Living in the Netherlands Practical guides · DevNJ

Living in the Netherlands /Articles

Living in the Netherlands

Practical articles for international residents

The guides are written from official Dutch government and municipal sources.

Filtered by Seasons & Weather 7 articles Clear ✕

2026.10.30 Seasons & Weather The Dutch fireworks ban and your first quiet New Year 2026–2027: F1, imports, fines and insurance The Netherlands banned consumer fireworks on 1 August 2026. Before the first New Year's Eve under the ban: what F1 still allows, why German and Belgian fireworks stay at the border, OM fine guidelines, how insurers refuse cover and recover damages, what The Hague is doing, and how to protect children and pets.
2026.10.27 Seasons & Weather 72 hours ready: a practical guide to emergency preparedness in the Netherlands for internationals (2026) More than four in ten Dutch residents prepared for emergencies in the past year, says an NCTV survey from October 2026. What the government's Denk vooruit campaign recommends for a 72-hour emergency kit, how NL-Alert and the monthly sirens work, flooding, power, water and cyber risks, what renters can do, and why to register with your embassy.
2026.10.26 Seasons & Weather KNMI weather warnings go local from November 2026: what code yellow, orange and red mean, storm days, and storm damage insurance From November 2026 the KNMI will issue weather warnings for flexible areas instead of whole provinces. What the colour codes mean, the wind and rain thresholds, the KNMI app versus NL-Alert, trains, Schiphol, work and school on storm days, Storm Boelo, and who pays for storm damage when you rent.
2026.10.24 Seasons & Weather Winter time in the Netherlands: 7h44m of daylight, vitamin D advice and bike light rules for the dark months The Netherlands went back to winter time on 25 October 2026, and the EU still has not decided whether to end the clock change. KNMI sunrise and sunset times, official vitamin D advice, bike light rules and fines, where to go when winter gets you down, and how to heat and ventilate without mould.
2026.10.22 Seasons & Weather Netherlands public holidays 2026 & 2027 (bank holidays and school holidays): dates and who gets the day off Netherlands public holidays 2026 and 2027: all dates and weekdays, which bank holidays you really get off, school holiday regions and divorced parents' rules.
2026.10.22 Seasons & Weather Sint Maarten on 11 November and Halloween in the Netherlands: lanterns, songs, regions and the 2026 autumn calendar How the Dutch really treat Halloween, and what happens on Sint Maarten (11 November): origins, regional differences from Utrecht to the north, making lanterns and learning a song, etiquette for handing out sweets, safety, schools and BSO, and the 2026 calendar through to Sinterklaas, checked against primary sources.
2026.10.18 Seasons & Weather Gezellig vs hygge: what really separates the Dutch and the Danes — and how internationals get into the circle Bikes, bread and bluntness: a Dane living in The Hague compared the two countries for DutchReview. We look at what gezellig actually means, how it differs from hygge, what cycling and happiness data say about the two, and what Statistics Netherlands found about loneliness: residents born abroad are about twice as likely to feel socially lonely. Plus practical ways to find your way into the circle in The Hague.