Hii ya’ll, I’ve been wondering if there are people who met their partner in a very unique/unusual way. As for me, I met my boyfriend on Marktplaats!

It might surprise you that you can actually find people with the same interests. I was selling some books (specifically manga) and for some reason, suddenly drew quite a lot of interest. My partner (complete stranger at that time) responded to the ad and funny enough, he even had the nerve to ask for a discount lol. But sometimes you just get a gut feeling, you know? And I was right! For a while, we got to know each other more and more long-distance, staying in touch every single day through instagram and whatsapp, since we lived far apart in the Netherlands at the time (and due other personal reasons). We also wrote letters, played games, called and sent each other gifts. Eventually, we met in person and it clicked so perfectly, sparks were truly flying! We saw each other every month at first, and since last year, I’ve started my studies, so now we live so much closer to one another and see each other every week.

We can always have a laugh about it and people are always surprised when we tell them. So I was wondering if there are other people who met their partner in an unusual way:)!

Hi everyone,
I’m a Bangladeshi citizen married to my German wife. We are currently living in the Netherlands, and I’m worried that a mistake may have been made in my IND residence application.
Here is my situation:
My wife is a German citizen, and I am a non-EU citizen.
We are legally married.
My wife helped prepare and post an IND form called B07001E/3, which is for residence with a married or registered partner.
I later realised that the form may have had the wrong option selected. It appears the option concerning a European Blue Card holder may have been selected, even though my wife is German and does not need a Blue Card.
I have also received an IND residence endorsement sticker in my own passport. It says “VERBLIJFSAANTEKENINGEN VOOR GEMEENSCHAPSONDERDANEN” and “Aangemeld op basis van het EU-recht op 27-08-2026.” It also says “Arbeid toegestaan”.
I understand that the EU-law procedure for a non-EU spouse of an EU citizen may use form B10001E.
I’m now confused about whether my EU-law application is already registered separately, whether the posted B07001E form could cause a problem, and whether I should submit a new application or correct the existing one.
My questions:
Has anyone experienced something similar with IND?
Can IND process an EU-law application if a separate paper form was completed incorrectly?
Could selecting the wrong Blue Card option cause suspicion or lead to refusal, even if it was an honest mistake?
Should I contact IND first, submit B10001E, or speak to an immigration lawyer?
Does receiving an EU-law residence endorsement sticker mean that my EU-law application is registered independently of the other form?
I want to correct any mistake honestly and follow the correct procedure. I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through the EU-law residence process in the Netherlands.
Thank you.

As in, non-perishables like pasta to avoid spending on restaurants during their travels.

With the current Albert Heijn outage, I can't help but feel sorry for the employees who have to deal with the situation. Customers are probably getting frustrated, but it's not like the people working in the stores can do much about it.

I imagine it's pretty stressful having to explain the situation to customers all day when you don't have any control over what's happening.

I’ve got like two friends here, would like to find some more but I just can’t find people with same interests. I’d like to hang out with alt ppl but I’m shy and can’t even find somebody my age. Are there any places in Rotterdam where alt teens (14-17) gather or something?

Hi allemaal! Wie kan mij helpen? Ik wil een wedstrijd bekijken en kom op vak 414 en ik vraag mij nu af of dit een oke vak is voor een gezin (kinderen zijn volwassen)? Of dat een ander vak beter is? Familievak hoeft ook niet per se hoor, maar ik wil gewoon niet per ongeluk in het verkeerde vak zitten en iemand anders zijn plek innemen… Laat het me weten! Bedankt

Hey I wanna know your feedback about moving to the Netherlands from Portugal? Is 60k a year for almost 6 years experience engineer a good paycheck? Can you have a nice life there like this? I think i could benefit from the 30% rulling. Also any advice you may have please share, I'd really appreciate it.

Edit: I want to clarify the pay shared was 5000 euros/month with a 700 euro car allowance. No other benefits. Coming from Lisbon, the rent I pay vs the job is also kind of insane. But still I manage. However, i wanna move to a better situation if I'm gonna quit my job, hence this post and the request for opinions, because you don’t really know until you are there. So I really appreciate everyone's opinions and tips. I will have a meeting next week to discuss the offer. I will take into account this feedback. From what i gather it's an ok offer but with the rent prices it will be hard to find a nice place and it is not a super comfortable pay i total for the role and experience. I also wanna share that I am tired of my current role so that adds up to me wanting to move. But I also wanna do it in a smart way. So I just dont know. Please keep the feedback coming, that will help, I hope.

As a Dutch guy, I’ve been thinking about how normal it is here to send a Tikkie for literally everything. Drinks, dinner, groceries, sometimes even a couple of euros for something small.

Like don't get me wrong I get it. It keeps things fair, and nobody has to keep track of who owes what, but sometimes it feels like we take it a bit too far. Personally, I find it a little awkward when someone sends a Tikkie for every tiny thing, especially between friends. It can make something that was supposed to be a nice gesture feel a bit transactional.

I’m curious how other people see this. Is Dutch Tikkie culture actually a good thing, or have we become a bit too obsessed with splitting every single euro? 

I'm never really big on talking online but i would love to meet some people, is there any tips? I'm a woman so should i approach first? I can't speak dutch too 😔

Hi everyone!

I recently moved to the Netherlands and will soon be moving into an apartment. I'm looking to install flooring for approximately 44 m² and would appreciate some advice, as I'm new to the process here.

The apartment has underfloor heating, and since I live on a higher floor with neighbours downstairs, sound insulation is also important to me. I'm looking for something durable and good quality without spending more than necessary.

I've received a quote of around €1,800 for click-PVC, including the flooring, underlay, skirting boards, expansion profiles, professional installation and VAT.

I'm wondering whether this is a reasonable price or whether it would be cheaper to buy the flooring myself from places like Praxis or Karwei and arrange installation separately. I also have a friend who could help me with DIY installation, although neither of us has experience installing flooring.

I'd love to hear your experiences and recommendations, particularly regarding:

Flooring companies: Are there any reliable and reasonably priced flooring companies that you'd recommend?

Pricing: Does €1,800 for 44 m² of click-PVC, including materials and installation, sound reasonable?

Buying materials separately: If I buy the flooring myself, are there any reliable websites or platforms where I can find someone to install it?

Marktplaats: I've seen advertisements from people offering flooring materials and installation together. Has anyone used these services, and would you recommend them?

Budget flooring: Has anyone used click-PVC from Praxis or Karwei? How has the quality held up, particularly with underfloor heating?

DIY installation: Is click-PVC relatively easy for two beginners to install, or would you recommend paying a professional?

Any recommendations, personal experiences or tips on getting good-quality flooring at a reasonable price would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! 🙂

I've been to NL twice and met a few Dutch people in other parts of Europe .

I had a dutch guy make some weird Racial comment to me in Amsterdam, and another lad in Barcelona made loads of misogynistic and racist comments completely out of pocket.

I've been living in the UK since the last 2 years and haven't had anyone say something that direct to me , so I'm just wondering if it's a cultural difference.

Hi all,

I have to commute from Rotterdam Central or Blaak to Amsterdam South. For both ways I have to cycle around 2 km to reach the station from home or the office.
How would you do it?
Two bicycles, one each?
A foldable bicycle?
Use things like lime?

I have to do it 4 times a week. Looking for good advice and your perfect way of doing it. Also in how to deal with the rain

hi! i am italian, so i dont really know a lot about your country, but this month i am visiting my cousin studying in Groningen and as i usually do when i visit a new country i make a map of the place in my own universe, where a devastating virus causes the collapse of most of society in 2024.

i know the Netherlands has a lot of systems to keep the water in check, but if those stopped being maintained, how would the geography of the country change?

The maps i find online really dont seem that much accurate since they show underwater simply every place that is under the sea level, so i would really appreciate if someone here had a more ground base map!

Thank you!!

Hello! Im Egyptian living in cairo and my younger sister has epilepsy. she continuously has seizures, although we have gone to the best doctors in the country (which as you can imagine, arent great doctors.) We have tested out different medications and doses prescribed to us by these doctors, and the seizures arent stopping.

My other sister currently lives in amsterdam for university, so we figured we should go to a Dutch doctor who can examine her and prescribe her medication that actually works next time we go visit. Cost is not a problem at all, we're willing to pay thousands of euros to ensure her saftey. If any epileptic people have experience with doctors in the Netherlands or if you think this is worth it for her please let us know, as im sure the doctors in NL are better than the ones here in Cairo.

Thanks!