The Netherlands is, by most measures, a low-crime country — but knowing how the system works before you need it makes a real difference. Here’s a practical starting point.
Emergency numbers
For any situation requiring immediate police, fire, or ambulance response, the number across the Netherlands is 112, the same as the EU-wide emergency number. For non-urgent police matters — reporting a theft after the fact, a noise complaint, or general questions — the number is 0900-8844, the national police non-emergency line. Reports can also be filed online for many minor incidents through the Dutch police’s website, which is often faster than an in-person visit for things like bicycle theft, a very common occurrence in Dutch cities.
How Dutch policing is structured
The Netherlands has a single national police force, Politie, organized into regional units rather than separate city-by-city forces. Officers typically police on foot, bicycle, or in marked cars in most towns and cities, and community policing (a designated “wijkagent,” or neighbourhood officer, for a specific area) is a standard feature of how residential areas are covered. For expats coming from countries with more visibly armed or heavily present policing, the more low-key, everyday presence of Dutch police is one of the more noticeable cultural differences.
Common scams to know about
A few scams recur often enough in the Netherlands that they’re worth knowing in advance:
- Rental scams, where a “landlord” (often unreachable in person) asks for a deposit on a property before a viewing — extremely common in the tight Dutch housing market and frequently targeted at newly arrived expats searching online.
- DigiD phishing, where a fake text message or email impersonating the Dutch government’s DigiD login system asks someone to “verify” their account by entering login details on a fake site.
- Marketplace scams, on sites like Marktplaats (the Dutch equivalent of Craigslist/eBay classifieds), where a buyer or seller asks for payment outside the platform’s protections.
- Fake parcel delivery texts, impersonating PostNL or DHL, asking for a small “redelivery fee” via a link.
The general rule that protects against most of these: never send money or personal login details to someone you haven’t verified independently, and be especially cautious with any interaction that starts with unexpected urgency (a deadline, a limited-time offer, a threat of losing an apartment or parcel).
If you’re a victim
If you believe you’ve been scammed, report it to the police (via 0900-8844 or online) and, for anything involving bank details or payments, contact your bank immediately — Dutch banks have fraud lines for exactly this kind of situation.
We’ll cover specific local safety notices and verified incident reports in this category going forward.
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