Legal

Laws, regulations, and court rulings (including official guidance and enforcement) plus what these rules mean for residents and businesses.

New Dutch Government Drops 10-Year Residency Plan but Keeps Ban on Dual Nationality

Jan 31, 2026

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4 min read

New Dutch Government Drops 10-Year Residency Plan but Keeps Ban on Dual Nationality

Netherlands and Austria now the only EU countries requiring naturalising citizens to give up original passport, but D66-VVD-CDA coalition abandon Schoof government's ten-year naturalisation plan.

Economy

Legal

Police Brutality Allegations After Officer Caught on Camera Striking Two Women in Utrecht

Jan 30, 2026

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5 min read

Police Brutality Allegations After Officer Caught on Camera Striking Two Women in Utrecht

The footage shows officer kicking a woman filming the arrest and striking another with a baton.

Legal

Dutch Traffic Fines Have Become a Disguised Tax, Researchers Say

Jan 29, 2026

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4 min read

Dutch Traffic Fines Have Become a Disguised Tax, Researchers Say

Government has improperly used fines to fill budget gaps, researchers say in the first review of 35-year-old law.

Legal

Alarm Grows in the Netherlands Over Grok AI Deepfake Misuse

Jan 15, 2026

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5 min read

Alarm Grows in the Netherlands Over Grok AI Deepfake Misuse

Police and watchdogs warn that AI tools can quickly create non-consensual sexual images, sparking debate in the Netherlands over stricter regulation, and whether an app ban is possible

Legal

12,000 of Dutch Social Housing Tenants Also Own Other Homes

Jan 13, 2026

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5 min read

12,000 of Dutch Social Housing Tenants Also Own Other Homes

New figures reveal thousands of housing association tenants also own property, intensifying debate over access to scarce social rentals.

Legal

All the Changes Coming into Effect on 1 January 2026

Dec 20, 2025

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6 min read

All the Changes Coming into Effect on 1 January 2026

An overview of the new rules and regulations on work, taxes, housing, payments, and daily life take effect in the new year, from minimum wage rises to VAT hikes and cash-payment limits.

Economy

Legal

Mandatory DUI Courses Rise Sharply in the Netherlands

Dec 19, 2025

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3 min read

Mandatory DUI Courses Rise Sharply in the Netherlands

A new reporting system and rising drug-driving detections mean tens of thousands of motorists now face mandatory courses or medical assessments.

Legal

Overcrowded Dutch Prisons Hold Large Numbers of Unconvicted People

Dec 11, 2025

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4 min read

Overcrowded Dutch Prisons Hold Large Numbers of Unconvicted People

Lawyers say suspects are detained too easily as nearly half of Dutch prisoners have not yet been convicted, despite human rights warnings.

Legal

Crime

Parliament Blocks Decision for Opening Lelystad Airport for the Third Time

Dec 11, 2025

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5 min read

Parliament Blocks Decision for Opening Lelystad Airport for the Third Time

Majority of MPs demand caretaker cabinet drop plans to open airport for commercial flights before new government forms.

Legal

Dutch Consumer Association Wants to Ban Door-To-Door Sales

Dec 10, 2025

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4 min read

Dutch Consumer Association Wants to Ban Door-To-Door Sales

Scandal at Delta Fiber triggers a wider push to ban all unsolicited doorstep sales in the Netherlands

Legal

Community

Employers Warn Many Dutch Workers May Not Get Pay Rises Next Year

Dec 9, 2025

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3 min read

Employers Warn Many Dutch Workers May Not Get Pay Rises Next Year

Businesses say rising costs leave little room for higher wages as unions and employees brace for tighter budgets

Economy

Legal

Dutch consumers win right to sue Apple over App Store practices

Dec 4, 2025

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4 min read

Dutch consumers win right to sue Apple over App Store practices

Ruling confirms Dutch courts can hear €637 million damages claim filed on behalf of millions of iPhone and iPad users.

Legal

Business

Dec 3, 2025

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8 min read

Netherlands Faces a Growing Illegal Fireworks Crisis with Smuggling, Violence, and Dangerous Deliveries

From Ajax stadium chaos to deadly explosions and postal package bombs, illegal fireworks plague the Netherlands as government prepares nationwide ban.

Legal

Breaking

Crime

Amsterdam Considers Further Increasing Tourist Tax

Nov 29, 2025

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3 min read

Amsterdam Considers Further Increasing Tourist Tax

City may raise rates after 2026 if national VAT increase fails to reduce visitor numbers.

Economy

Legal

Nov 21, 2025

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4 min read

Dutch Bill Aims to Let Children Have Up to Four Legal Parents

VVD proposal would formalise multi-parent families, especially in LGBTQ+ and blended households, with strict court approval before pregnancy.

Legal

Five Men Arrested for Using Groningen Earthquake Repair Subsidies to Buy Lamborghinis

Nov 20, 2025

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5 min read

Five Men Arrested for Using Groningen Earthquake Repair Subsidies to Buy Lamborghinis

Investigators say over €1 million meant for repairing damaged homes ended up funding luxury cars through forged documents

Legal

Crime

Court to Decide on Plan to Raise Deposits for Plastic Bottles

Nov 19, 2025

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4 min read

Court to Decide on Plan to Raise Deposits for Plastic Bottles

Inspectorate pushes for double deposits on small and large bottles (to €0.30 and €0.40) or introduce a 15-cent return bonus, to reach a 90% recycling target.

Environment

Legal

Dutch Households Expected to See Lower Energy Bills in 2026

Nov 17, 2025

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5 min read

Dutch Households Expected to See Lower Energy Bills in 2026

ING expects average bills to drop around 4%, with even bigger savings for homes that no longer use gas

Environment

Legal

Nov 10, 2025

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3 min read

No Action Yet on Illegal Fatbikes

Watchdogs report zero confiscations this year as unapproved high-speed e-bikes continue to circulate across the Netherlands.

Legal

Nov 8, 2025

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3 min read

Netherlands to Raise Fines for Illegal Vape Sales to €4,040

Penalties will rise to €2,040 for first-time offenders and €4,040 for larger companies starting July 2026.

Legal

Millions Of EU Officials' Phone Data Tracked and Sold

Nov 4, 2025

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4 min read

Millions Of EU Officials' Phone Data Tracked and Sold

Investigation reveals brokers selling precise phone location data from millions of devices in Belgium, exposing movements of EU and NATO staff

Economy

Legal

Netherlands Has Far More Migrant Workers Than Earlier Counts, Roughly 1 Million

Oct 27, 2025

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4 min read

Netherlands Has Far More Migrant Workers Than Earlier Counts, Roughly 1 Million

New analysis says up-to 1.7 million foreign nationals are in the country for work, far above earlier counts, which raises pressure for better oversight, housing and clear rules while keeping the key sectors staffed.

Economy

Legal

NS Will Start a 2-Year Baton Pilot for Rail Security Officers

Oct 25, 2025

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4 min read

NS Will Start a 2-Year Baton Pilot for Rail Security Officers

Up to 75 Veiligheid & Service staff will carry short batons after extra training, to be used only as a last resort in high-risk situations.

Legal

Report Says €8 Million in Dutch Tech Linked to Secret Russian Defence Project

Oct 23, 2025

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4 min read

Report Says €8 Million in Dutch Tech Linked to Secret Russian Defence Project

An international investigation ties at least eight Netherlands-based firms to supplies routed via intermediaries for Russia’s “Harmony” seabed monitoring network; Dutch authorities and companies say they follow sanctions.

Legal

Tech

Netherlands Advances With A Small-Scale Uganda Hub for Migrant Processing

Oct 21, 2025

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4 min read

Netherlands Advances With A Small-Scale Uganda Hub for Migrant Processing

A pilot plan would transfer people who cannot be sent home directly to a temporary hub in Uganda, while facing legal and human rights scrutiny.

Legal