RefugeeHelp - Information for asylum seekers in the Netherlands

Welcome to the Netherlands

Have you fled and are you looking for protection in the Netherlands? This page tells you how to apply for asylum in the Netherlands and about life in the reception centre.

What can we help you with?

Frequently visited

This is how to apply for asylum

Your stay at the reception centre

Family reunification in the Netherlands

Your living alloance and eating money

Topics

Arrival in the Netherlands

The asylum procedure

Living in the reception centre

Return to your country of origin

Life in the Netherlands

News

Refugees behind a barbed wire fence.

New European asylum rules officially approved

A portrait photo of Ramy.

"If you want to find work in the Netherlands, networking is the most important thing."

The stories Ramy Weiss (33) from Syria heard about finding work in the Netherlands were sometimes discouraging. Nevertheless, he has now found a job as an engineer. The same profession he had in Syria. "You, as a refugee, are just as qualified for work as someone from Europe."

A large sign calling on people to vote in the European elections.

Europe chooses: this is how European elections work

One month to go until the European elections. The Dutch will vote for their representatives in the European Parliament on 6 June 2024. The elected parliament has a lot of influence on European legislation, for example rules on migration and asylum.

Celebrating Ascension Day and Pentecost in the Netherlands

Good Friday and Easter are official public holidays in the Netherlands. This year Ascension Day falls on Thursday, 9 May, and Pentecost on 19 and 20 May 2024. On these days, most people in the Netherlands do not have to work and celebrate these holidays.

People at a festival in Haarlem for Liberation Day.

Celebrating freedom on Liberation Day

5 May is Liberation Day. On this day, the Netherlands celebrates the end of World War II in the Netherlands in 1945, and people remember that freedom cannot be taken for granted. In this article you can read how Liberation Day is celebrated.

The Dutch king and queen lay a wreath on Dam Square in Amsterdam during Remembrance Day.

Commemorate victims of the war on 4 May during the Remembrance of the Dead ceremony

Every year on 4 May, the Netherlands commemorates the victims of wars, including those of World War II. This is called Remembrance of the Dead. In this article you will read what Remembrance of the Dead means and what you notice about it.

Dutch sailing in orange attire through the Dutch canals.

King's Day: party in orange

The Netherlands celebrates King Willem-Alexander's birthday every year on 27 April. This national holiday is called King's Day. Most people are off work on this day. Below you can read how the Netherlands celebrates King's Day.