Practical information

Visa

For a visit to the Netherlands up 90 days, tourists from nearly 60 countries only need a valid passport (including most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, and Japan). Nationals of most other countries need a Schengen visa, named after the Schengen Agreement that eliminated passport controls between 26 EU member states. For more information about visa, please click here.

Please keep in mind that a visa application takes a lot of time. Therefore, apply for this on time.

Invitation letters

We are more than happy to send you an invitation letter. Invitations letters are only sent after you have registered and we have received your payment for the conference. For more information, please click here.

Time zone

The Netherlands is in the Central European Time Zone (CET):

– GMT+1 during Standard Time

– GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time

Language

Dutch. Most people also speak English.

Currency

Like other EU countries, the currency of the Netherlands is the euro. The Netherlands is a financially stable country.

Payment methods

The most common means of payment is cash. Most stores and restaurants also accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and sometimes American Express). Withdrawing money from an ATM is the cheapest way to exchange your money.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in the Netherlands in offices, public buildings, restaurants and bars. Some restaurants and most bars have a special smoking area.

Opening hours

Most attractions are open daily throughout the year. The museums are closed on Monday. Banks are open from Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (some on Saturdays). Opening hours of restaurants vary, but usually open for lunch from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and for dinner from 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm (kitchen closes at 10:00 pm).

Shops in Amsterdam set their own opening hours, but in general most will be open from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm. Here are some other guidelines that might be helpful.

 Monday: 11:00-18:00 (shops open later than usual)
 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10:00-18:00. Many shops stay open later.
 Thursday: 10:00-21:00 (late-night shopping)
Sunday: 12:00-18:00 (This primarily applies to the shops on and near the Nieuwendijk and Kalverstraat area and 9 Straatjes. In some of the other shopping streets, you may find that only a selection of the shops are open on Sundays).