After debating coronavirus measures in the Dutch parliament yesterday, Mark Rutte announced today that we may not see any relaxations in the Netherlands until May.
There will be a Catshuis meeting next weekend where the infection rate and hospital figures will be reviewed. If the R rate has not dropped enough the opening of terraces and shops may be shifted once again, reports the NOS.
He told the NOS that “we’re really not going to do irresponsible things.” According to Rutte, the Dutch cabinet is reviewing the hospital figures week by week and “if April 28 is not possible, it will be May 3 or 6. Otherwise, the next date will be May 13.”
Are you surprised by this update in the roadmap? Let us know in the comments!
The Dutch love saving money and won’t say no to a good deal — so a giant webshop accidentally giving out thousands of vouchers feels like a second (third?) Christmas.
Now, thousands of fortunate and quick-fingered individuals can save money on their next purchase from Bol.com after the company mistakenly shared a voucher worth €15 online.
While Bol.com never intended to share this voucher with users in the Netherlands, the lucky people who got hold of it can keep it, reports RTL Nieuws.
“The voucher was only intended for French-speaking Belgians. But due to an error, the ad accidentally came online in the Netherlands,” a spokesperson said. The company hasn’t said whether it was a technical error or a human error.
Thousands of vouchers
The company also won’t disclose how many people managed to get the voucher. However, more than 49,000 have seen the ad according to data from Facebook.
The voucher was online for hours, Facebook users state. “I saw so many reactions. I wouldn’t be surprised if thousands or tens of thousands of people claimed it,” says Facebook user Deborah.
If you are now madly searching through the social media platform hoping to also save money on your next purchase, we’ll have to disappoint you. Bol.com has already taken the voucher off the internet. Better luck next time!
Were you one of the lucky people who got a €15 voucher on Bol.com? Tell us in the comments below!
Picture it, you’re lounging next to the crystal blue sea of an exotic Greek island. This could be a reality for Dutchies this summer, as Greece wants to remove mandatory quarantine for travellers from the Netherlands.
In fact, Greece wants to remove quarantine for all arrivals from EU countries. At the moment, anyone coming into the country has to quarantine for one week. This measure could be lifted as soon as next Monday, according to RTL Nieuws. So say hello to a summer of bronzing yourself of the beach!
Who else will get the green light?
Lucky travellers from the UK, Israel, the US, Serbia, and UEA will also soon be allowed to arrive in Greece without having to quarantine. Tourism is a huge source of revenue for Greece and authorities are keen to get the sector back up and running (yes please 🙏 ).
However, it’s not as simple as just hopping on a plane. Travellers have to prove that they have been vaccinated or provide a negative coronavirus test. The Greek authorities also want to start testing travellers on a random basis.
Travel advice from the Dutch government
Even if restrictions are lifted for travellers from the Netherlands, the Dutch government has advised residents not to travel abroad until at least May 15. It has also introduced a mandatory quarantine for travellers arriving in the Netherlands from high-risk countries.
Would you jump on a plane to Greece if there’s no quarantine? Let us know in the comments!
We’ve teamed up with the talented Vicent Mullenders to bring you, Leiden like you’ve never seen it before. So sit back and relax as you scroll through these dreamy drone pics of our hometown.
Vincent Mullenders’ awesome drone pictures of Leiden
If you’re a follower of our Facebook page or Instagram then there’s a good chance you’ve already seen some of Vincent’s amazing work. Vincent has been busy taking some jaw-dropping photos of the favourite student town in the Netherlands. But don’t take our word of it – check them out for yourselves!
Now onto the good stuff! Enjoy these majestic drone pictures of Leiden and feel extremely welcome to share them with your friends.
Some fab drone pictures of Leiden’s grand churches
The Burcht on a snowy day. Image: Vincent Mullenders/SuppliedAnd when it’s springtime. Image: Vincent Mullenders/SuppliedCafé Barrera! You might recognize this little part from the renowned movie ‘Soldier of Orange’. Image: Vincent Mullenders/Supplied
Stunning drone pictures of Leiden’s canals
The Grand Rapenburg. Image: Vincent Mullenders/Supplied
A windmill wrapped in the national flag. Must be the most Dutch picture ever! Image: Vincent Mullenders/SuppliedThe ‘Zijlpoort’ – A review of the Brasserie there is coming up real soon btw! And also, is that UFO or just another drone? Image: Vincent Mullenders/Supplied
That’s it, folks! Hope you enjoyed these awesome drone pictures of Leiden!
Did you enjoy these stunning pics of Leiden? Got any suggestions of where else in the Netherlands deserves a photo report? Let us know in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2017, and was fully updated in April 2021 for your reading pleasure.
Feature Image: Vincent Mullenders/Supplied
The Dutch government is introducing a mandatory quarantine for people travelling to the Netherlands from high-risk countries.
The measure is expected to come into effect as of May 15. The cabinet will make the decision tomorrow, insider sources from The Hague claim.
The Dutch government already urges travellers coming from high-risk areas to quarantine for 10 days immediately after returning to the Netherlands. Despite those appeals, many travellers don’t self-quarantine.
A fine of 95 euros
As of May 15, self-quarantine after arrival to the Netherlands from a high-risk country (code orange or code red) will become obligatory and a fine will be charged in the case of violation, reports the NOS.
The exact amount of the fine is to be determined by the Public Prosecution Service, but it will most likely be €95 — the same fine that applies to other coronavirus offences.
Shortening quarantine period
Self-isolation should last for 10 days. However, it is possible to get tested for coronavirus on day five. If the test result is negative, the individual can end the quarantine sooner.
Anyone coming to the Netherlands will have to complete and submit a statement, which indicates where the quarantine period will be spent. The quarantine obligation will apply to travellers arriving by all types of transportation.
Divorced? A freelancer? British? Not everyone has 10 years of payslips behind them. Here’s how you can get a mortgage in the Netherlands even when your situation classifies as “challenging.”
Tired of renting a house in the Netherlands for a gazillion euros and that mortgage-in-the-Netherlands-life is looking pretty sweet? In a 10/10 world, you would just pay a million euros cash for a snazzy Dutch home — but, like us, you probably don’t have that sort of money sitting in your bank account.
In a 9/10 world, you and your significant other would both have an indefinite contract, no debts or car payments to pay off, a Dutch passport, and an unending amount of financial wisdom to smoothly dance through the process of obtaining a mortgage in the Netherlands.
But you’re reading this article, so that’s obviously not you! That’s why we’re dedicating this space to those with challenging career statuses, migration issues, or passport concerns.
Getting a mortgage as a Brit after Brexit
What if you’re British and you’re trying to buy a house in the Netherlands in this post-Brexit world?
Numerous Brits and UK companies are jumping across the North Sea into a Dutch life, many of them also interested in buying a Dutch house (we guess we’re still cheap compared to London?).
But as with many of Brexit’s consequences, buying a house abroad also just got a tad bit more interesting.
How will Brexit affect applying for a mortgage in the Netherlands? Image: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
On December 31, 2020, the British people lost their EU citizenship overnight, some EU banks took the liberty of recognising a transition period and decided to still define UK citizens as EU citizens.
However, some banks didn’t do anything and said “we are going to treat you as a non-EU citizen.”
Why does this matter? Essentially, some banks don’t provide 100% mortgages to non-EU citizens, and this now includes Brits.
But if you’re a Brit in the Netherlands, don’t panic yet — with the help of a good mortgage advisor who knows all the banks and their requirements, they know which banks will still give 100% mortgages to British citizens. Just make sure you’ve applied for your Dutch residence permit first!
TIP: On your residence permit (ID card) it must include: Residence Document Withdrawal Agreement Art. 18. for you to be eligible to get a mortgage for 100% of the purchase price.
Now what happens if you’re not an EU-citizen, but are married to a Dutchie who is an EU-citizen?
Getting a mortgage as a “nationally mixed” couple
So you’ve moved to the Netherlands for love? Perhaps you’ve found the one, or perhaps you just want to be with a person who shamelessly puts hagelslag on their boterhammen.
If you’re an EU-citizen, good news: you’re basically Dutch in the bank’s eyes. However, if a member of your couple is not an EU-citizen, the amount you can get for your mortgage could be impacted. Here’s how:
When the EU citizen earns the most money
If the EU partner is also the partner with the highest income, there will be no consequences for your mortgage. The higher income is taken into account for 100% and the second income for 90% — just the same as with a Dutch/Dutch couple.
When the non-EU citizen earns the most money
Here’s where it gets tricky: if the non-EU citizen of the relationship also earns the most money, suddenly the entire mortgage is treated as a non-EU citizen mortgage. But don’t fret! This just means you’ll have more paperwork to fill out because the banks have to do their client due diligence.
Ultimately, all this information is considered on a case-by-case basis by banks. A good mortgage advisor can help you with this to make sure you can secure your mortgage.
If the non-EU citizen gets paid in a currency other than euros that can also affect your borrowing potential — but more on that below 😉.
Good to know: Currently a partner’s income (a.k.a the person making less) counts for only 90%. However, mortgage advisors predict that next year it will raise to 100%! It used to be even less than 90% before 2021 so if you had your last mortgage calculation a few years ago you may want to have it checked again!
Getting a Dutch mortgage when you’re paid in a foreign currency
How does applying for a mortgage work when you are earning a foreign currency?Image: LinkedIn Sales Solutions/Unsplash
What happens if your employer doesn’t pay you in euros? Can you still get a mortgage in the Netherlands then?
This is definitely possible, the only thing is that the amount you earn does not fully contribute toward the amount you can borrow.
What does this mean? Let’s break it down:
Emily lives in Amsterdam, but works remotely for a London marketing firm. She earns £100,000 (GBP) per year which, converted at today’s rate, equals about €117,000 (EUR).
But, the bank doesn’t know what exchange rates will do in the future. So, to be safe, they say that they’ll only take into account 90% of Emily’s income, which is €105,000. This number is what the bank will use to calculate Emily’s borrowing capacity.
While the bank accepts 90% of the income now, that number is rumoured to reduce to 85%, or 80%.
The good news is that this is all only the case if you’re about to make a certain amount with — say for example — a new job. If you have earned your income in a different currency before you came to the Netherlands then there is no diminished percentage.
This is because the bank can see that you’ve already made that amount in the past, so the bank can be confident of your earning potential.
Does the bank look at your old job? An old job is taken into account if the new job doesn’t offer a permanent position or the new employer doesn’t provide the letter of intent. In that case, you can flex the income based on the past earnings.
Oh and by the way, this is a percentage applicable to all currencies: no advantages for dollars over pounds, friends!
What happens with your mortgage situation when you get divorced?
A happily married couple bought an apartment in Amsterdam three years ago, but COVID-19 came. After a year of working/living/doing everything in the same abode, they decide they’re done and file for divorce. Happy freedom!
But not quite: they’re still left with the real-world implications of that split-up and whether they can buy a new house afterwards.
If you want to buy a new house after a separation, you need to first settle all the business you have with your ex-partner. It’s plausible that one person is staying in the house, and one wants to go. The bank will want to see, eventually, if the person that wants to stay can afford the mortgage.
On top of this, the person that is leaving can say “we bought this apartment three years ago for €400,000, but now it is worth €450,000. I want my share of the profit.”
This must be compensated by the person who is staying in the house. This can be financed by the bank, but that depends on whether the person who is staying can afford the additional amount or not.
Once the business of separation is settled, your mortgage advisor can go to the bank and discharge you as a mortgage debtor of the loan and as the owner of the house — meaning you are no longer responsible for the payment of the mortgage.
Now, comes the fun part: it’s time to go to your mortgage advisor and see what you can buy! Your mortgage advisor will discuss your needs, and calculate how much money you can borrow based on your financial situation. Once that’s sorted, it’s time to get on with your new single life!
Yes you can! It’s certainly possible to obtain a mortgage in the Netherlands as a freelancer. But this is a grown-up world so you know it isn’t all “rozengeur en maneschijn” (all fun and games).
Getting a mortgage is possible, but you need to show a little bit more paperwork which all depends on your unique situation:
ZZP’er in the Netherlands for at least three years
If you’ve been freelancing for three years, it’s easy: just show your last three years of income to the bank!
ZZP’er in the Netherlands for less than three years
If you’ve been a freelancer for less than three years, don’t stress — you can still qualify for a mortgage! There are a few extra steps to go through, but buying a Dutch home is far from impossible.
Here are just a few ways that you may be eligible to get a mortgage as a more recent Dutch ZZP’er:
Employees who switched to being a ZZP’er
Were you employed at a Dutch company, then made the switch to being a ZZP’er in the same line of work? Great! Your mortgage advisor can use the same income that you earned when you were employed. This acts as a track record of employment.
ZZP’ers with foreign income
For those who have a short history in the Netherlands but had the same line of work in a different country with a different currency, your bank can use the foreign income earned abroad as an “income history.”
ZZP’er with future prospects
If you’re a ZZP’er that used to do one career, but now has moved on to a different career, you’ll need to show at least one year of income, plus your future prospects.
Can you apply for a mortgage in the Netherlands if you are a freelancer? Image: Per Loov/Unsplash
For example, if you have a big assignment for the next six months that will guarantee you a good income, the bank may be willing to take this into account.
Ultimately, your mortgage advisor is there to argue a case for you. That means that even if a company is currently in the red, a mortgage advisor can still sometimes show why it’s a good idea to go ahead with an application.
TIP: As a freelancer, it helps if your business is registered here at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and not abroad
Ready to buy a house in the Netherlands in a non-standard situation?
There may be some conditions or extra paperwork involved when you’re not a standard mortgage applicant, but you may be surprised at how possible it is for you to get that mortgage!
On Tuesday, April 27, the Netherlands will be celebrating King’s Day: but very differently than usual. Social distancing rules lockdown and curfew will make the usual open air concerts, parades and street markets impossible. So what will King’s Day look like this year?
First things first: most of us know that King’s Day is called Koningsdag in Dutch, but last year it became punnily known as Woningsdag (house day). While I’m sure many of us would have been happy to see the back of this pun, it looks like this year will be our very own Woningsdag 2.0. Meaning, you guessed it, the majority of activities will be taking place indoors and online yet again.
In accordance with the current coronavirus restrictions, if you’re looking to get blackout drunk (as is tradition for many) then it will have to happen inside your own household with a maximum of one guest.
Take a festive stroll
Of course, you don’t have to spend the entire day indoors, you can always take a nice festive walk, hike, or even a stroll around the town! However, it’s best not to linger in public parks — if they aren’t already closed — as your 1.5-meter bubble will probably get popped.
Fear not, you can still enjoy the Vondelpark — not in person — but online! This year, a number of young Amsterdammers will perform various musical acts throughout the park. It sounds extremely wholesome so if you’re looking for some extra serotonin this King’s Day, then book yourself some tickets!
The royal family in Eindhoven
The royal family will spend the king’s birthday in Eindhoven this year. More specifically at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.
The visit will be streamed between 11 AM and 1 PM on NPO 1 and there will be a number of digital events that people can watch via koningsdageindhoven.nl — including a talk with the princesses!
Digital clothing markets
Normally, on King’s Day, people will line the streets selling their wares — but because of social distancing, of course, this year that won’t be possible. Like last year, this year will see the usual clothing markets move online.
If you’re looking to get rid of some items of clothing that, for example, no longer fit you due to those extra few pounds of quarantine weight (which are very much needed, food is our one constant comfort during these trying times!) then you can head online and join the King’s Day Flea Market on Marktplaats.
Online platforms such as Nextdoor will also be offering a digital dress market for those of us living in Amsterdam!
At least you can still satisfy your desire for random stuff other people don’t want (we’re all breathing a sigh of relief right now).
What are your King’s Day plans? Let us know in the comments below.
Trying to get yourself an appointment for a peruse around Primark? You may have found that it’s nearly impossible. People are starting to book appointments for the popular store in order to resell them online.
If you were hoping to go for a shop around Primark this weekend you’ll have to try again in a few weeks. All available time slots in Primarks across the Netherlands are fully booked for the coming weeks.
In particular, booking appointments for Primarks in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Zaandam, Almere, Hoofddorp, Eindhoven, Utrecht, Zoetermeer and Hilversum will prove to be impossible, RTL Nieuws reports.
Why is this? Sellers are booking appointments in bulk with the hope of selling them on for some mula. Unfortunately, it’s working.
Resold on social media
The treasured appointments are in high demand with many posting in Facebook groups looking for time slots. Sellers post in different groups or even on Marktplaats, where their tickets are quickly sold.
According to a study by RTL Nieuws, a special Facebook group has even been set up specifically for the sale of the appointments.
Unfortunately, the demand for the appointments has led to sellers asking for as high as €25 for a ticket — and people are paying it. One seller even went so far as to say “think of it as a festival ticket.”
Trouble booking new appointments
Every night at 12AM, Primark adds new time slots to its website. The slots are filled very quickly and the website often crashes.
One hopeful shopper tells RTL Nieuws that she has been trying to find a shopping appointment for two weeks. “I often don’t even visit the website at night because it crashes,” she says.
Will you be trying to visit Primark anytime soon? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Has the pandemic left you in despair and in need of a good scream? You just cannot stand those unpleasant nose swabs that feel like somebody’s poking your brain? Then this may be just what you need to hear.
Airlocked steel cabins, invented by the Dutch entrepreneur Peter van Wees, can find out whether you have coronavirus just by having you enter and shout or sing. Sounds like the perfect way to let your anger and frustration out, no?
An independent study found that these so-called “QuBAs” give the same result as a standard PCR test in nearly 95% of cases. This is a very high score, according to the RIVM.
More pleasant AND reliable?
The inventor says he’s “heppie de peppie” but not surprised. He thinks that the booths could be even more reliable than PCR tests, reports Trouw.
“Test subjects with a positive QuBA result but a negative PCR test emailed me days later to say they were infected anyway,” he adds.
The booths would be ideal for festivals, airports, or medium-sized cities. While one cabin costs 150,000 euros, in the long term, it could actually be cheaper than the many individual speed tests which are done at the moment.
However, it is still too early to use QuBas for non-commercial testing at the GGDs. What happens next is now up to the Dutch Ministry of Health.
What do you think? Would you like to see these screaming booths instead of nose swabs? Let us know in the comments below!
The Dutch have a strange relationship with food. It’s a constant struggle with eating well, in terms of nutrition, but also in terms of taste. The average Dutch kitchen is stocked with bread, and more bread. There’s milk, cheese and lots of cold cuts too. Potatoes are, of course, in abundance.
All this food goes well with a couple of hours of biking every day, but it doesn’t really go well with a food connoisseur.
In fact, you don’t have to be a food connoisseur to be disappointed with the Dutch offering: you just have to like ‘good’ food. Like my friend says, it is practical for the Dutch to grab a quick bite and sure, sometimes it is.
But, I refuse to have bread three times a day.
Why not good food?
In the culture that I was raised and in the places I have travelled, good food is an essential part of life. It brings vibrancy and warmth, gets people together and is a labour of time and love.
Dutch fries are great and so are the croquettes, but sadly, deep-fried goodness isn’t enough to sustain your daily diet. Considering the Netherlands is one of the global suppliers of food, I would argue it’s essential to make food tempting, flavourful and a highlight of your stay in the Netherlands. I don’t know if I have the vote of the locals on this or not.
The Dutch relationship to food
When you spend some time in the Netherlands and you get to eat and mingle with the locals, you realize that food is not considered the topmost priority. Yes, an occasional stamppot is good, and some pizzas are ordered in after a night brimming with beer, but that is about it.
I firmly believe if all Dutch people were sent to prison or hospitalised they wouldn’t even struggle with the food offered to them. In fact, they would be delighted — more so because it will be free. They don’t really care about the taste (this is a massive generalisation on my part, but it’s the truth!) and they love freebies (who doesn’t), so double whammy!
I read online that it is truly ironic that despite being the largest traders in spice, Dutch food has anything but that. I have a different theory about this: when the Dutch started trading in spices, they were weighed in gold or were extremely expensive. You can’t expect them to make something that is just so expensive a part of their regular diet. The Dutch are not particularly famed for their willingness to spend money.
Food in the future
On a serious note, the Dutch relationship with food is ever-evolving. In recent decades, thanks to a massive influx of expats, the palate is tilting towards more flavourful food than ever before. There has been an increase in the number of new eateries offering a wide array of tastes and flavours from all parts of the world: think Lebanese, Turkish, Mediterranean, Asian, the list goes on.
You can now see that along with Turkish cuisine, like doner, which has been popular for some time here, there are many options available for the foodie to choose from. You can now get decent Thai food at various places, and the concept of food halls (foodhallen) has definitely broadened the horizons.
A walk down Markthal (the famous food hall in the centre of Rotterdam) or a visit to the Foodhallen in Amsterdam or The Hague offers diverse options from around the world. You can now see an accentuated flavour of the Middle East, India and the far east but also more regional cuisines like Scandinavian making it to the mainstream. There has been an increase in people coming from all over the world, and that is getting reflected in the local cuisine.
The most exciting part is that the global cuisine is expressing itself in local terms. The Dutch love their bread and these flavours from all over the world are using the popularity of the bread to their advantage.
There is now a broodje (sandwich) available in almost every cuisine. These broodjes are not only well-received but have also changed the local palate significantly. The Dutch are going from cold sandwiches with limited flavour options (a slice of cheese and cold cuts), to an international affair.
Vietnamese broodjes (such as the one you can grab from Mama Hongs in Rotterdam), Lebanese wraps (The Lebanese Sajeria in Amsterdam does particularly good ones), or Roti wraps (Rottiedam in Rotterdam) are popular among the international community and the locals alike.
If this continues, the reputation of the Netherlands will soon change from a boring food destination to a rather exciting one. Kudos to the people who are continuing with their passion for food in this bumpy terrain.
What’s your opinion on Dutch cuisine? Have you seen a change in the works? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature Image: Kaboompics.com/Pexels
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in February 2020, but was fully updated in April 2021 for your reading pleasure.
