Travel Information From Caribbean Netherlands to Netherlands

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Routine Vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (Influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Shingles

COVID-19

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

Hepatitis A

Consider for most travelers; recommended for travelers at higher risk (e.g. visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas where exposure might occur through food or water; or prone to "adventurous eating")

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers of all ages to the Netherlands.

Measles

Infants 6 to 11 months old traveling internationally should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. This dose does not count as part of the routine childhood vaccination series.

Rabies

Netherlands is free of dog rabies. However, rabies may still be present in wildlife species, particularly bats. CDC recommends rabies vaccination before travel only for people working directly with wildlife. These people may include veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers working with specimens from mammalian species.

You will need 3 months validity remaining on your passport from the date you intend to leave.

Local Phrases Language : Dutch

Local Phrases :

Greetings

Hello = Hallo
Good morning = Goedemorgen
Good afternoon = Goedemiddag
Goodbye = Tot ziens
Nice to meet you = Aangenaam kennis te maken

Conversational

How are you? = Hoe gaat het met je?
I am good thank you = Met mij gaat het goed dank je
What’s your name? = Wat is je naam
My name is … = Mijn naam is …
Do you speak English? = Spreekt u Engels?
I don’t speak … = ik spreek niet...
How do you say… in … = Hoe zeg je ... in ...
I don’t understand = Ik begrijp het niet

Basics

Yes = Ja
No = Nee
Please = Alstublieft
Thank you = Dank je
You’re welcome = Graag gedaan
Excuse me (as a question) =
Excuse me (as sorry) =
Wait = Wacht
Hurry up = Haast je
Go away = Ga weg
Let’s go to = Laten we gaan naar
I want to go to … = ik wil gaan naar...
A little bit = Een klein beetje
A lot = Veel

Shopping & Eating Out

Restaurant = Restaurant
Do you have? … = Heb jij?
Not too spicy = Niet te pittig
It was delicious = Het was heerlijk
The bill, please = De rekening graag
How much? = Hoeveel?
Very expensive = Erg duur
Can you reduce the price? = Kun je de prijs verlagen?
Please can I have a beer? = Mag ik alsjeblieft een biertje?

Transportation & Directions

Taxi = Taxi
Car = Auto
Bus = Bus
Right = Rechts
Left = Links
Straight = Rechtdoor
Stop here = Stop hier

Places

Downtown = binnenstad
Street = Straat
Hotel = Hotel
Museum = Museum
Mall = Winkelcentrum
Market = Markt
Hospital = Ziekenhuis
Doctor = Dokter
Police = Politie
Post office = Postkantoor
Bank = Bank

Time & Dates

What time is it? = Hoe laat is het?
Today = Vandaag
Tomorrow = Morgen
The day after tomorrow = Overmorgen
Yesterday = Gisteren
When? = Wanneer?

Emergencies

Where is the toilet? = Waar is het toilet?
Help me, please = Help me alsjeblieft
Call an ambulance = Bel een ambulance
I don’t feel good = ik voel me niet goed

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As of March 2018, Amsterdam public transport service (GVB) no longer accepts cash for buying tickets on trams, buses or metro trains in Amsterdam. You can buy tickets by credit card (not American Express) on buses and trams or at payment points at main bus and tram stops, Amsterdam Central Station and Schiphol airport. Don't carry or use drugs. The Netherlands has a reputation for being tolerant on the use of so-called ‘soft drugs’. In reality drugs are prohibited and this tolerance exists only for designated premises in the major cities. Possession of prohibited substances or buying them outside these designated areas can carry a prison sentence. Buying or smoking soft drugs in public places is an offence. There are specifically designated cafés where the use of cannabis is tolerated. Although popular, the sale of both dry and fresh psychoactive mushrooms is forbidden by law. Be extremely careful as combinations of alcohol, cannabis and wild mushrooms are a fatal cocktail and have resulted in several deaths. Everybody from the age of 14 must be able to show a valid identity document to police officers and other law enforcement authorities on their request. The documents you can use to prove your identity depend on your nationality. If you are a British national living in or visiting the Netherlands you can use your passport. If you are a dual national you can identify yourself with a valid Dutch driving licence, passport or Dutch/European identity card. You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons.

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Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.

Customs Allowances : Click Here

Fake notes and fake police in Amsterdam

Visitors to the Netherlands have reported some individuals pretending to be police officers. These people will question you over drug possession or counterfeit currency, and ask to see your bags. If someone asks to see your bags, they are likely not a police officer.

This is preying on a widespread fear in Europe that the central currency, the Euro, is easily forged and put into circulation.

There was a flood of fake 100 Euro notes in the Netherlands in 2004, and many businesses in smaller towns stopped accepting them. Even now, you may still find some reluctance.

Here're some tips on spotting a fake Euro note:

- Euro notes are made of 100% cotton material, making them hard, stiff and firm when touched – they are not flimsy
- Hold the note against plain light and look for the whole denomination number on all corners on both sides of the bank note. The number should be perfectly printed. There should be a dark security stripe across the note
- The hologram image changes from the value to a window or to a door symbol when turned in the light. The denomination number on the back should also change from purple to green
- You can carry small battery-operated ultra violet lights to check notes. Under the UV light you should see the signature of the president of the European Central Bank and the flag symbols turn green, the star symbols turn orange.

Taxi scams

Taxi drivers waiting outside the main airport may also be criminals who take you to a location, far away from your accommodation, so they can rob you.

Many people consider the legitimate taxi drivers to be no better than thieves. The industry is heavily regulated. The drivers think the rules are unfair, so when there are none of the official taxi-police around they make up their own rules. They'll refuse to use the meter and charge flat fees regardless of distance, or simply make up a fare because it's a quiet night.

Even if they do agree to take you and switch on the meter, the fare will make your eyes water – 40 Euros or more from the airport to the city center is common. With such good public transport in Amsterdam, why bother with a taxi?

The white van scam

Watch out for the white van scam, where a pair of men in a white van approach and say they work for Bose. They'll typically say they are lost and ask a tourist for directions to a location. In exchange, they offer discounted products in a box, but when you give over your cash and take the boxes, you find they are empty.

Souvenir shops many be dodgy as well, as one tourist said he received a fake 20 Euro bill after a shopkeeper apparently sent him all around the store so he could scam him.

Scammers will often wait outside transportation centers and offer to take tourists to certain hotels, but redirect you to some other establishment.

Transport hubs are also fairly risky after dark, when you will run the risk of having people try to "help" you with various tasks or trying to pickpocket or rob you.

Beggars will not leave you alone if you give in to their requests for money. Always say no and walk away.

These are all fairly standard scams and traps for visitors to any city, but are common in Amsterdam.

Accommodation scams in Amsterdam

There is a major scam surrounding accommodation booking in Amsterdam, but you usually get taken before you arrive.

It is possible to find short-term rentals and other housing opportunities using sites like Craigslist and Gumtree, but criminals are now posting bogus properties with a cheap price. You can narrow down which accommodations are suspect by simply reading the ad. Often, a scammer will use poor language, pictures that look too good to be true, and have websites with bad designs. These websites often have very similar URLs to other rental ads.

Asking the ad poster to inspect the accommodation or having a friend in the area inspect it will usually be met with a "no" if the ad is indeed a fake. The good thing with scams on the more popular listing sites is that savvy community members will often start forum threads saying which ads are scams or are suspected of being scams.

You do not need an International Driving Permit to drive here.

• The most common religion in Netherlands is Christianity.
• Don't forget - coffees are for buying coffee. Coffee shops are for buying cannabis products - up to 5 grams per adult person/day.
• Don't give white lilies or chrysanthemums - they are associated with funerals.
• Don't block the bike lanes and don't step into it.
• Don't forget to wear reflectors when riding a bike or walking at dark.
• Don't take pictures of women in the windows.
• Don't drink alcohol in public when in Amsterdam - it's not allowed and you can get a fine.

Do I need travel insurance to travel to Netherlands?

Travel insurance is very important when traveling overseas. We strongly recommend that you take out cover to travel to Netherlands. You can usually take out single trip or annual multi-trip cover to give you peace of mind should anything happen.

It can be a better and cheaper option to take annual multi-trip cover as it usually covers any number of trips taken in one year with a maximum of up to around 60 days away per trip.

We work with the top names in the industry and have already pre-selected the easiest, cheapest and best quality travel insurance on the market to save you time and money trying to find the best cover.

Travel insurance typically covers the following; however, you can tailor a policy to suit your needs depending on where you are traveling to, your activities and how long you are away.

• Medical Expenses
  Medical treatment can be extremely costly and add up very quickly, and include Overnight stays in hospital, minor or major surgery, accident and emergency treatment, drugs, COVID-19 treatment, journey home if you cannot use the original ticket, dental treatment, and many more unexpected expenses.
• Baggage and personal belongings
  If your baggage is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed it is extremely frustrating. If you must buy new clothes, toiletry products or personal belongings it can be very expensive and time consuming.
• Cancellation
  Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances you may need to cancel your trip. This could be due to several reasons such as illness, injury, a bereavement or many other scenarios. Usually airlines, tour operators and hotels have large cancellation fees, so buying travel insurance that covers this is recommended.

Health Care

Healthcare System in Netherlands

Healthcare of the Netherlands is ranked 6th in the world. The Netherlands has universal healthcare.

Health Risk

Leptospirosis

Caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.

Hantavirus

Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Caused from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.