smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Netherlands
| Netherlands overall | This Advice is current for Monday, 09 November 2009. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Safety and Security: Crime (update). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in The Netherlands because of the risk of terrorist attack. The Netherlands has maintained its domestic terrorism threat level at 'substantial'. For further details see The Netherlands' National Coordinator for Counterterrorism website. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
The Dutch Government has publicly referred to the activities of extremist groups which may point to the preparation of terrorist attacks in The Netherlands directed at Dutch Government buildings, public events, shopping centres, and rail and air transport infrastructure. In response, Dutch authorities have increased security measures.
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Australians are advised to avoid all demonstrations, protests and rallies, as they may turn violent, and to remain informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring media and other local information sources. You should also read our travel bulletin entitled Re-publication of cartoons.
Foreigners are often the targets of robbery, pickpocketing and bag snatching. Pickpocketing is common around Amsterdam's main tourist attractions, in restaurants and tourist accommodation, at Central Station and on public transport. There are frequent reports of bag snatching on trains and trams, including those that operate through Schiphol Airport (the Netherlands' major international airport at Amsterdam). Thieves usually operate in pairs, with one attempting to distract you while the other steals your possessions. People using automatic teller machines (ATMs) are increasingly being targeted by thieves, especially around nightclubs and bars.
There are reports of thieves posing as plain clothes policemen. The thieves ask to inspect currency and credit cards looking for counterfeits. Tourists handing over their money have been robbed.
Incidents of drink spiking have been reported. Do not leave drinks unattended.
Advance fee fraud and lottery scams occur in the Netherlands. Typically, advance fee fraud takes the form of foreigners being contacted in their home country by email, and advised of an inheritance or other offer, often originating in Africa. The perpetrators seek an advance payment for alleged official expenses, and the victim is invited to visit the Netherlands to finalise the transaction. No monies are paid to the victim and, upon return to their home country, there may be further bogus offers of assistance from sham legal representatives to recoup lost funds.
The lottery scam typically takes the form of a foreigner being contacted as the beneficiary of bogus foreign lottery winnings, with a request for payment to facilitate administration costs associated with winnings. Australians have lost large sums of money in such scams. To find out more about scams, see also our travel bulletin on International Scams.
Motorists should be aware that priority is given to trams, cyclists and mopeds on all roadways. Trams have right of way in all circumstances and their passage should not be blocked. Local legislation requires drivers to be in possession of a warning triangle and fluorescent jackets for occupants of the vehicle in case of breakdown. For further advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling Parents brochure.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in the Netherlands, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
The emergency services telephone number in the Netherlands is 112.
Under Dutch law everyone over the age of 14 is required to carry identification, such as a valid passport, driver's licence, identity card or Dutch residency card, at all times. Dutch police officers and other law enforcement officials can request to see your identification at any time. You can be fined if you fail to present identification when requested.
Possession and trafficking of large quantities of hard drugs or any narcotics will attract criminal penalties.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Netherlands for the most up to date information.
The Netherlands is a party to the Schengen Convention, along with 24 other European countries, which allows Australians to enter the Netherlands without a visa in some circumstances. See our travel bulletin on the Schengen Convention for more information.
People travelling directly to or from a country outside the European Union (EU) carrying 10,000 Euros or more (or the equivalent amount in another currency) are required to declare the cash at the place of their arrival or departure from the EU. Under the legislation, the term "cash" includes cheques, travellers' cheques and money orders. Travellers failing to declare the cash or providing incomplete or incorrect information will incur a fine. There is no requirement to declare cash for people travelling to or from another EU country.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 has spread throughout the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides useful information for individuals and travellers on its website. For further information and advice to Australians, including on possible quarantine measures overseas, see our travel bulletin on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Travelling Well brochure also provides useful tips for staying healthy while travelling overseas.
Medical facilities and care are comparable with those in Australia, however medical costs in the Netherlands are expensive.
There is a Reciprocal Health Agreement between Australia and the Netherlands which provides for urgent or emergency medical treatment in the public hospital system. Treatment in private hospitals or as a private patient in a public hospital is not covered under the Agreement, nor does the Agreement provide treatment to Australians entering the Netherlands with the specific intention of obtaining medical treatment.
The Reciprocal Health Care Agreement does not replace the need for private travel health insurance. See Medicare's website for further information.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
In the Netherlands, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian Embassy
Carnegielaan 4
2517 KH The Hague
NETHERLANDS
Telephone (31 70) 310 8200
Facsimile (31 70) 310 7863
Website: http://www.netherlands.embassy.gov.au
If you are travelling to Netherlands, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the above Embassy you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
