone, the Dutch bicycle retail industry recorded an annual turnover of approximately 1.36 million euros.
What are your transportation preferences? Tell us more in the comments below.
Dutch people are pointing the finger at their own countrymen for the outbreak of the corona crisis much more than residents in other European countries.
A survey by the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) found that 63% of Dutch people are blaming other negligent Dutchies for the poor Dutch response to the coronavirus crisis, RTL Nieuwsreports. 😱
In particular, they believe that the continued spread of the virus is due to people who didn’t follow the coronavirus rules. They also blamed people who travelled or came from abroad during the pandemic. ✈️
What about the Dutch government?
So what about the Dutch government — are they to blame for the pandemic? According to Dutchies, the answer is no. 🙅
While other European countries like France, Spain, and Poland blamed their government for the pandemic, the survey shows that three-quarters of Dutch people have confidence in the cabinet’s approach.
What do you think about Dutch people blaming other Dutchies for the pandemic? Let us know your thoughts below!
Talking about coronavirus in the Netherlands is so 2020 — this year’s hot topic has been the shocking Dutch summer.
In fact, we’re even questioning if we can call it summer because it feels like it never started. Our days have been populated primarily by grey skies, pouring rain, and cool breezes.
Our shorts, skirts, and dresses have remained neglected in the back of our wardrobes, waiting for the day they can see the sun. Dreams of plunging into canals, lakes, and beaches have been placed in a deep freeze. And with the news that meteorological summer ended this week, that just added insult to injury.
But hol’ up, was this summer actually echt bizarre? Nup! The Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) has confirmed that this summer was actually warmer than an average Dutch summer.
Okay, it was only warmer by 0.2 degrees, but still.
“Because we have had exceptionally warm and dry summers in the past three years, it may now look like a bad summer,” says NOS weather forecaster Willemijn Hoebert. “But if we look at the temperatures of the past thirty years, this summer has really just been an average Dutch summer.”
If you cast your minds back to June you may remember a smattering of warm days that filled us with hope for a great summer. Well, turns out these days contributed to June 2021 being the warmest June since records began in 1901.
In a case so typical of the Netherlands, the hottest June day and coldest June day were both put in the record books. On June 13, it was only 4.8 degrees overnight in Twente, but just four days later Hupsel in Gelderland recorded 34 degrees.
How did you find the Dutch summer weather this year? Tell us in the comments below!
The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from August 24 to August 31. The number of infections has stabilised.
Over the past week, the RIVM has reported17,575 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a slight increase compared to last week’s report of 17,315 infections.
In a stabilised state, the percentage of positive tests decreased slightly to 13.1% from 13.7% the week before.
Deaths
The number of patients who have died from COVID-19-related complications has decreased. This week, 43 people passed away, compared to 48 people the previous week.
Hospitalisations
Hospitalisations have also remained stable this week. The past week saw 415 new admissions to the nursing ward and 97 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 426 and 97 respectively.
The Netherlands scored as the second-best place to be based on containment, quality of healthcare, vaccination coverage, overall mortality rate, and progress toward restarting travel and easing border restrictions.
Calling it quits over measures
Not everyone agrees with the resilience ranking though. 👆 A lecturer from the University of Amsterdam quit over the relaxed Covid-19 measures which he perceived to be irresponsible.
For literature lecturer Matt Cornell, the relaxed measures and self-testing done by staff and students are not enough, in his eyes, to keep the pandemic situation at bay.
The GGD’s report that an estimated 20% of young people in the Netherlands do not want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus due to their fear of needles. With schools and universities resuming soon, these numbers are worrisome.
Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and coronavirus updates.
Love film? Feel at home at the cinema? Or is it simply time to give Netflix a break? Good news, dear reader: the 13th edition of the Leiden Shortsinternational film festivalis taking place from September, 2-5 in Kijkhuis, Leiden.
The Leiden Shorts international film festival is a hugely popular annual event. Don’t believe us? This year alone, the team received 1,458 films from 85 different countries. 😱 Of these, 118 were selected and organised within thematically linked sessions — all for your viewing pleasure.
If fascinating films alone wasn’t enough for you, there’ll be a number of mentally stimulating and extremely socially relevant discussions happening around Leiden.
But first, what is Leiden Shorts anyway?
Founded in 2009, Leiden International Short Film Experience (LISFE) was created by five cinema-loving expats with a purpose — pretty cool, huh? In collaboration with national and international filmmakers, the festival “aims to create a conversation that has far-reaching impacts and can be sustained outside of the festival.”
The founders “believe in cinema as a tool for social change” and through this festival “want to become an outspoken figure in both Leiden and the Netherlands cultural scene.”
Rooted: Dutch Multicultural Society
This year’s theme aims to reflect upon 2020 (what a year) and how social and environmental emergencies worldwide have increased and/or worsened pre-existing issues such as inequality, discrimination and fear of “the other.”
However, (less depressingly! 😅) the festival will also attempt to explore our future society with a positive and hopeful approach.
Doe Normaal (being like everyone else is just plain boring.) 🕺 Anthropocene (is human nature one with nature?) 🌳 Human Capital (what’s the value of human labour?) 🔨 man /’man| n: (what does it mean to be a man?) 👨🦳 Reframing Desire (let’s talk about sex.) 👩❤️💋👨
Curious about what else will be going on? The additional events are as follows:
Bound to Space (free online exhibition)
This digital exhibition aims at tackling debates about race, religion, and polarization in Dutch society through the eyes of five artists and their work, as well as interviews led by academic researchers who reflect on the intersection of abstract concepts and artistic practices.
Have you ever wondered about the struggles and achievements of different grassroots movements in the Netherlands? On September 3, from 6 PM to 8.30 PM at the Leiden University Academy Building you can find out more about this fascinating topic.
Black Lives Matter protest, Amsterdam, 2020. Image: Korantin Grall/Unsplash
Multi-Media Makers (panel discussion)
This event will explore new trends in the Dutch media landscape through the work of three young multimedia creators. The panel will touch on various fascinating subjects, such as “journalism in the “Gen Z” era, institutions vs. grassroots organisations, gentrification, music and social justice.”
As well as diving into the processes occurring “behind the scenes” of the media we consume, the panellists will also discuss the “responsibility connected to the narratives that are being promoted.”
The talk will take place on September 4, from 11 AM to 1.30 PM in Leiden University’s Lipsius Building, and costs €3.50 to attend.
Envisioning New Institutions (panel discussion)
During this panel discussion, which will be held on September 4, from 2.30 PM to 5 PM at the Lakenhal Museum, Afrispectives will explore and envision new institutions in the Netherlands in light of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
They’ll dive into topics, such as how “Black imagination means recognizing and looking beyond the shaped reality we live in, by envisioning a present and future that centres black healing, joy, love and dreams.”
De Animatiebus (workshop)
This is one for the kids. In this creative and inspiring workshop organized with De Animatiebus, kids (in age or in spirit) will create an animation film from start to finish. (Pretty cool, right!?) This year’s animations will be about multiculturalism.
This event will take place on September 4-5, at 11.30 AM at Marktsteeg 10, and will cost €3.50.
You may be looking at this article and wondering why you need to worry about third-party insurance on top of all the other things that have been thrown your way this corona ridden year.
But perhaps of all the years, 2020 is the year make sure you’ve taken out third-party insurance. Not to jinx anyone, but let me just say it would be in keeping with the theme of the year if one of your morning commutes was to involve you driving into your neighbor’s expensive garden gnome.
If the fear of rear-ending an expensive object is one of the many things that keeps you up at night this year, well then this is the article for you.
What is third-party insurance?
So, what is third-party insurance? Put simply, third-party insurance is insurance that you take out if you own any sort of vehicle, be that a car, a motorbike or a moped. It is mandatory to take out.
The insurance is meant to cover any damage you might do to the belongings or the bodies of other people while driving. It’s important to note that the insurance doesn’t cover your vehicle, but the vehicle that you have caused damage to.
But don’t worry, should your morning commute end with you getting rear-ended by a fancy Mercedes, their third-party insurance should cover any damage done to your vehicle.
Third-party insurance is often confused with liability insurance in the Netherlands, because these two used to have the same name. Third-party insurance is called WA-Verzekering in Dutch, and is mandatory. Third-party insurance covers any damage you do to someone else’s car while driving. Liability insurance is called Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering (AVP), and is not mandatory (but encouraged). Liability insurance basically covers any damage you do in your everyday life to other people’s belongings, or their bodies.
Will everything be covered by third-party insurance?
In short, no. The coverage for third-party insurance depends on the policy that you take out. However, third-party insurance at its most basic is only meant to cover damage that has been done to the vehicle of the person you have crashed into.
This means that if you happen to crash into a sneaky wall or a discombobulated cow, no one is going to be paying you out (walls and cows do not have third-party insurance.)
This is why third-party insurance websites such as WA.nl suggest that you take out insurance policies that offer slightly more comprehensive cover. For example, you can find policies that will also cover you should your car explode or get struck by lightning (again, 2020 would be the year).
Is it mandatory?
Third-party insurance is mandatory in the Netherlands if you own a car, scooter or moped. In fact, your vehicle should be covered for third-party before you even leave the place from which you bought it.
This goes for internationals and Dutchies alike. So for any expats who dream of driving a bright pink moped along the autumnal canals of Amsterdam, take out third-party insurance first, then carry on living the dream.
The Dutch and insurance
Mandatory third-party insurance comes as no surprise in a country in which bikes, cars and mopeds can all be found on the same, unbarriered stretch of road. Liability insurance is probably also a good idea in this country. While you may roll your eyes at the idea of covering yourself for future damages you may cause, it’s actually quite a smart move.
Also, if you’re thinking that 2-3 insurances are good enough in this safe little country then you’re missing a very important part of the Dutch experience: living your life to the fullest without a thing to worry about because there is always an insurance coverage for every aspect of your life. The Dutch just love their insurances! A typical Dutch person would be contributing to the 6 or 7 types of insurance every month easily, sometimes going with double cover.
Am I covered internationally?
If you should decide to take the pink moped for a trip to the Italian countryside, then you need to understand that third-party insurance only covers you for the Netherlands. However, there are policies that can cover a Mr.Worldwide-on-a-pink-moped lifestyle.
Not to worry you any more than you already are this year, but maybe 2020 is the year to look at third-party insurance. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
As if finding a place to live in the Netherlands isn’t hard enough already, many Dutch landlords are breaking the law by forcing tenants with temporary rental contracts to pay rent for longer notice periods than are legal.
These landlords expect temporary tenants to pay a minimum rental term — usually of around six to twelve months — which is not a legal action. 🙅♀️
If a tenant in short-term accommodation wants to end their contract early, the landlords simply don’t allow it. 😤
According to an inventory by de Volkskrant, in whichover 300 tenants of temporary homes were surveyed, more than 100 people reported experiencing this unlawful practice.
Many temporary rent contracts are unlawful. Image: AndreyPopov/Depositphotos
How and why is this happening?
In 2016, a law was passed which allowed landlords to temporarily rent out homes for a period of 24 months.
This led to a boom in the short-term housing market and made it possible for homes that would previously only have been rented out for short periods (just a couple of weeks or months) to be rented out for indefinite periods.
In addition, many tenants are not aware of their own rights — mainly because of how complicated and confusing the laws surrounding rental periods and contracts are.
The laws even confuse some landlords, who are often not well-informed about the legislation surrounding the topic (what?!).
A tough housing market made tougher
The housing market is already highly competitive, expensive, and limited. Unfortunately, many people have no choice but to accept these dodgy, “temporary” contracts because there aren’t many affordable options available to people.
What do you think about this situation? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
In the latest numbers issued by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the tourism sector in the Netherlands is shown to contribute much less to the Dutch economy compared to 2019’s data. 📉
Tourism’s contribution to the overall Dutch economy took a sharp drop from 4.4% in 2019 to 2.4% in 2020, where both domestic and foreign tourists only spent 52 billion euros as shown in the latest data.
In describing this economic blow, chief Dutch economist Pieter Hein van Mulligen of CBS told RTL Nieuws that the situation is colossal. ⚠
But why?
Well, the coronavirus, obviously! The pandemic created chaos and exacerbated all these different reasons in an economical blender. On one hand, fewer overnight stays were booked in 2020 by domestic tourists.
As van Mulligen explains “The Dutch often went away for a day within the Netherlands, but often without an overnight stay. They also spent less than foreign tourists.” (Are we really surprised? 😆)
Coronavirus impacts
On the other hand, overall coronavirus restrictions also affected the numbers of both domestic and foreign visitors — a blow that can be most felt by Dutch travel agencies and booking websites, where a 68% decline is reported.
Coronavirus made planning impossible
Additionally, the fluctuating coronavirus measures of the past year and a half have made planning trips ahead a small nightmare — even for the most determined travellers among us. 🧳
Are you planning to travel anytime soon? Tell us more in the comments below.
When it comes to buying a house in the Netherlands, there are many steps that you may feel qualified to do by yourself: go to a viewing, find a potential property or even manage the bidding process!
But if there’s one thing that’s almost always necessary — it’s a mortgage advisor. Here’s why.
Is it compulsory that you have a mortgage advisor in the Netherlands?
Before we begin, let’s start by answering the all-important question. While it’s not technically compulsory that you have a mortgage advisor when you decide to buy a house in the Netherlands, there are very few people who have the necessary knowledge to complete the process without one.
In order to complete the mortgage process without getting help from a mortgage advisor, it is compulsory that you take a knowledge and experience test. If you pass this test by proving you have enough knowledge of how mortgages work, you can go ahead without an advisor — however, not many people have the necessary knowledge.
As a result, you will likely be required to seek the help of a mortgage advisor.
Firstly, your mortgage advisor will translate the paperwork involved in buying a house
Why do we say good luck? Well, if you’re reading this, you’re most likely an international. And if you’re an international, then it’s fair to assume that your Dutch may not be up for the challenge of translating Dutch mortgage paperwork.
Your mortgage advisor will take that mind-bending mortgage jargon and tongue-twisting Nederlands, and distil all that information into something digestible.
A mortgage advisor will help determine your borrowing power
If your Dutch is up to the standard of tackling tricky paperwork we salute you! But you also need to determine how much it is you can actually put down on a house.
If you’re a mathematical genius then we also congratulate you — (🙄) — but it truly is best to turn to a mortgage advisor when determining how much actual borrowing power you have. This is because there are a number of elements that will factor into the calculation of your mortgage, such as:
Your eligibility for a mortgage: For example, are you properly registered in the Netherlands? Do you have any required Visas etc.
Whether you have student debt: student loans will play a significant role in determining your mortgage. Even if you have plenty of savings, with student debt looming in the background, your borrowing power will be significantly reduced.
Your work contract: The banks like to know that you have the ability to meet your monthly payments — and what says stability like a permanent work contract? While of course, you don’t need a permanent contract to get a mortgage, it certainly helps.
Which bank you opt to go with: Mortgage advisors can often have a good rapport with certain banks. Choosing a bank that has a good relationship with your chosen advisors may lead to better interest rates.
They will mediate between you and your mortgage lender
Once you have decided who it is you want to lend your money from, a mortgage advisor will step in and use their expertise to mediate with the chosen lender. They will negotiate, for example, the interest rate at which you should pay your mortgage based on your situation.
Note: Mortgage advisors in the Netherlands usually cost between €2000 and €3000 for their services.
If you were doubting about soliciting the help of a mortgage advisor, it is worth considering that their skills may get you a better interest rate than if you had negotiated with the banks yourself — meaning you could actually save yourself money in the long run.
Your advisor can give you advice on which type of mortgage is best for you
Hands up if you thought getting a mortgage in the Netherlands was a lot more simple than it actually is. Turns out there are several types of mortgages that you can get in the Netherlands! While this could warrant an entire article in itself, your two main options are:
An annuity mortgage (Annuiteiten hypotheek)
With an annuity mortgage, you will pay the same amount over the whole period of the mortgage. In the beginning, this amount is mainly interest and only a small part of the loan. Gradually, this changes, so that at the end of the mortgage you will mainly repay your loan.
A linear mortgage (lineaire hypotheek)
With a linear mortgage, the amount of debt that you pay remains fixed every month. On top of the debt, you will also pay interest, which will be the highest at the beginning of the mortgage since you haven’t paid anything back yet. Costs are high at the beginning but they will gradually decrease.
Your mortgage advisor will lay out your options and use their expertise to advise on which type of mortgage is best for your situation. This is also one of the things Dutchies definitely need help with as well.
A mortgage advisor takes care of the hard stuff — so you can focus on the move! Image: Depositphotos
Your mortgage advisor can show you how to make the most of your mortgage
Once you have made it through the hard part — you’ve chosen and secured your mortgage — your mortgage advisor can continue to help you make the most of it. And YOU can pat yourself on the back! 👏
A mortgage is often more than just a mortgage. There are a number of benefits and ways to save money that you can organise through your mortgage advisor, such as:
The bouwdepot: A bouwdepot is essentially a loan that you can arrange with the help of your mortgage advisor. You can use it to fund the refurbishment or renovation of your house should you decide that, for example, you want a brand spanking new kitchen.
Refinancing your mortgage: Your mortgage advisor can also help you refinance your mortgage down the line if you decide that you want to avail of better interest rates at a different bank — they will also advise you as to whether or not this is actually a good move!
A mortgage advisor can be thought of as the midwife who helps with bringing your dream of homeownership into the world. While you may be able to go through the process without them, it certainly helps to have someone’s hand to squeeze and coach you through the tough parts — if that graphic analogy makes sense.
Have you worked with a mortgage advisor in the Netherlands before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
Dutch Princess Alexia is knee-deep into her first day at a brand-new school in Wales — and it is looking niiiice.
We all remember those first-day-of-school nerves, but we can imagine that as a princess heading off to boarding school for the first time in a whole new country, that could be a little more intense.
Princess Alexia will spend the next two years at United World College of the Atlantic (and, let’s be clear, it looks kinda amazing).
With Hogwarts vibes overflowing all over the place, the school is not only housed in an old castle but has had stacks of royal pupils, including Alexia’s father King Willem-Alexander.
While the school costs a casual €45,000 per year, it’s not reserved for the elite. Potential students have to successfully complete a number of assignments and impress at an interview. Naturally, most of the students are wealthy, but some also attend on scholarships.
While Alexia was attending the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague like her other two sisters, she made the decision to move to Wales for her last two years of secondary school and to complete her International Baccalaureate.
But if you’re getting real Richie Rich vibes (including the full mahogany desk with a personal fax machine), Alexia’s new school life appears more normal than you might think.
Alexia will share a room (gasp!) with not one, not two, but three other girls. She’ll also eat her meals with the other 350 students in the castle’s dining room. She has to take standard subjects, volunteer, learn social skills, and going to gym class is mandatory.
Would you attend this boarding school? Tell us in the comments below!
