The Netherlands is generally considered a safe country. However, be alert in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and other large cities that are plagued by pickpockets and bicycle theft, violent crimes are very rare. In the larger cities, certain areas are considered unsafe at night*. A small number are also unsafe in daylight.
Police, ambulance and fire brigade have one general emergency number 112. There is one police force, organized in 25 police regions. Mostly visitors will deal with the regional police. Some specialized forces, such as the railway police and the highway police on main roads, are run by a separate national force (highway police being the KLPD - Korps Landelijke Politie Diensten, and railway police being the spoorwegpolitie). When calling 112, if you can, advise on what emergency services you are in need of.
Border controls, and port and airport security, are handled by a separate police force, the Marechaussee (or abbreviation 'KMar' - Koninklijke Marechaussee), a gendarmerie. They are an independent service of the Dutch armed forces (making them a military service, not a civil one), and have among their duties the mentioned security tasks.
In most cities, there are municipal services (stadswacht, Toezichthouder Openbare Ruimte (abreviation: TOR) or stadstoezicht) with some police tasks, e.g., issuing parking and litter fines. They often have police-style uniforms to confer some authority, but their powers are limited. For instance, only the police carry a gun.
Prostitution in the Netherlands has been legalized but only if the prostitute consents. Pimping or otherwise exploiting women against their will is a crime, even in the Netherlands. Have sex only in safe locations that have a license to host prostitutes to engage in sexual activities with their clientele. Illegal prostitution in hotels or suspected illegal prostitution can be raided by the police and the client as well as the prostitute can be fined or be put in jail. Hotel personnel are obliged by law to notify the police if they suspect these kinds of illegal activities. Having sex with a minor is also illegal. Always ask for an ID from the prostitute to confirm her age.
*) According to the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Ministerie van VROM) these neighborhoods include:
Kolenkitbuurt, Amsterdam - Pendrecht, Rotterdam - Oude Noorden, Rotterdam - Bloemhof, Rotterdam - Ondiep, Utrecht - Rivierenwijk, Deventer - Spangen, Rotterdam - Oude Westen, Rotterdam - Heechterp/Schieringen, Leeuwarden - Noord-Oost, Maastricht - Tussendijken, Rotterdam - Hatert, Nijmegen - Hillesluis, Rotterdam - Woensel West, Eindhoven - Overtoomse Veld, Amsterdam - Kanaleneiland, Utrecht - Schilderswijk, Den Haag - Poelenburg, Zaanstad - Tarwewijk, Rotterdam - Morgenstond, Den Haag
However these neighborhoods a nothing compared to some US suburbs.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Netherlands
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Netherlands - updated Apr 2024
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Netherlands Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
