Culture Shock in the Netherlands

The Dutch are known to be amongst the most liberal of people in the world, and expats, especially those of a more conservative orientation, may experience some initial culture shock in the Netherlands. Prostitution is legal and flaunted in the red light districts of Amsterdam. Marijuana, while technically illegal, is tolerated and sold at the ubiquitous coffee shops. 

 

For an expat moving to the Netherlands, making new friends can be difficult, especially if one doesn’t speak Dutch, and establishing a social circle can often require a significant personal investment in a social group. That being said, the Dutch say it like it is. While this can be a source of complaint for many foreigners living in the Netherlands, at least you know exactly where you stand with the locals. Having an open mind and exercising a certain degree of tolerance and humour will go a long way to easing the transition to life in the Netherlands.

 

For expatriates arriving in the Netherlands, the Dutch language could be the biggest hurdle. In general, the Dutch are multilingual and, in the big cities, the majority speak reasonable English, French or German. However, unless you speak some degree of Dutch, as an expat, you could find yourself feeling cut off from Dutch society. 

 

A lot of information can be missed if one doesn’t speak the local language. Posters and adverts hanging in shop windows might carry vital information, especially if one is looking for work or entertainment. Free local newspapers also have valuable information on local happenings in and around the neighbourhood. Once able to speak Dutch, most expatriates find that the Dutch can be much friendlier and more helpful and also more forthcoming with compliments and encouragement.

 

There are different options available to learn Dutch, including once weekly lessons, private individual lessons and intensive courses offered at the Delft University. The latter is the most efficient and valuable if one intends to work in the Netherlands. It’s designed to teach the individual how to speak Dutch through learning as much vocabulary as possible and assuming that the grammar will automatically follow. The curriculum texts also offer a wealth of invaluable information for expats about Dutch culture and history.

 

In the Netherlands it is customary for an individual to be forthcoming at introducing him or herself by shaking hands and at the same time stating their name. What is also traditional here is that at a gathering such as a graduation ceremony or a birthday party, everyone who is closely or even remotely related to the guest of honour gets congratulated, so remember to shake the hand of those present and say “gefeliciteerd”, which means congratulations.

 

The Dutch tend to eat dinner early. Unless you’re invited to dinner, it’s best not to make a visit to a Dutch home around 6pm as most Dutch families will be sitting to dinner at that time and will not appreciate the interruption.

 

With respect to the working culture in the Netherlands, interviewing is extremely informal. The Dutch also love to have meetings, “vergadering”, as they like to call them. Meetings can run overtime and often seem purposeless and inconclusive since everyone, regardless of rank, needs to be heard. If a decision is not reached then they simply adjourn to the next meeting. Rank is also unimportant and you might find your boss here much more approachable than what might have been previously experienced. Foreigners need to be modest, as the motto in the Netherlands is “doe maar gewoon”, which translated means that things should be done in a practical manner and never over the top.

 

To add to this, the Dutch like to keep their working life and personal life very separate and so it can be difficult to socialise with your Dutch colleagues outside of work. For example, inviting your colleagues to your birthday party is considered a very un-Dutch act.

 

The Dutch are not service-orientated. It is very normal to enter a shop and be left waiting unattended for a long time. In a restaurant, service can be extremely slow. Even the Dutch complain about the lack of good service in their country. The explanation is that the employees get their salary no matter what. There is not normally a commission system in place, such as a bonus or a percentage increase on every sale in order to motivate staff to perform better.

 

The Dutch don't believe in the concept of private healthcare. This again comes from the fact that the Dutch are an egalitarian society. They don’t believe that some people should have access to speedy or better healthcare just because they can pay for it. The result is that everyone waits his or her turn, including the Queen. Waiting six weeks for an appointment to see a specialist is quite normal here. Many expats find this a source of frustration, especially coming from a country where they were able to opt for private healthcare and therefore get an appointment with a specialist fairly quickly.

 

Another important point to make here is that the health system is such as to give great power to medical insurance companies. These companies want to keep their costs down and as a result there is pressure on general practitioners not to refer patients to consultants unless absolutely necessary. This is another source of frustration for foreigners, as in some countries a referral from one's GP is not at all necessary to see a consultant. In the Netherlands, consultant medical claims cannot be made without a referral letter from a GP. A certain degree of medical knowledge and assertion can be very useful in such circumstances.