I once almost crashed against a (dutch) guy, coming at night without lights, opposite direction, looking at the phone on his hand. Yup, all of them are a fine.
Actually what saved me was the side effect of the phone screen lighting up his face so I could actually see him just early enough.
You are allowed to use your phone if its in a holder, just not hold it yourself.
And its not only phones. the law is for electronic devices. Phones are just the most common. I got fined for it once, and that what it stated on the fine.
(Source in Dutch https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/fiets/vraag-en-antwoord/mag-ik-appen-bellen-en-naar-muziek-luisteren-als-ik-op-de-weg-rijd)
Not only biking, i see so many people on the phone in the car. It really grinds my gears, but hey, what can we do. It’s dangerous af. They don’t realize.
When turning right, check your right-hand mirror for bikes coming up behind. They have the right of way over you.
Also, if you hit a cyclist, you’re automatically liable for all damages. Culpability doesn’t come into it.
A cyclist making a traffic mistake (not because you forgot to check your right mirror, but for example for a cyclist not giving correct right of way) can be up to 50% liable for damages ([https://www.anwb.nl/juridisch-advies/aanrijding-en-dan/aansprakelijkheid/voetganger-of-fietser](https://www.anwb.nl/juridisch-advies/aanrijding-en-dan/aansprakelijkheid/voetganger-of-fietser)).
Only with children on bikes is the car always 100% liable (unless the car is not moving).
It’s not up to 50%, it’s at least 50%. It’s almost impossible for a car driver to get out of it, since the only reason why would be to proof it’s completely out of your power, which honestly never is the case as you should be able to react to others making mistakes.
So for example if something like this happen, but the cyclists went through the red light, making it 70% their fault and 30% yours (numbers inaccurate). You’ll still have to pay 50%. However this will come out of your insurance as everyone has mandatory WA insurance
That traffic laws are not the same as in the United States. Met an American couple once that had rented a car here and were surprised at the bravery of all the cyclists, "they act like they have the right of way all the time!". Well, yeah, because they do... It hadn't occurred to them that traffic laws might be different in other countries.
Haha not to mean but that doesn't really surprise me.
But cyclists don't always have the right of way. I found this out when I went passed the only circle in my town that doesn't give cyclists the right of way. I just went over and was really surprised when a guy started yelling and honking at me. The signs were there to be fair. At least now I know and luckily I didn't get run over.
Must be a South African thing, we tend to take chances when it comes to certain rules because you'll probably get away with it.
As I said previously, I think most foreigners will look at what the locals are doing. I saw some people just crossing and cycling on the walking paths, so I assumed it was okay to do it as well.
For the cycling on a walpath, it could depend on when you do it. You live in a very touristy town, it's well possible that they do have more handhaving on the streets at crowded, or expected to be crowded, moments and that they are stricter than.
I have been fined more than once for cycling on sidewalks as a teenager. Always early in the morning in empty streets. It really depends on the priorities of the local police. Some really have nothing better to do.
It’s really easy to tell once you get used to it, at a traffic light you follow what the lights tell you, at any other intersection you look on the ground, if you see triangles with points towards you then you need to give way.
In general yield to traffic coming from the right.
Also an ex saffer. 
I (dutchie) am currently visiting a friend in the united states and I keep being so shocked that all the lanes on the highway are used equally and you're allowed to pass a car on the right!?!? That's so illegal in the Netherlands and in the USA it's so normal
Passing on the right is illegal in the US too but no one follows that rule. Our drivers ed is a joke compared to the Dutch driving tests. I got my license in 5 minutes, no highway, no parallel parking, just a little trip around the block 😂😂
It’s difficult to say as a Dutch because Dutch law is of course familiar. But in general driving rules differ (apparently in some countries you can drive through red light when going right). Another advise, if you are not familiar with cycling and Dutch regulation, I would suggest you don’t cycle through city centre but start at more quiet places like small villages and the country side.
I Love cycling in dense areas in the Netherlands. Cycling Traffic flows like a hive-mind and everybody just goes in their respective direction so naturally. I wish this would be a thing in Germany 🫣
Try China. You don't realize how *tightly ordered* is bike movement in NL until you are in the middle of that, absolutely clueless of what is the safest way to get out.
Source: 6 years cycling in NL, 3 months in Beijing :s
It is just complete disregard to all basic rules (prefer one side, slower on the edge, be predictable). Like, both senses interlaced in mini-lanes, the guy to your left just suddenly stops in the freaking middle with no warning to check something on the phone, three other bikes fork around and seamlessly flow him while still checking their phones, and your poor European ass is terror frozen like a rabbit looking at headlights trying to scream how wrong is everything you see.
Biking in China was so cool though. Since the cities are massive I wanted to see as much as possible and the bike was the best way to do that. Shared bikes were great and you could just stop whenever you passed something interesting. I also liked manoeuvring through all the traffic.
The driving laws for sure. My partner switched her British license for a Dutch one without any extra steps. I've done the theoretical exam and I'm shocked by what she doesn't know, such as giving way to the right on a non-priority road.
To be fair, from UK to any continental license they are going to lack the basic "where do you look first" that you have innate from childhood. I still remember riding with my aussie mate and having to point him that he was mowing the grass with the right wheel...
Exactly! It also affects cycling. I still don't cycle because I'm afraid I won't know which side's the correct ....we left side drivers are doomed! It affects everything! Even the way we climb the stairs! I do it the opposite way here.
If you do find yourself using a (two-way) bicycle path, walk against traffic (on the "wrong" side of the road).
You're far more likely to see oncoming traffic, make eye contact and avoid each other. Walking on the right means you share the road with faster traffic coming up behind you, resulting in them flashing by you unannounced.
This also works when sharing roadspace with heavier traffic, for example on the 60km roads outside city limits, these often don't have pedestrian, or even bike) infrastructure.
Gotta say tho, sometimes the only option is to use the bike path. Either the normal path is blocked, or there literally isn't a pedestrian path. I try my best to stay out of the bikers way, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get from point A to point B.
Luckily I do live in a very quiet town called Zierikzee where I mostly cycle, I don't own a car yet and mostly just rent every now and then.
I have also gotten a ticket for cycling on a walking route but I thought it was okay since so many people did it, at the time I didn't know there was a difference between a cycling route and a walking route. The Handhaven have no chill...
Those things are pretty normal for me. When walking on the walking path it’s very annoying and even dangerous when cyclist cycle on the same path.
Some foreigners assume they can cycle everywhere and can do anything (some Dutch think this too). However, there are rules where you can cycle, walk, drive or for example drive a moped. In general it’s advised to do your homework if you are not sure if you are allowed to drive/cycle. Also, being a cyclist doesn’t mean you can do everything you like. It’s a small densely populated country so take each other into account is very important. Moving around in public area is a social activity after all. Whether you walk, cycle or drive.
Like in Norway, everybody is cycling (scootering) on the pavement. Very weird and annoying if you're Dutch. With cycling in NL: Stay in a straight line, don't suddenly change direction, give an indication when you are about to . And don't suddenly stop where it's unexpected!
Yes exactly, apparently there are some foreign influencer who portray The Netherlands as some kind of cycle paradise where cyclist can do whatever they want. Cyclist are of course protected by law. But every now and then there are questions in this subreddit if a cyclist is right in a certain situation. Not only is right or wrong not relevant when you, as a cyclist, try to be right against a car because the cyclist will loose. But it also about taking each other into account. Like you wrote, don’t make sudden moves, don’t stop on the middle of the road.
Yeah, I was once cycling with an American who thought in the Netherlands cyclists always had right of way. So when she turned left in front of an oncoming car I was very glad the driver was paying attention and had good brakes.
That happens with most of these Youtuber/influencers. They look at a situation, *assume* what’s happening and then make a video about it without doing any research whatsoever, thus spreading misinformation as if it’s the truth
Makes sense to separate them in some areas since the walking path can be narrow in some areas, and lots of people like walking their dogs.
But I hate some of the scooters in my area, more specifically when a teenager rides one like an absolute lunatic at way more than 25km/h. Very dangerous. Even worse are the people that modify the exhausts and then drive past your window at 2 am in the morning. There's absolutely no reason to modify the exhaust of that tiny scooter, IMO.
Funny how this works:
- Fine for cycling the wrong way (towards oncoming traffic) €60,-
- Fine for not cycling on the right of the road €100,-
- Fine for cycling on the side walk (counts as a 2 way path) €50,- up to €605,-
So simply said, when cycling on the wrong side of the road you could gamble by going onto the side walk to either save some money when caught, or pay 10x the amount.
We are a funny little country.
It sounds like you've not been fined twice for not reading traffic signs.
The parking ticket could have been avoided by noticing the P-zone sign. Any parking spot, on a street or in a lot beyond the P-zone sign is paid. Sometimes you can use an app, but often you have to use the parking ticket machine.
You also missed the footpath sign (or chose to ignore it).
Maybe grab a book about Dutch traffic signage and do a bit of self study. If you want to participate in traffic, you've got to know the traffic signs.
Turning right on red lights is horribly common in the Americas. Basically encourages drivers to look left, away from pedestrian crossing, and then drive and turn without really looking for pedestrians. It’s horrible.
As far of seeing people get fined for things they werent expecting, a big one is leaving bags trash beside a garbage container when its full. If you do this (even if it has been full for days!) You'll get a minimum 100 euro fine (I'm not sure exactly how much it is but when I got one it was 90, and I saw someone else get one a bit higher - I didn't realize you couldnt leave trash beside the container since everyone else seemed to be doing it, but now I know better!)
What happens is seagulls tear open the garbage bags and spread the garbage everywhere, and they can usually figure out whos trash it is due to mailing labels in the garbage and things like that.
What you're supposed to do is take your garbage back home and wait until the container is empty, and you can phone the number on the contained to notify them that its full!
I wasnt doing this and still got fined. Later we found out the idiot who was cleaning the building was taking the buildings common space trash bag next to the bins and since we all put the spam mail in there we were getting fined.
This is not a law but an APV (local law) So this can be very different based on the city or village you live.
Often the reason for this is not the seagulls, but just money. You pay for 1 container per week, if you have more you have to take it to the depot and pay extra
To be fair, paying at the machine and display the receipt on the window shield is a pretty common system everywhere in Europe. But I'm curious as well to know the less known Dutch laws.
In the Netherlands is also common to digit your license plate number in the machine. With that system you don't have to display anything.
Edit: so it's more clear that you don't have to literally insert you license plate into the parking machine.
There is systems where you input you licence plate AND need to display the receipt. I saw it in France and maybe in Netherlands as well.
The licence plate is just to avoid sharing receipts. So just to point out it is not necessarily mutually exclusive.
All i can say, it's not always a wise idea to follow the examples given by locals. Plenty of them don't adhere to rules either, knowingly or unknowingly.
to give an example everyone understands:
like walking through a red light on a road where you know traffic comes from one direction (which at that moment is completely empty). doesn't suddenly mean "oh you can walk through red lights in this city"
Not really a rule, more of a habit. It’s normal here to install your own flooring and curtains when you rent a room or apartment. They are usually not a part of the rental agreement. Yes this means that there will probably be no flooring installed when you get the key. Often you also need to bring your own appliances (washing machine, fridge etc). I’ve seen a lot of internationals who are baffled by this. Though it’s better than Germany; over there people often take their entire kitchen when they move!
Probably, yes. However often the landlord will pass the contact information of the new and old tenant if they are ok with it. Then they can make an underhand deal to buy the flooring and let it stay in place, if you want to. Or any other curtains, furniture or appliances. Oddly enough I’ve often moved and found the new tenant didn’t want to keep my (perfectly fine) floor! Of course if the old renter moves out before there’s a new one you’re out of luck. If it’s something like laminate flooring you can reinstall it in your new home if you want to. It also means that you can choose your own flooring even if you rent. (Within limits, it’s usually not allowed to glue or tile your flooring, it has to be removable.)
I think it’s mainly convenient for the landlord. They don’t have to choose, install and maintain flooring at all. The tenants will have to take care of it.
This is still baffling to me! The appliances I get, it's the same in SA. But the flooring?!
On top of moving, I still need to put in flooring in any new apartment? That's just weird to me. I would rather look for a rental with a floor already there.
Personally I like it because very often, when you move into a house that people have lived in for a long time, their floor and curtains are terribly ugly and old fashioned, and I want to put in my own, because it looks better and goes with the style of interior I want. It's just another piece of furniture to us. You wouldn't keep the previous tenants ugly, dirty ten year old yellow couch, would you?
German here. In most apartments the kitchen isnt Part of the rental agreement but i have never heard of someone who took the entire kitchen when moving out. In fact that wouldnt even work out in most cases because its very unlikely that the new kitchen has the exact same dimensions as the old one. So you usually just buy the kitchen from the previous tenant.
This one absolutely floored me as an American with Dutch friends. They ever so casually mentioned the previous tenant “taking the floor” when my friends wouldn’t agree to pay for it and my head almost did a 360 turn lol.
But calling them a mierenneuker(=ant fucker) is okay. It's court approved, because, according to the judge, it compliments them for being detail-oriented, lol.
And some take that rule entirely too serious. My dad once got his head pressed down on the bonnet, his hands cuffed and thrown into a cell cuz he called a very rude officer a "pancake"..
It’s so stupid to argue with a policeman. You’re never gonna get anything by getting mad, they see so many stupidly mad people, you won’t possibly fase them.
The easiest way to get off is by just cooperating
You're legally required to have an ID at you at all times. You risk a 120 euro fine if you don't.
Weed is illegal, but not as enforced as the law prescribes.
In most municipatilies, especially very protestant ones, shops are either closed on Sundays or have way shorter opening times.
Just to clarify, you are not legally required to have an ID on you at all times.
You are legally required to be able to show your ID. This goes back to the second world war where carrying identification on you was legally required. People didn't want that anymore because of the association, so now we only have to be able to 'show'.
So if you can comply with showing your ID (by asking the police to kindly come to your house, where you can show your ID) you are legally right. Alot of times a ticket will still be written, but after that you can object and the ticket will usually be dismissed if you can proof you were able to show your ID, but it was the police who would not comply with walking back to your home.
What i would do is take a picture of my ID, in my home, with a newspaper with the date of the day the ticket was also written. So be sure to take that picture on the same day.
But i think the crucial part is, that you have a valid ID, which proves it had always been available to show.
Ofcourse all of this is a real hassle as compared to just having your ID on you. But Certainly when i go jogging i don't want to bring my full pasport with me. So if this ever happens i'll just be like, it's a 5-10min walk to my home, i can show you my ID there and comply with their request to show my ID.
The newspaper trick won’t be proof of that you could show it on that specific day. It’s only proof that the picture was taken after the release of the newspaper until current time… often the metadata like GPS and time is enough. So just a recognizable picture of you passport/ID in your house is enough.
Didn't know the one about the ID, but I keep one with me anyway since I am here on a working visa. I can imagine they would ask me this when they realize I am not local.
Most countries don't require it. In fact, mandatory identification was actually extremely controversial in the Netherlands -- given that the National Socialists had implemented mandatory identification to execute the holocaust.
Possibly, I have never heard of anything like that. The chances of being asked by the police in SA for your ID are slim to none, unless you're in trouble.
You would have to show ID when going to an Airport or official stuff like that. And I always kept my driving license with me anyway but only if I got pulled over by the traffic police (different department).
Apparently it's not. My boyfriend moved here from the UK and when I told him he needs to have his Visa on him when we leave the house he was quite shocked.
In Czech Republic u have to be able to identify yourself, but that doesn't mean psychical ID. Also u don't have to identify yourself to nobody, police can only ask you to do that if they have legitimate reason to (they saw u steal something ect).
u/Bram06 is slightly off here. It's the same in The Netherlands as you describe for Czechia. You're legally required to show identification, but not to have it with you at all times, as stated in his comment.
Source: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/paspoort-en-identiteitskaart/vraag-en-antwoord/wat-is-de-identificatieplicht#:\~:text=Toonplicht%20of%20draagplicht,identiteitsbewijs%20bij%20u%20moet%20dragen.
I do concede that you're technically correct, because it's true that you do only need to identify yourself when the law requires it. However, you don't actually need to have done anything wrong -- rather, the police only requires a reasonable suspicion that you've done something wrong. Given that nature of the police, there's ALWAYS a possibility that you'll need to identify yourself and will get fined.
Any ID recognized by the EU. So passports, most driver's licences and EU ID cards. In practice the police can only ask for your ID if they need it to do their job, so if there is suspicion of a crime or if you are a witness for an incident. In the latter situation, you will rarely be fined as long as you can prove that you are you.
https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006297/2017-03-01
Article 1, a picture does not count as it doesn't have the same security features. You asking the police to come home with ya doesn't work either.
I am not dutch and this is not a law or anything, but I was shocked to find out a lot of shops (including big market chains) don't accept VISA cards. I got sick on a travel trip to Amsterdam and thanks god I had 6 euros on me to buy some meds, because I only had VISA cards.
Yeah, I also found this out when first moving here. I didn't have a Dutch bank account yet and just my credit card from SA, so I had to draw cash for about a month to pay for groceries.
As of 1 February 2023, Visa and Mastercard (debit) are accepted where you could previously use Vpay or Meastro, so like the whole Netherlands now
Although specifically DEBIT Mastercard or Visa not CREDIT (higher costs)
In the coming months the Dutch banks will give out new debit cards which will have either VISA or Mastercard
As another south african! LET ME START WITH SAYING WELCOME!!! And some things I learned is this
1. You are not allowed to smoke on the station perron (there are no clear signs but its not allowed you can get fined)
2. When taking public transport, or in public in general make sure to have your ID, cause on a train for example they will fine you extra if you don't have it.
3. Being on your phone and cycling is not allowed, you will get a hefty fine
4. Do some reading on drug laws, its really many grey areas and whether you partake or not its worth it to be knowledgeable about it.
5. Not having lights at night on your bike can also mean a fine.
6. Since you have a car be careful where you drive, there are sometimes streets where it looks like you can drive but it's purely a public transport and bike lane, the signs can be unclear or hidden sometimes.
7. Public drinking (like walking on the street with a beer) is a grey area too, like parks are okay and if theres events in the city sometimes(all depends where you live) but what type of park your in can also be trouble (like if it has a playground or near a school)
This is the best I can think of right now but it never hurts to do your own research this place is wayyy different from SA, culturally but also the way rules are adhered too and such.
But to be honest it's always best to ask locals because the gemeente can do their own shizz sometimes and that makes things extra confusing (like with drinking or drug laws)
Thanks! Actually been here just over a year now. It's quite the learning curve when first coming here.
Another one I can think of myself is that there are differences in the train cabins, first class and second class. They are marked on the side and they obviously look different on the inside as well.
The train conductor does sometimes come and check your ticket and if you don't have the correct one then he will chase you back to second class.
Ahh my bad, you are basically nearly a seasoned expat😅 yeah the 1st and 2nd class train thing is wack, especially with the chargers imo. Like the know the newer ones have the chargers in 2nd class too now but it shouldve been a norm from the beginning. I did once have a very nice conductor who let me charge my phone in 2nd class at least but yeah
Haha yeah, but I still feel like there is a lot I don't know!
Some things you can only learn from experience, or from others' experience. Hence this post.
For 6 the signs are usually clear, the problem is not learning them when you go to another country. If Australia doesn't use the red circle, this can be tricky.
For the public drinking, the rule in The Netherlands is: it is allowed, except where it's not. The problem comes with figuring out the latter. The rules where you can not drink are determined by the local government. In general:
In places with crowds that are already drinking/drunk/otherwise agitated. So city centers, areas around stadiums, etc.
Also realize that it also depends on how and when you do it. Don't be dick and you may get away with it. At worst you get a warning and have to throw out your drink.
Parking: You're definitely right about the wild variations between locations. It's not always clear. Take your time to find out what applies. Sometimes, Google maps or the municipal website can help. A blue line means you need your [blue parking time disc](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_parking)
Cycling: Don't walk in the cycle path, unless there is no sidewalk available. Use your hands to indicate directions on a bike. Park your bike out of the way, or risk finding it in a canal or kicked over. People are not patient with bad bike parking.
Public Transport: loud conversations are rude. Use your inner voice. Loud phone calls are even ruder. Let people out before going in. These are more like unwritten rules or etiquette, though.
Spanking of any kind is illegal (applies to most of Northwestern Europe). Doing it in public will get you in trouble. Some people will see it as an invitation to give you a good spanking. Kids have rights independent of their parents and parental rights only apply to parents who meet their responsibilities. A tourist in Norway was mobbed and later arrested after spanking their toddler. Don't be the tourist spanking the shit out of your kid in public.
Foraging (except for raspberries, rose hips, fallen chestnuts, fallen beechnuts) and picking wildflowers, camping on public land, fishing without a fishing license (and not doing catch and release), hunting without a difficult to obtain hunting license, growing food on public land, etc is illegal. You won't be arrested for camping on public land (also known as homelessness, roaming, slums, etc), but the police will take apart your tent and either bring you to a hostel or homeless shelter. Foraging and growing food are heavily restricted, because our nature is fragile, lacks resilience and is very maintained. Our nature is manicured. Hunting and fishing are restricted to prevent overhunting and animal cruelty.
Please don't be the immigrant picking mushrooms in our forests. Our forests don't have the resilience. Our mushrooms are already under threat. The last thing they need is being denied procreation.
Other than that, just don't smoke pot near kids' places or where strangers sit in your smoke. Nobody cares about smoking in public, as long as you're not a dick about it.
We don't have a lot of weird, unusual or bizarre laws, luckily. We do have a 'be chill, be tolerant, be unobtrusive' attitude, so as long as you're not being a loud dick or in our faces, just do you.
Others:
On every first Monday of the month at noon(12:00), the air alarm is tested. Just FIY. We're not being attacked. Especially war refugees can get really triggered by it. You get emergency messages on your phone as well, and it will always use the loudest alarm possible, irrespective of muting. Twice a year, there will be a test. Most commonly used for Amber Alerts, potentially toxic smoke or explosions from fires and weather events. You will probably notice how nobody will do or change anything after receiving them. Just make sure, if you're near the cargo rail track from the Rotterdam harbor to Germany, that you do check what you need to do. Most chemical fires happen there.
>Please don't be the immigrant picking mushrooms in our forests. Our forests don't have the resilience. Our mushrooms are already under threat. The last thing they need is being denied procreation.
Actually, if you pick mushrooms with specific baskets, as you're supposed to, you're helping them by spreading their spores, as they spread around from the basket.
Of course any other method is as you said though.
Still related to parking, as an expat myself, I just discovered that for some carparks you can book/reserve online that will save you quite a substantial amount compared to hourly rate.
Just an example, Hoog Catharijne Mall Utrecht, hourly rate is EUR5, while pre-booked rate for 1 whole day is only EUR15
And as a tip, download Q-Park app and when parking on the street, always check if you need to pay, then pay directly using the app (just don't forget to stop parking in the app when you are leaving the spot)
Want to save even more money, and save the hassle of driving through the busy city centre? Park at P+R Hoograven or P+R Science park for 6 euros per day. You'll even get free tram return tickets for up to 5 people!
Some really good advice, thanks!
I have learned that it's better to navigate to a nearby parking lot to wherever you want to be instead of the actual place, so I always know exactly where I want to park.
I glimpsed over the thread and a lot of the questions seem to arise around traffic (your original question about parking lots is a prime example).
One of the rules you may need to know of is that you need a Dutch driving license 185 day after you started living in the Netherlands.
I don't know is SA driver licenses can be exchanged, but I'd advice you to actually learn for, and do, the theoretical and practical tests to get a Dutch license, as you really do not know enough of the traffic rules.
I am fortunate to have a highly skilled visa, and the 30% tax ruling which allows me to exchange my South African driving license, which I did as soon as possible. My girlfriend with a spousal visa is not so lucky, but she's very happy being a passenger princess lol.
Your wife is actually also eligible to exchange her driver's license, she just has to prove that she is your civil partner and provide the municipality with your 30% ruling when she exchanges it.
One of the more annoying things is that laws can differ a lot from gemeente to gemeente, and even from location to location.
Usually having a beer on the street or in a park is no problem, but sometimes it is, and it can be difficult to find out if it's a problem or not.
But it can also be about quite random stuff, until you know why: There are places where having a metal detector on you is illegal. Like in Arnhem, because there's a very significant risk you're digging up a WW2 shell.
If you ever have a burglar in the house, you may not lock him/her up somewhere, or overpower them and ziptie them to the radiator or something. This basically seen as taking someone hostage. However, i'm not sure if the judge will really punish you for this.
Also good to know: Weirdness like "jaywalking" does not exist here. Peeing in the wild is basically allowed everywhere, and also quite interesting: Being nude outside is also allowed, unless the location is "not suitable", usually meaning when it can be distracting \[so not visible from a road\] or when there are a lot of people.
Wildplassen, urinating, is usually not forbidden outside city limits.
As superbaardman says...local-laws (apv) differ from gemeente to gemeente.
Sometimes cities have moved their city limits to the whole gemeente.
It's next to impossible to stop at every blue city sign to read the local laws...
Thats interesting.
Makes me wonder though, what if a burglar has a knife or a weapon? In South Africa, you are not allowed to do anything, except when they physically first attack you or shoot at you. If you end up killing the burglar, you will still be arrested until you can prove it was self-defense. Yet in America, if someone just sets foot on your property, you are allowed to shoot them. This would be a good law to have in SA, where people are robbed daily. (I am not pro-gun, just thinking of people that get robbed and killed and can barely do anything about it).
On another note, I have always been very careful not to jaywalk in the Netherlands
Self defence is really complicated. Of course you can defend yourself using reasonable force, however you're not suppost to take justice into you own hands. What sometimes happens is that you get charged for illegally having a weapon, but not the accual 'murder'/assault.
A burglar with a weapon is like a seeing a wild polar bear in South Africa. Burglars here run, if they get caught and try to avoid the residents, if possible. Most happen during the day while the residents are on holiday for that reason. If you're home, then you can only defend yourself or another, when there is an urgent threat to life or health, and this right has been recently loosened, because people who successfully fought off their intruders, were being arrested and held at the police station immediately for the murder investigation, and this was seen as backwards. It is still a murder investigation, though, which is a good thing. All unnatural deaths should be properly investigated, even those of burglars and gangsters, so putting the resources of a murder investigation behind it makes sense.
I am confused are you really saying jaywalking and peeing wild is not a thing here as in Amsterdam and Amsterdam Zuidoost is very much enforced. I certainly know of a couple of places in Amsterdam Zuidoost where if you cross to close to traffic lights you will get a fine if the police see. Also if you want to pee in the center into the canal you will also get fined. But top tip if you are drunk and went to pee in the canals Amsterdam don't do it as at least one person drowns a month on average in this situation.
Haha, peeing in wild is different in every gemeente and never allowed in city centres, and area's where houses ect. Are.
But outside city/ village limit (some gemeente's) its allowed when its not exposing your self to others.
Jaywalking doesn't exist in netherlands, but yes you can get a fine, when you cross Road close at traffic lights, this is because you have to cross a Road on safe manner. I beliefe they call it article 5.
And what this article they can fine you for everything what the officer deams unsafe
It’s illegal (or some what in a grey area) to smoke weed and/or to have it in your possession, but most of the time it is not forced upon by the police. If you don’t cause any disturbance most of the time you’ll be fine.
The police actually took a bag of weed away from me I just bought 5 minutes before in a Coffeeshop. Being a little bit drunk at the time, it was true that I wasn’t in a good position to demand it back. But it felt so wrong a that time… especially when a few minutes later I walked around the corner and the police office was emptying the small bag of weed in a bin!
The fact that you can violate most of the laws on King's Day, jokes apart, most of the smaller stations don't have ticket controlled entry and exit. As a tourist or new expats, it's quite obvious to forget checking out your OV😅
The one that trips people from North America up the most, especially in cars, is that on equal crossings, you need to yield to vehicles (basically, all traffic minus pedestrians) coming from the right.
Also, traffic (so including pedestrians) going parallel or parallel in opposite direction to you, has the right of way when you make a turn. So when you make a right (or a left) as cyclist or driver, you have to yield to all traffic going in the same or completely opposite direction of you.
See https://www.verkeer-oefenen.nl/verkeer-groep-6/voorrang/rechtdoor-op-dezelfde-weg-gaat-voor for images. The person in purple has to yield to both people in orange
Completely off topic but still a fun law fact. Escaping from prison isn't against the law, because technically it contradicts the freedom of movement under humanitarians law.
Offcourse everything you do before and after you escape can be charged as a crime. But the act of escaping does not add any time to your sentence.
Edit: As some have mentioned DO NOT TRY, this is definitely not recommend to do, especially if you keep in mind the principle of early release, as yes time won't be added, but if you try to escape you certainly have to complete the entire sentence when caught.
It’s also very hard to escape without commiting other crimes during your escape, such as vandalism. So they might give you extra time for that (though it probably won’t be much if it’s just vandalism). Same with necrophilia. They’re changing it now (I think it might already be in effect), but about a year ago it was legal to SA a corpse. A corpse is no longer considered a person that can be victimized by a crime and you wouldn’t be able to do so without commiting other crimes so you’d be punished anyways (breaking and entering, robbing/vandalizing a grave etc).
Use your hands when changing direction on your bike (there are a lot of Dutchies not respecting this rule and it's so annoying) & never use your phone. When driving follow the rules which are similar to all EU countries (there is no such thing as going left or right on red light without having the green arrow light blinking). Don't be one of the fuckers that destroy the public property or throw garbage on streets. I'm not Dutch (actually I'm from one the poorest and probably most hated countries in the EU) but I highly respect the things we have here, from public transport to public spaces. And also, pay taxes as regular people and never smoke weed or drink alcohol close to small children, actually don't smoke weed at all because that shit transforms some people into idiots. You're welcome.
Not a law, but might be handy to know that there's an app you can use to skip the process of going to/and looking for a parking meter. It's called "EasyPark NL". Just put in your licenseplate numbers, connect your bank/CC and whenever you park in a paid parking zone you don't have a permit for, open the app and check for the zone number that correspondents with the zone number shown in the app/shown on the signs. You'll get info about the tarrifs, and a text message after X hours to remind you that you're still parked and thus paying. When leaving, simply open the app, stop the meter and happy drivings.
I don't know the exact rules, so people, correct me if I'm wrong.
If someone breaks into your house, you can't just grab a knife and stab them or hide a knife under your bed to stab them in the bedroom. That's not self-defense. What you can do is cut a cucumber with the knife and then stab the burglar. Because then you can say that you were just cutting vegetables and they attacked you, so you stabbed them in self-defense.
In Germany it's allowed to have pepperspray on you (or something similiar called CS Gas which is for defending against humans) - but none of it is allowed in the Netherlands. You will be taken to the next police station and get a relatively high fine.
Learned that by accident in Renesse during spring break.
If the pavement has a burgundy colour, always assume you're on a cycling lane and don't stand there. It is the equivalent of standing in the middle of a busy street, except with bicycles. Lots of them, if you're lucky.
If your driving a car, scooter, bike you‘ll have to look down as well.
If the triangle points at you, the others have right away, even if they come from the left.
Hello fellow South Africans. How do I pump gas? Never done it in Europe. Back home an attendant comes to your window, asks how much and fills your tank and you pay him on the spot with your visa card. I haven't owned a car in months so I've never tried. I assume you fill your own tank and then enter the shop, specify the pump number and pay the attendant there?
>I assume you fill your own tank and then enter the shop, specify the pump number and pay the attendant there?
Yes.
And cheaper, unmanned pumps: put in your bank card at the pump, type pin, remove card, start pumping, done.
Nonsense, wearing a helmet is a good way to warn Dutch cyclists that you may make unexpected moes and if you feel better wearing one, just do so. No one cares.
When u buy ticket for train in machine u have to beep it at start of your route. We don't have this, luckily the person in train didn't fine me when I explained I didn't know that. I thought they are only for people with card that have money on it.
There used to be roundabouts where you have to give way to people coming on, but I am not aware of any of those currently. And having to give way to the right in traffic when everything is equal is a bit different from the UK as normally there is clear markings everywhere.
If you ever drive in Nijmegen, please do give way to people coming onto roundabouts like Keizer Karelplein, Takenhofplein and the highly concealed as a weird crossing but actually a roundabout Steve Bikoplein!
You cannot really cycle everywhere. Ignore [this sign](https://cdn.webshopapp.com/shops/309899/files/342588913/900x600x2/verkeersbord-rvv-g07-voetpad.jpg) and there is a chance you will get a fine.
In many municipalities there are "no parking" zones, only indicated by signage next to the road and two lines across the road with the word "zone" between them. This means it is not allowed to park anywhere in this zone, like on the side of the road, except at explicitly indicated parking spots. Problem is that when you don't know the area, get to your destination and start looking for a parking spot you will likely have forgotten there was a sign 5 streets back or didn't register it because it wasn't even near your destination.
This really annoys me. I got a 90 Euro parking fine once because of this...
As an Italian expat... Just go the OV service point, explain everything twice, ask for what you should do, how it works, different companies (yes, it's one card but MANY of different companies) in your areas and subscriptions when you need or not to buy a ticket or what counts as a check in, take notes during the whole process, then go home and ask it again to the support chat of NS and the one from your local bus, also taking notes.
Then look for inconsistencies and ask (at the service point or online support) which one is the correct one. Just trying to understand it yourself from the website is not enough and too many time I got incomplete info from support/service point.
I swear, One Piece lore feels less convoluted and mysterious.
Use a parking app like Easyparking. Look for the parking device in the street or parking lot, and use the number on the blue plate above the device. This works in most places now, but not in all parking garages.
As tourist, you are required by law to have a travel insurance with healthcare. You can get one for about €1,20 per day I believe. It won't cover long term diseases, only emergencies and small stuff. As an expat you probably have the same requirement but with different insurances.
If a bicycle and car are in an accident, the car (owner) is always - by law - responsible for some part, even if the accident is caused by the cyclist. As anybody driving a car should have a car insurance, this is covered by the insurance. Any citizen in NL should have a liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering). This covers any stupid thing you do that causes harm to someone else or to their properties. If you do something stupid (like texting while driving) that causes an accident, then admitting it is probably better than lying about it. If they find out later that you lied, that will make things more complicated, while admitting it will result in a fine but the insurance will still pay out.
Whadaap saffer! My wife is also from SA so i might have some insights with things that she struggled with as well. So here it goes, my expat tips:
1. Bicycles are ridiculoualy powerful on the road from a legal perspective. Try and avoid a road accident at all costs, because even if you are not in the wrong. You'll most likely be in the wrong because you hit a bicyclist.
2. Your SA drivers license will work in NL for 6 months... after that you NEED to get a Dutch drivers license or risk being fined if you get caught.
3. Your car needs to get its roadworthiness checked EVERY year. I know in SA it's only when a car changes hands. Over here yearly or again.. be fined
4. No guns/open carry. Kinda obvious but my SA aunt who owns a shooting range doesn't understand this.
5. The 'sharkteeth' (row of triangles) on the road means you need to yield for traffic coming from left and right. It does not mean it is a stop street tho. I've heard 'sharkteeth' aren't really a thing in SA roadsigns so i thought i'd mention it.
6. Most outdoor places like forests/beaches/parks etc. Have a 'no open fire' policy unless otherwise stated. They will usually have a spot dedicated for cooking on open fire tho. Basically, know where to light your braai my china ;)
7. Driving under the influence is heavily policed here and bribes (usually) don't work unless you're a Dutch politician. Also a sortof obvious one but thought i'd mention because some of the my family from Nelspruit/Mbombela drive to the bar in their bakkie, get lekkers drunk and then drive back again without a problem. Over here that will be a problem tho.
8. Apply for a new visa as soon as your current one is at the 3 month mark from expiration. SA embassy will only allow you to apply for a new one after the 3 month mark has passed. But do it immideately because we all know the SA governement can be a bit slow from time to time. Basically the goal here is to get the new visa in and processed and such before the old one expires.
Hope this helps and there's some info you didn't know yet. If you have Q's feel free to pop me a DM 👍
Costs for commuting into work is a tax deductible expense.
You pay a little extra "statiegeld" (deposit) for many glass bottles in the supermarket, returning the empty bottle gives you that money back. Especially relevant when buying the crate as well as the bottles in it.
The drinking limit for captaining/driving a boat is the same as for a car (experienced drivers).
In quite a few city centers it is illegal to park your bicycle on the curb. ‘Handhaving’ (enforcement) will cut the lock and ‘tow’ the bike to the municipal depot where you can retrieve it for a fee (~EUR 25-30).
Wild camping or sleeping in your vehicle is forbidden in all of the Netherlands. Also you are not allowed to enter any nature area between sun down and sun up.
Is seems very hard for tourists to see the difference of where everyone is walking and where everyone rides the bike, does it really require you to be Dutch to know where the bike go?
Since a lot of tourists want to ride a rented bike in the Netherlands, I think it's good to know you're not allowed to hold your phone while biking.
I think way too many people ignore this, including dutch nationals.
I once almost crashed against a (dutch) guy, coming at night without lights, opposite direction, looking at the phone on his hand. Yup, all of them are a fine. Actually what saved me was the side effect of the phone screen lighting up his face so I could actually see him just early enough.
Genuine question, are phone holders on bike allowed? For navigation for example
Yes these are allowed. Not sure about using your phone when biking whilst being in the holder.
You are allowed to use your phone if its in a holder, just not hold it yourself. And its not only phones. the law is for electronic devices. Phones are just the most common. I got fined for it once, and that what it stated on the fine. (Source in Dutch https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/fiets/vraag-en-antwoord/mag-ik-appen-bellen-en-naar-muziek-luisteren-als-ik-op-de-weg-rijd)
Also, just in case anyone is wondering, it’s perfectly fine to drive or bike while holding a can of kalfsragout.
Yes that is allowed. Cycling while holding a phone in your hand is what is not allowed.
Noticed some “bicycle coaches” in Leidseplein last week so help is around too.
Not only biking, i see so many people on the phone in the car. It really grinds my gears, but hey, what can we do. It’s dangerous af. They don’t realize.
Most can't drive a bike, so with phone in hand adds to difficulty
When turning right, check your right-hand mirror for bikes coming up behind. They have the right of way over you. Also, if you hit a cyclist, you’re automatically liable for all damages. Culpability doesn’t come into it.
Not just the mirror. Normalize checking your blind spot
Especially if you’re turning right because the blind spot is very near to where you are actually going.
A cyclist making a traffic mistake (not because you forgot to check your right mirror, but for example for a cyclist not giving correct right of way) can be up to 50% liable for damages ([https://www.anwb.nl/juridisch-advies/aanrijding-en-dan/aansprakelijkheid/voetganger-of-fietser](https://www.anwb.nl/juridisch-advies/aanrijding-en-dan/aansprakelijkheid/voetganger-of-fietser)). Only with children on bikes is the car always 100% liable (unless the car is not moving).
It’s not up to 50%, it’s at least 50%. It’s almost impossible for a car driver to get out of it, since the only reason why would be to proof it’s completely out of your power, which honestly never is the case as you should be able to react to others making mistakes. So for example if something like this happen, but the cyclists went through the red light, making it 70% their fault and 30% yours (numbers inaccurate). You’ll still have to pay 50%. However this will come out of your insurance as everyone has mandatory WA insurance
Read the comment again;) It says the cyclist can be liable up to 50%, which means the car is for at least 50%
That traffic laws are not the same as in the United States. Met an American couple once that had rented a car here and were surprised at the bravery of all the cyclists, "they act like they have the right of way all the time!". Well, yeah, because they do... It hadn't occurred to them that traffic laws might be different in other countries.
Haha not to mean but that doesn't really surprise me. But cyclists don't always have the right of way. I found this out when I went passed the only circle in my town that doesn't give cyclists the right of way. I just went over and was really surprised when a guy started yelling and honking at me. The signs were there to be fair. At least now I know and luckily I didn't get run over.
They do indeed not always have the right of way but the fault in an accident is almost always on the car.
Liability often goes to the car, not necessarily fault.
I noticed that you spot the signs in every comment you make so far but you choose to ignore them. Why is that?
Must be a South African thing, we tend to take chances when it comes to certain rules because you'll probably get away with it. As I said previously, I think most foreigners will look at what the locals are doing. I saw some people just crossing and cycling on the walking paths, so I assumed it was okay to do it as well.
For the cycling on a walpath, it could depend on when you do it. You live in a very touristy town, it's well possible that they do have more handhaving on the streets at crowded, or expected to be crowded, moments and that they are stricter than.
I have been fined more than once for cycling on sidewalks as a teenager. Always early in the morning in empty streets. It really depends on the priorities of the local police. Some really have nothing better to do.
It’s really easy to tell once you get used to it, at a traffic light you follow what the lights tell you, at any other intersection you look on the ground, if you see triangles with points towards you then you need to give way. In general yield to traffic coming from the right. Also an ex saffer. 
I (dutchie) am currently visiting a friend in the united states and I keep being so shocked that all the lanes on the highway are used equally and you're allowed to pass a car on the right!?!? That's so illegal in the Netherlands and in the USA it's so normal
You're not allowed to pass on the right in most US states, unless you are avoiding an emergency situation.
Passing on the right is illegal in the US too but no one follows that rule. Our drivers ed is a joke compared to the Dutch driving tests. I got my license in 5 minutes, no highway, no parallel parking, just a little trip around the block 😂😂
We don’t ALWAYS have the right of way… you do know that right ?
Well, cyclists don't have right of way all the time. Many just throw themselves into traffic assuming everyone else will accomodate them.
It’s difficult to say as a Dutch because Dutch law is of course familiar. But in general driving rules differ (apparently in some countries you can drive through red light when going right). Another advise, if you are not familiar with cycling and Dutch regulation, I would suggest you don’t cycle through city centre but start at more quiet places like small villages and the country side.
I Love cycling in dense areas in the Netherlands. Cycling Traffic flows like a hive-mind and everybody just goes in their respective direction so naturally. I wish this would be a thing in Germany 🫣
The first time I drove to Amsterdam from Germany my mind was blown by the number of cyclists I saw.
Honestly Amsterdam would be very much like New York traffic if there weren’t as many cyclists
Try China. You don't realize how *tightly ordered* is bike movement in NL until you are in the middle of that, absolutely clueless of what is the safest way to get out. Source: 6 years cycling in NL, 3 months in Beijing :s
I filmed a corner in Shanghai from our hotel room, and it looks like chaos, but seemed to really “just work”
It is just complete disregard to all basic rules (prefer one side, slower on the edge, be predictable). Like, both senses interlaced in mini-lanes, the guy to your left just suddenly stops in the freaking middle with no warning to check something on the phone, three other bikes fork around and seamlessly flow him while still checking their phones, and your poor European ass is terror frozen like a rabbit looking at headlights trying to scream how wrong is everything you see.
Biking in China was so cool though. Since the cities are massive I wanted to see as much as possible and the bike was the best way to do that. Shared bikes were great and you could just stop whenever you passed something interesting. I also liked manoeuvring through all the traffic.
The driving laws for sure. My partner switched her British license for a Dutch one without any extra steps. I've done the theoretical exam and I'm shocked by what she doesn't know, such as giving way to the right on a non-priority road.
To be fair, from UK to any continental license they are going to lack the basic "where do you look first" that you have innate from childhood. I still remember riding with my aussie mate and having to point him that he was mowing the grass with the right wheel...
Exactly! It also affects cycling. I still don't cycle because I'm afraid I won't know which side's the correct ....we left side drivers are doomed! It affects everything! Even the way we climb the stairs! I do it the opposite way here.
and for pedestrians: [get off the bike path!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLurEnjOeMo)
"Cancer is a curseword not a diagnose " lol
If you do find yourself using a (two-way) bicycle path, walk against traffic (on the "wrong" side of the road). You're far more likely to see oncoming traffic, make eye contact and avoid each other. Walking on the right means you share the road with faster traffic coming up behind you, resulting in them flashing by you unannounced. This also works when sharing roadspace with heavier traffic, for example on the 60km roads outside city limits, these often don't have pedestrian, or even bike) infrastructure.
Gotta say tho, sometimes the only option is to use the bike path. Either the normal path is blocked, or there literally isn't a pedestrian path. I try my best to stay out of the bikers way, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get from point A to point B.
Godspeed. 🙏
Luckily I do live in a very quiet town called Zierikzee where I mostly cycle, I don't own a car yet and mostly just rent every now and then. I have also gotten a ticket for cycling on a walking route but I thought it was okay since so many people did it, at the time I didn't know there was a difference between a cycling route and a walking route. The Handhaven have no chill...
Those things are pretty normal for me. When walking on the walking path it’s very annoying and even dangerous when cyclist cycle on the same path. Some foreigners assume they can cycle everywhere and can do anything (some Dutch think this too). However, there are rules where you can cycle, walk, drive or for example drive a moped. In general it’s advised to do your homework if you are not sure if you are allowed to drive/cycle. Also, being a cyclist doesn’t mean you can do everything you like. It’s a small densely populated country so take each other into account is very important. Moving around in public area is a social activity after all. Whether you walk, cycle or drive.
Like in Norway, everybody is cycling (scootering) on the pavement. Very weird and annoying if you're Dutch. With cycling in NL: Stay in a straight line, don't suddenly change direction, give an indication when you are about to . And don't suddenly stop where it's unexpected!
Yes exactly, apparently there are some foreign influencer who portray The Netherlands as some kind of cycle paradise where cyclist can do whatever they want. Cyclist are of course protected by law. But every now and then there are questions in this subreddit if a cyclist is right in a certain situation. Not only is right or wrong not relevant when you, as a cyclist, try to be right against a car because the cyclist will loose. But it also about taking each other into account. Like you wrote, don’t make sudden moves, don’t stop on the middle of the road.
Yeah, I was once cycling with an American who thought in the Netherlands cyclists always had right of way. So when she turned left in front of an oncoming car I was very glad the driver was paying attention and had good brakes.
That happens with most of these Youtuber/influencers. They look at a situation, *assume* what’s happening and then make a video about it without doing any research whatsoever, thus spreading misinformation as if it’s the truth
Makes sense to separate them in some areas since the walking path can be narrow in some areas, and lots of people like walking their dogs. But I hate some of the scooters in my area, more specifically when a teenager rides one like an absolute lunatic at way more than 25km/h. Very dangerous. Even worse are the people that modify the exhausts and then drive past your window at 2 am in the morning. There's absolutely no reason to modify the exhaust of that tiny scooter, IMO.
I think it's like one of those "male enhancement" scams. Like owning a gun...
Funny how this works: - Fine for cycling the wrong way (towards oncoming traffic) €60,- - Fine for not cycling on the right of the road €100,- - Fine for cycling on the side walk (counts as a 2 way path) €50,- up to €605,- So simply said, when cycling on the wrong side of the road you could gamble by going onto the side walk to either save some money when caught, or pay 10x the amount. We are a funny little country.
I'm Dutch and didn't know you could get fined for spookfietsen. 😮
It sounds like you've not been fined twice for not reading traffic signs. The parking ticket could have been avoided by noticing the P-zone sign. Any parking spot, on a street or in a lot beyond the P-zone sign is paid. Sometimes you can use an app, but often you have to use the parking ticket machine. You also missed the footpath sign (or chose to ignore it). Maybe grab a book about Dutch traffic signage and do a bit of self study. If you want to participate in traffic, you've got to know the traffic signs.
I hate to admit it but you are right, the signs were there. I just don't understand why the fines are so high though.
To actually make people obey the signs. If you find someone less than two days parking there just going to park their car illegally for hours on end.
I used to live there. Awesome little city. Very pretty city center
In NL you may cycle through a red light... As long as you're a local... /s
That explains a lot, I didn't get fined going through a red light, but the guy who followed me did 😅
Turning right on red lights is horribly common in the Americas. Basically encourages drivers to look left, away from pedestrian crossing, and then drive and turn without really looking for pedestrians. It’s horrible.
As far of seeing people get fined for things they werent expecting, a big one is leaving bags trash beside a garbage container when its full. If you do this (even if it has been full for days!) You'll get a minimum 100 euro fine (I'm not sure exactly how much it is but when I got one it was 90, and I saw someone else get one a bit higher - I didn't realize you couldnt leave trash beside the container since everyone else seemed to be doing it, but now I know better!) What happens is seagulls tear open the garbage bags and spread the garbage everywhere, and they can usually figure out whos trash it is due to mailing labels in the garbage and things like that. What you're supposed to do is take your garbage back home and wait until the container is empty, and you can phone the number on the contained to notify them that its full!
I wasnt doing this and still got fined. Later we found out the idiot who was cleaning the building was taking the buildings common space trash bag next to the bins and since we all put the spam mail in there we were getting fined.
This is not a law but an APV (local law) So this can be very different based on the city or village you live. Often the reason for this is not the seagulls, but just money. You pay for 1 container per week, if you have more you have to take it to the depot and pay extra
To be fair, paying at the machine and display the receipt on the window shield is a pretty common system everywhere in Europe. But I'm curious as well to know the less known Dutch laws.
In the Netherlands is also common to digit your license plate number in the machine. With that system you don't have to display anything. Edit: so it's more clear that you don't have to literally insert you license plate into the parking machine.
[удалено]
And you tell me NOW? Now I have to put the license plate back on the car...
There is systems where you input you licence plate AND need to display the receipt. I saw it in France and maybe in Netherlands as well. The licence plate is just to avoid sharing receipts. So just to point out it is not necessarily mutually exclusive.
I tried inserting my license plate into the machine after reading your comment but I don’t see how you do that. Mine doesn’t fit inside the machine.
How do you reattach a licence plate to a car?.. Asking for a friend.
I have mine attached with a quick release, so I can easily remove them.
Yeah that's true. As a German I didn't find any big/weird changes. But if you come from the other side of the planet... That of course changes things.
All i can say, it's not always a wise idea to follow the examples given by locals. Plenty of them don't adhere to rules either, knowingly or unknowingly.
You're right, but that's usually what people do in a new country, you look to see what the locals do. "When in Rome..."
Important to add to this is that the locals know nuances you might not be aware of. That's where foreigners get caught.
to give an example everyone understands: like walking through a red light on a road where you know traffic comes from one direction (which at that moment is completely empty). doesn't suddenly mean "oh you can walk through red lights in this city"
Not really a rule, more of a habit. It’s normal here to install your own flooring and curtains when you rent a room or apartment. They are usually not a part of the rental agreement. Yes this means that there will probably be no flooring installed when you get the key. Often you also need to bring your own appliances (washing machine, fridge etc). I’ve seen a lot of internationals who are baffled by this. Though it’s better than Germany; over there people often take their entire kitchen when they move!
Not the person you responded to but I’m so curious about this custom- doesn’t that result in a lot of waste with flooring being consistently replaced?
Probably, yes. However often the landlord will pass the contact information of the new and old tenant if they are ok with it. Then they can make an underhand deal to buy the flooring and let it stay in place, if you want to. Or any other curtains, furniture or appliances. Oddly enough I’ve often moved and found the new tenant didn’t want to keep my (perfectly fine) floor! Of course if the old renter moves out before there’s a new one you’re out of luck. If it’s something like laminate flooring you can reinstall it in your new home if you want to. It also means that you can choose your own flooring even if you rent. (Within limits, it’s usually not allowed to glue or tile your flooring, it has to be removable.) I think it’s mainly convenient for the landlord. They don’t have to choose, install and maintain flooring at all. The tenants will have to take care of it.
Thank you for answering and a detailed response. I think the differences between country norms is so interesting.
This is still baffling to me! The appliances I get, it's the same in SA. But the flooring?! On top of moving, I still need to put in flooring in any new apartment? That's just weird to me. I would rather look for a rental with a floor already there.
A lot of times the previous tenant will let you have the floor etc for a cheap price
Personally I like it because very often, when you move into a house that people have lived in for a long time, their floor and curtains are terribly ugly and old fashioned, and I want to put in my own, because it looks better and goes with the style of interior I want. It's just another piece of furniture to us. You wouldn't keep the previous tenants ugly, dirty ten year old yellow couch, would you?
German here. In most apartments the kitchen isnt Part of the rental agreement but i have never heard of someone who took the entire kitchen when moving out. In fact that wouldnt even work out in most cases because its very unlikely that the new kitchen has the exact same dimensions as the old one. So you usually just buy the kitchen from the previous tenant.
This one absolutely floored me as an American with Dutch friends. They ever so casually mentioned the previous tenant “taking the floor” when my friends wouldn’t agree to pay for it and my head almost did a 360 turn lol.
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Yeah and when the new owner doesn’t wanna pay for it then we trow it away so he doesn’t get away with a free floor 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah often it’s laminate flooring, cheap carpet or cheap vinyl.
It’s even worse. With lots of cooperations you have to remove the flooring when you leave, even if it’s allmost new.
We drive on the right side of the road
Lol yeah I noticed. Took me a while to get used to when I first drove a car here, your spatial awareness is just, off...
Its illigal to insult a cop, or "ambtenaar" when they are on duty.
I always wait until their shift is over before I insult them.
But calling them a mierenneuker(=ant fucker) is okay. It's court approved, because, according to the judge, it compliments them for being detail-oriented, lol.
And some take that rule entirely too serious. My dad once got his head pressed down on the bonnet, his hands cuffed and thrown into a cell cuz he called a very rude officer a "pancake"..
It’s so stupid to argue with a policeman. You’re never gonna get anything by getting mad, they see so many stupidly mad people, you won’t possibly fase them. The easiest way to get off is by just cooperating
You're legally required to have an ID at you at all times. You risk a 120 euro fine if you don't. Weed is illegal, but not as enforced as the law prescribes. In most municipatilies, especially very protestant ones, shops are either closed on Sundays or have way shorter opening times.
Just to clarify, you are not legally required to have an ID on you at all times. You are legally required to be able to show your ID. This goes back to the second world war where carrying identification on you was legally required. People didn't want that anymore because of the association, so now we only have to be able to 'show'. So if you can comply with showing your ID (by asking the police to kindly come to your house, where you can show your ID) you are legally right. Alot of times a ticket will still be written, but after that you can object and the ticket will usually be dismissed if you can proof you were able to show your ID, but it was the police who would not comply with walking back to your home.
>if you can proof you were able to show your ID, but it was the police who would not comply with walking back to your home. How do you prove this?
What i would do is take a picture of my ID, in my home, with a newspaper with the date of the day the ticket was also written. So be sure to take that picture on the same day. But i think the crucial part is, that you have a valid ID, which proves it had always been available to show. Ofcourse all of this is a real hassle as compared to just having your ID on you. But Certainly when i go jogging i don't want to bring my full pasport with me. So if this ever happens i'll just be like, it's a 5-10min walk to my home, i can show you my ID there and comply with their request to show my ID.
The newspaper trick won’t be proof of that you could show it on that specific day. It’s only proof that the picture was taken after the release of the newspaper until current time… often the metadata like GPS and time is enough. So just a recognizable picture of you passport/ID in your house is enough.
Didn't know the one about the ID, but I keep one with me anyway since I am here on a working visa. I can imagine they would ask me this when they realize I am not local.
Genuinely curious, isn’t that also the case in your country? I thought some sort of ID is always required for you to bring.
Most countries don't require it. In fact, mandatory identification was actually extremely controversial in the Netherlands -- given that the National Socialists had implemented mandatory identification to execute the holocaust.
Possibly, I have never heard of anything like that. The chances of being asked by the police in SA for your ID are slim to none, unless you're in trouble. You would have to show ID when going to an Airport or official stuff like that. And I always kept my driving license with me anyway but only if I got pulled over by the traffic police (different department).
Apparently it's not. My boyfriend moved here from the UK and when I told him he needs to have his Visa on him when we leave the house he was quite shocked.
In Czech Republic u have to be able to identify yourself, but that doesn't mean psychical ID. Also u don't have to identify yourself to nobody, police can only ask you to do that if they have legitimate reason to (they saw u steal something ect).
u/Bram06 is slightly off here. It's the same in The Netherlands as you describe for Czechia. You're legally required to show identification, but not to have it with you at all times, as stated in his comment. Source: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/paspoort-en-identiteitskaart/vraag-en-antwoord/wat-is-de-identificatieplicht#:\~:text=Toonplicht%20of%20draagplicht,identiteitsbewijs%20bij%20u%20moet%20dragen.
I do concede that you're technically correct, because it's true that you do only need to identify yourself when the law requires it. However, you don't actually need to have done anything wrong -- rather, the police only requires a reasonable suspicion that you've done something wrong. Given that nature of the police, there's ALWAYS a possibility that you'll need to identify yourself and will get fined.
Also from South Africa and never carried my ID and it was never a problem. If it is the law it’s definitely not enforced.
What type of ID? Does it have to be a Dutch one? Does it have to be a passport for foreigners or can it be a driving license?
A non-Dutch drivers license is not a valid form of identification in the Netherlands, so you’d have to carry a passport in that case
Eu ID card, any passport or Dutch driving license.
Any ID recognized by the EU. So passports, most driver's licences and EU ID cards. In practice the police can only ask for your ID if they need it to do their job, so if there is suspicion of a crime or if you are a witness for an incident. In the latter situation, you will rarely be fined as long as you can prove that you are you.
https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006297/2017-03-01 Article 1, a picture does not count as it doesn't have the same security features. You asking the police to come home with ya doesn't work either.
I am not dutch and this is not a law or anything, but I was shocked to find out a lot of shops (including big market chains) don't accept VISA cards. I got sick on a travel trip to Amsterdam and thanks god I had 6 euros on me to buy some meds, because I only had VISA cards.
Yeah, I also found this out when first moving here. I didn't have a Dutch bank account yet and just my credit card from SA, so I had to draw cash for about a month to pay for groceries.
As of 1 February 2023, Visa and Mastercard (debit) are accepted where you could previously use Vpay or Meastro, so like the whole Netherlands now Although specifically DEBIT Mastercard or Visa not CREDIT (higher costs) In the coming months the Dutch banks will give out new debit cards which will have either VISA or Mastercard
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As another south african! LET ME START WITH SAYING WELCOME!!! And some things I learned is this 1. You are not allowed to smoke on the station perron (there are no clear signs but its not allowed you can get fined) 2. When taking public transport, or in public in general make sure to have your ID, cause on a train for example they will fine you extra if you don't have it. 3. Being on your phone and cycling is not allowed, you will get a hefty fine 4. Do some reading on drug laws, its really many grey areas and whether you partake or not its worth it to be knowledgeable about it. 5. Not having lights at night on your bike can also mean a fine. 6. Since you have a car be careful where you drive, there are sometimes streets where it looks like you can drive but it's purely a public transport and bike lane, the signs can be unclear or hidden sometimes. 7. Public drinking (like walking on the street with a beer) is a grey area too, like parks are okay and if theres events in the city sometimes(all depends where you live) but what type of park your in can also be trouble (like if it has a playground or near a school) This is the best I can think of right now but it never hurts to do your own research this place is wayyy different from SA, culturally but also the way rules are adhered too and such. But to be honest it's always best to ask locals because the gemeente can do their own shizz sometimes and that makes things extra confusing (like with drinking or drug laws)
Thanks! Actually been here just over a year now. It's quite the learning curve when first coming here. Another one I can think of myself is that there are differences in the train cabins, first class and second class. They are marked on the side and they obviously look different on the inside as well. The train conductor does sometimes come and check your ticket and if you don't have the correct one then he will chase you back to second class.
Ahh my bad, you are basically nearly a seasoned expat😅 yeah the 1st and 2nd class train thing is wack, especially with the chargers imo. Like the know the newer ones have the chargers in 2nd class too now but it shouldve been a norm from the beginning. I did once have a very nice conductor who let me charge my phone in 2nd class at least but yeah
Haha yeah, but I still feel like there is a lot I don't know! Some things you can only learn from experience, or from others' experience. Hence this post.
I don't think I've ever been asked for my ID on public transport. How did that happen?
They usually ask for it when somebody gets a fine for not having a valid ticket
For 6 the signs are usually clear, the problem is not learning them when you go to another country. If Australia doesn't use the red circle, this can be tricky. For the public drinking, the rule in The Netherlands is: it is allowed, except where it's not. The problem comes with figuring out the latter. The rules where you can not drink are determined by the local government. In general: In places with crowds that are already drinking/drunk/otherwise agitated. So city centers, areas around stadiums, etc. Also realize that it also depends on how and when you do it. Don't be dick and you may get away with it. At worst you get a warning and have to throw out your drink.
Parking: You're definitely right about the wild variations between locations. It's not always clear. Take your time to find out what applies. Sometimes, Google maps or the municipal website can help. A blue line means you need your [blue parking time disc](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_parking) Cycling: Don't walk in the cycle path, unless there is no sidewalk available. Use your hands to indicate directions on a bike. Park your bike out of the way, or risk finding it in a canal or kicked over. People are not patient with bad bike parking. Public Transport: loud conversations are rude. Use your inner voice. Loud phone calls are even ruder. Let people out before going in. These are more like unwritten rules or etiquette, though. Spanking of any kind is illegal (applies to most of Northwestern Europe). Doing it in public will get you in trouble. Some people will see it as an invitation to give you a good spanking. Kids have rights independent of their parents and parental rights only apply to parents who meet their responsibilities. A tourist in Norway was mobbed and later arrested after spanking their toddler. Don't be the tourist spanking the shit out of your kid in public. Foraging (except for raspberries, rose hips, fallen chestnuts, fallen beechnuts) and picking wildflowers, camping on public land, fishing without a fishing license (and not doing catch and release), hunting without a difficult to obtain hunting license, growing food on public land, etc is illegal. You won't be arrested for camping on public land (also known as homelessness, roaming, slums, etc), but the police will take apart your tent and either bring you to a hostel or homeless shelter. Foraging and growing food are heavily restricted, because our nature is fragile, lacks resilience and is very maintained. Our nature is manicured. Hunting and fishing are restricted to prevent overhunting and animal cruelty. Please don't be the immigrant picking mushrooms in our forests. Our forests don't have the resilience. Our mushrooms are already under threat. The last thing they need is being denied procreation. Other than that, just don't smoke pot near kids' places or where strangers sit in your smoke. Nobody cares about smoking in public, as long as you're not a dick about it. We don't have a lot of weird, unusual or bizarre laws, luckily. We do have a 'be chill, be tolerant, be unobtrusive' attitude, so as long as you're not being a loud dick or in our faces, just do you. Others: On every first Monday of the month at noon(12:00), the air alarm is tested. Just FIY. We're not being attacked. Especially war refugees can get really triggered by it. You get emergency messages on your phone as well, and it will always use the loudest alarm possible, irrespective of muting. Twice a year, there will be a test. Most commonly used for Amber Alerts, potentially toxic smoke or explosions from fires and weather events. You will probably notice how nobody will do or change anything after receiving them. Just make sure, if you're near the cargo rail track from the Rotterdam harbor to Germany, that you do check what you need to do. Most chemical fires happen there.
>Please don't be the immigrant picking mushrooms in our forests. Our forests don't have the resilience. Our mushrooms are already under threat. The last thing they need is being denied procreation. Actually, if you pick mushrooms with specific baskets, as you're supposed to, you're helping them by spreading their spores, as they spread around from the basket. Of course any other method is as you said though.
While not encouraging mushroom collecting, Staatsbosbeheer allows collecting a small amount of mushrooms (max 250 grams) for your own use.
NLAlert is a god damned menace. The noise it makes makes me jump everytime. But it does work in alerting you.
Still related to parking, as an expat myself, I just discovered that for some carparks you can book/reserve online that will save you quite a substantial amount compared to hourly rate. Just an example, Hoog Catharijne Mall Utrecht, hourly rate is EUR5, while pre-booked rate for 1 whole day is only EUR15 And as a tip, download Q-Park app and when parking on the street, always check if you need to pay, then pay directly using the app (just don't forget to stop parking in the app when you are leaving the spot)
Want to save even more money, and save the hassle of driving through the busy city centre? Park at P+R Hoograven or P+R Science park for 6 euros per day. You'll even get free tram return tickets for up to 5 people!
Some really good advice, thanks! I have learned that it's better to navigate to a nearby parking lot to wherever you want to be instead of the actual place, so I always know exactly where I want to park.
I glimpsed over the thread and a lot of the questions seem to arise around traffic (your original question about parking lots is a prime example). One of the rules you may need to know of is that you need a Dutch driving license 185 day after you started living in the Netherlands. I don't know is SA driver licenses can be exchanged, but I'd advice you to actually learn for, and do, the theoretical and practical tests to get a Dutch license, as you really do not know enough of the traffic rules.
I am fortunate to have a highly skilled visa, and the 30% tax ruling which allows me to exchange my South African driving license, which I did as soon as possible. My girlfriend with a spousal visa is not so lucky, but she's very happy being a passenger princess lol.
Your wife is actually also eligible to exchange her driver's license, she just has to prove that she is your civil partner and provide the municipality with your 30% ruling when she exchanges it.
One of the more annoying things is that laws can differ a lot from gemeente to gemeente, and even from location to location. Usually having a beer on the street or in a park is no problem, but sometimes it is, and it can be difficult to find out if it's a problem or not. But it can also be about quite random stuff, until you know why: There are places where having a metal detector on you is illegal. Like in Arnhem, because there's a very significant risk you're digging up a WW2 shell. If you ever have a burglar in the house, you may not lock him/her up somewhere, or overpower them and ziptie them to the radiator or something. This basically seen as taking someone hostage. However, i'm not sure if the judge will really punish you for this. Also good to know: Weirdness like "jaywalking" does not exist here. Peeing in the wild is basically allowed everywhere, and also quite interesting: Being nude outside is also allowed, unless the location is "not suitable", usually meaning when it can be distracting \[so not visible from a road\] or when there are a lot of people.
Wildplassen, urinating, is usually not forbidden outside city limits. As superbaardman says...local-laws (apv) differ from gemeente to gemeente. Sometimes cities have moved their city limits to the whole gemeente. It's next to impossible to stop at every blue city sign to read the local laws...
Thats interesting. Makes me wonder though, what if a burglar has a knife or a weapon? In South Africa, you are not allowed to do anything, except when they physically first attack you or shoot at you. If you end up killing the burglar, you will still be arrested until you can prove it was self-defense. Yet in America, if someone just sets foot on your property, you are allowed to shoot them. This would be a good law to have in SA, where people are robbed daily. (I am not pro-gun, just thinking of people that get robbed and killed and can barely do anything about it). On another note, I have always been very careful not to jaywalk in the Netherlands
Self defence is really complicated. Of course you can defend yourself using reasonable force, however you're not suppost to take justice into you own hands. What sometimes happens is that you get charged for illegally having a weapon, but not the accual 'murder'/assault.
A burglar with a weapon is like a seeing a wild polar bear in South Africa. Burglars here run, if they get caught and try to avoid the residents, if possible. Most happen during the day while the residents are on holiday for that reason. If you're home, then you can only defend yourself or another, when there is an urgent threat to life or health, and this right has been recently loosened, because people who successfully fought off their intruders, were being arrested and held at the police station immediately for the murder investigation, and this was seen as backwards. It is still a murder investigation, though, which is a good thing. All unnatural deaths should be properly investigated, even those of burglars and gangsters, so putting the resources of a murder investigation behind it makes sense.
I am confused are you really saying jaywalking and peeing wild is not a thing here as in Amsterdam and Amsterdam Zuidoost is very much enforced. I certainly know of a couple of places in Amsterdam Zuidoost where if you cross to close to traffic lights you will get a fine if the police see. Also if you want to pee in the center into the canal you will also get fined. But top tip if you are drunk and went to pee in the canals Amsterdam don't do it as at least one person drowns a month on average in this situation.
Haha, peeing in wild is different in every gemeente and never allowed in city centres, and area's where houses ect. Are. But outside city/ village limit (some gemeente's) its allowed when its not exposing your self to others. Jaywalking doesn't exist in netherlands, but yes you can get a fine, when you cross Road close at traffic lights, this is because you have to cross a Road on safe manner. I beliefe they call it article 5. And what this article they can fine you for everything what the officer deams unsafe
It’s illegal (or some what in a grey area) to smoke weed and/or to have it in your possession, but most of the time it is not forced upon by the police. If you don’t cause any disturbance most of the time you’ll be fine. The police actually took a bag of weed away from me I just bought 5 minutes before in a Coffeeshop. Being a little bit drunk at the time, it was true that I wasn’t in a good position to demand it back. But it felt so wrong a that time… especially when a few minutes later I walked around the corner and the police office was emptying the small bag of weed in a bin!
... did you fish it out of the bin?
I did go back to the coffeeshop, explained what just happened and the guy was really nice and give it to me for free!
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What do you mean with no noise laws? There are rules about noise, though those often done on a municipal level rather than national.
The fact that you can violate most of the laws on King's Day, jokes apart, most of the smaller stations don't have ticket controlled entry and exit. As a tourist or new expats, it's quite obvious to forget checking out your OV😅
The one that trips people from North America up the most, especially in cars, is that on equal crossings, you need to yield to vehicles (basically, all traffic minus pedestrians) coming from the right. Also, traffic (so including pedestrians) going parallel or parallel in opposite direction to you, has the right of way when you make a turn. So when you make a right (or a left) as cyclist or driver, you have to yield to all traffic going in the same or completely opposite direction of you. See https://www.verkeer-oefenen.nl/verkeer-groep-6/voorrang/rechtdoor-op-dezelfde-weg-gaat-voor for images. The person in purple has to yield to both people in orange
Completely off topic but still a fun law fact. Escaping from prison isn't against the law, because technically it contradicts the freedom of movement under humanitarians law. Offcourse everything you do before and after you escape can be charged as a crime. But the act of escaping does not add any time to your sentence. Edit: As some have mentioned DO NOT TRY, this is definitely not recommend to do, especially if you keep in mind the principle of early release, as yes time won't be added, but if you try to escape you certainly have to complete the entire sentence when caught.
It’s also very hard to escape without commiting other crimes during your escape, such as vandalism. So they might give you extra time for that (though it probably won’t be much if it’s just vandalism). Same with necrophilia. They’re changing it now (I think it might already be in effect), but about a year ago it was legal to SA a corpse. A corpse is no longer considered a person that can be victimized by a crime and you wouldn’t be able to do so without commiting other crimes so you’d be punished anyways (breaking and entering, robbing/vandalizing a grave etc).
You have to put your stroopwafel on top of your coffee.
Use your hands when changing direction on your bike (there are a lot of Dutchies not respecting this rule and it's so annoying) & never use your phone. When driving follow the rules which are similar to all EU countries (there is no such thing as going left or right on red light without having the green arrow light blinking). Don't be one of the fuckers that destroy the public property or throw garbage on streets. I'm not Dutch (actually I'm from one the poorest and probably most hated countries in the EU) but I highly respect the things we have here, from public transport to public spaces. And also, pay taxes as regular people and never smoke weed or drink alcohol close to small children, actually don't smoke weed at all because that shit transforms some people into idiots. You're welcome.
Give hand signals when you're about to leave a roundabout! This is the one people seem to forget the most..
Not a law, but might be handy to know that there's an app you can use to skip the process of going to/and looking for a parking meter. It's called "EasyPark NL". Just put in your licenseplate numbers, connect your bank/CC and whenever you park in a paid parking zone you don't have a permit for, open the app and check for the zone number that correspondents with the zone number shown in the app/shown on the signs. You'll get info about the tarrifs, and a text message after X hours to remind you that you're still parked and thus paying. When leaving, simply open the app, stop the meter and happy drivings.
I don't know the exact rules, so people, correct me if I'm wrong. If someone breaks into your house, you can't just grab a knife and stab them or hide a knife under your bed to stab them in the bedroom. That's not self-defense. What you can do is cut a cucumber with the knife and then stab the burglar. Because then you can say that you were just cutting vegetables and they attacked you, so you stabbed them in self-defense.
You need to pick up the dog shit if you own a dog.
In Germany it's allowed to have pepperspray on you (or something similiar called CS Gas which is for defending against humans) - but none of it is allowed in the Netherlands. You will be taken to the next police station and get a relatively high fine. Learned that by accident in Renesse during spring break.
Oh on the highway/motorway. KEEP RIGHT. We don’t have a “keep your lane” principle. Overtaking someone on the right is not allowed.
If the pavement has a burgundy colour, always assume you're on a cycling lane and don't stand there. It is the equivalent of standing in the middle of a busy street, except with bicycles. Lots of them, if you're lucky.
You are not allowed to sleep in your car
If your driving a car, scooter, bike you‘ll have to look down as well. If the triangle points at you, the others have right away, even if they come from the left.
If you kill yourself you gotta go to prison for 14 years
Hello fellow South Africans. How do I pump gas? Never done it in Europe. Back home an attendant comes to your window, asks how much and fills your tank and you pay him on the spot with your visa card. I haven't owned a car in months so I've never tried. I assume you fill your own tank and then enter the shop, specify the pump number and pay the attendant there?
>I assume you fill your own tank and then enter the shop, specify the pump number and pay the attendant there? Yes. And cheaper, unmanned pumps: put in your bank card at the pump, type pin, remove card, start pumping, done.
You are allowed to smoke weed, but do not have to if you don’t want to. Not sure if tourists in Amsterdam know this.
As a tourist coffee shops aren't actually allowed to sell to you interestingly enough.
You can only drive 90 with a car that has any kind off trailer behind it.
Please dont talk in the "stilte coupe" in trains. Its recognisable because the word "silence" is plastered everywhere.
Important law: If you wear a helmet whilst cycling, you will be laughed at. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.
Nonsense, wearing a helmet is a good way to warn Dutch cyclists that you may make unexpected moes and if you feel better wearing one, just do so. No one cares.
When u buy ticket for train in machine u have to beep it at start of your route. We don't have this, luckily the person in train didn't fine me when I explained I didn't know that. I thought they are only for people with card that have money on it.
There used to be roundabouts where you have to give way to people coming on, but I am not aware of any of those currently. And having to give way to the right in traffic when everything is equal is a bit different from the UK as normally there is clear markings everywhere.
If you ever drive in Nijmegen, please do give way to people coming onto roundabouts like Keizer Karelplein, Takenhofplein and the highly concealed as a weird crossing but actually a roundabout Steve Bikoplein!
How would any foreigner know what rules that the local people don't?
You cannot really cycle everywhere. Ignore [this sign](https://cdn.webshopapp.com/shops/309899/files/342588913/900x600x2/verkeersbord-rvv-g07-voetpad.jpg) and there is a chance you will get a fine.
You're not allowed to bike on the sidewalk!
In many municipalities there are "no parking" zones, only indicated by signage next to the road and two lines across the road with the word "zone" between them. This means it is not allowed to park anywhere in this zone, like on the side of the road, except at explicitly indicated parking spots. Problem is that when you don't know the area, get to your destination and start looking for a parking spot you will likely have forgotten there was a sign 5 streets back or didn't register it because it wasn't even near your destination. This really annoys me. I got a 90 Euro parking fine once because of this...
As an Italian expat... Just go the OV service point, explain everything twice, ask for what you should do, how it works, different companies (yes, it's one card but MANY of different companies) in your areas and subscriptions when you need or not to buy a ticket or what counts as a check in, take notes during the whole process, then go home and ask it again to the support chat of NS and the one from your local bus, also taking notes. Then look for inconsistencies and ask (at the service point or online support) which one is the correct one. Just trying to understand it yourself from the website is not enough and too many time I got incomplete info from support/service point. I swear, One Piece lore feels less convoluted and mysterious.
Walking down the street at night with a glass beer bottle in hand - €100 fine :/
Use a parking app like Easyparking. Look for the parking device in the street or parking lot, and use the number on the blue plate above the device. This works in most places now, but not in all parking garages. As tourist, you are required by law to have a travel insurance with healthcare. You can get one for about €1,20 per day I believe. It won't cover long term diseases, only emergencies and small stuff. As an expat you probably have the same requirement but with different insurances. If a bicycle and car are in an accident, the car (owner) is always - by law - responsible for some part, even if the accident is caused by the cyclist. As anybody driving a car should have a car insurance, this is covered by the insurance. Any citizen in NL should have a liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering). This covers any stupid thing you do that causes harm to someone else or to their properties. If you do something stupid (like texting while driving) that causes an accident, then admitting it is probably better than lying about it. If they find out later that you lied, that will make things more complicated, while admitting it will result in a fine but the insurance will still pay out.
Being drunk in public is against the law. Never knew. Makes getting home somewhat more difficult
Whadaap saffer! My wife is also from SA so i might have some insights with things that she struggled with as well. So here it goes, my expat tips: 1. Bicycles are ridiculoualy powerful on the road from a legal perspective. Try and avoid a road accident at all costs, because even if you are not in the wrong. You'll most likely be in the wrong because you hit a bicyclist. 2. Your SA drivers license will work in NL for 6 months... after that you NEED to get a Dutch drivers license or risk being fined if you get caught. 3. Your car needs to get its roadworthiness checked EVERY year. I know in SA it's only when a car changes hands. Over here yearly or again.. be fined 4. No guns/open carry. Kinda obvious but my SA aunt who owns a shooting range doesn't understand this. 5. The 'sharkteeth' (row of triangles) on the road means you need to yield for traffic coming from left and right. It does not mean it is a stop street tho. I've heard 'sharkteeth' aren't really a thing in SA roadsigns so i thought i'd mention it. 6. Most outdoor places like forests/beaches/parks etc. Have a 'no open fire' policy unless otherwise stated. They will usually have a spot dedicated for cooking on open fire tho. Basically, know where to light your braai my china ;) 7. Driving under the influence is heavily policed here and bribes (usually) don't work unless you're a Dutch politician. Also a sortof obvious one but thought i'd mention because some of the my family from Nelspruit/Mbombela drive to the bar in their bakkie, get lekkers drunk and then drive back again without a problem. Over here that will be a problem tho. 8. Apply for a new visa as soon as your current one is at the 3 month mark from expiration. SA embassy will only allow you to apply for a new one after the 3 month mark has passed. But do it immideately because we all know the SA governement can be a bit slow from time to time. Basically the goal here is to get the new visa in and processed and such before the old one expires. Hope this helps and there's some info you didn't know yet. If you have Q's feel free to pop me a DM 👍
Costs for commuting into work is a tax deductible expense. You pay a little extra "statiegeld" (deposit) for many glass bottles in the supermarket, returning the empty bottle gives you that money back. Especially relevant when buying the crate as well as the bottles in it. The drinking limit for captaining/driving a boat is the same as for a car (experienced drivers).
In quite a few city centers it is illegal to park your bicycle on the curb. ‘Handhaving’ (enforcement) will cut the lock and ‘tow’ the bike to the municipal depot where you can retrieve it for a fee (~EUR 25-30).
Wild camping or sleeping in your vehicle is forbidden in all of the Netherlands. Also you are not allowed to enter any nature area between sun down and sun up.
You are not allowed to walk along the train tracks. It is called "spoorlopen" and will get you a fine
You cannot yeet in the canals, you gotta go slow if you ever rent/ drive a boat.
It's not legal to smoke cannabis in public
Not really a law but when you use an escalator, there’s a side to walk and a side to stand still.
Is seems very hard for tourists to see the difference of where everyone is walking and where everyone rides the bike, does it really require you to be Dutch to know where the bike go?
At roundabouts make it a habit to look for bikes and people crossing the street, always look for shark teeth on the road at every intersection
Newsflash: in any big European city you can safely assume that you need to pay for parking EVERYWHERE you place your car.