Safety in Netherlands: what overland travellers should know

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 19 August 2026.

Safety

Theft from vehicles — Petty crime is widespread, above all in Amsterdam — the city with the highest crime rate in the country — and in Maastricht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Heerlen, The Hague and Utrecht. Theft of bicycles and of items left inside cars is frequent. Pickpocketing is a risk on city public transport, at railway stations, at bus and tram stops and on the trains to and from Schiphol.
Where to be careful — Take particular care in some outlying parts of the main centres and, above all at night, in the port areas of Rotterdam and Amsterdam and at the bus and railway stations of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Maastricht.
Terrorism — The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security set the threat level at 4 (substantial) on a scale of 1 to 5 in June 2026. Controls have been intensified at all sensitive places, with particularly high attention at Amsterdam Schiphol and the Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports and at the big international railway stations.
Drug-related deaths — A growing number of Italians have been involved in incidents, sometimes fatal, linked to drug use. Deaths from combining several substances at once — alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, medicines, methamphetamine, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and new psychoactive substances — often of high potency, have risen significantly in recent years.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 19 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Netherlands before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 19 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.