New rules until at least 20 April 2021 inclusive

The new measures are to be applied nationwide. 

General:

• Work from home, unless this is really not possible.
• All establishments that serve food and drinks must close. Take-away will still be possible.
• All locations with a continuous flow of people, such as cinemas, museums, theatres, amusement parks and zoos, will be closed.
• Fitness centers, swimming pools and saunas will be closed. Sports activities are only permitted outside, with people keeping a distance of 1.5 metres.
• No alcohol or soft drugs will be sold or delivered and you may not drink alcohol, use soft drugs or have them on your person in public spaces between 08.00 pm and 07.00 am.

RELAXATIONS FROM 16 MARCH 2021: 

• Non-essential shops will be able to receive customers by appointment. Shops will be allowed to admit 2 customers per floor or 1 customer per 25 square metres, up to a maximum of 50 customers at a time, if the shop is big enough. Customers must make an appointment at least four hours in advance. Each customer slot must be a minimum of 10 minutes.
• People performing contact-based professions, such as hairdressers and masseurs, will be able to practise again. Customers must make a reservation.
• People aged 26 and below will be able to train outside at sports venues in groups of more than two people. Although competitions are still prohibited, they will be able to train with their own team from the same club.
• Adults aged 27 and over can participate in sports activities at outdoor sports facilities in groups of up to 4 people.
• Children aged 12 and under can attend swimming lessons to achieve their A, B or C diplomas.

Groups:

• At home you may have no more than one visitor per day, not counting children under 13. Moreover, you are only allowed to visit one other huosehold per day.
• Outside homes, no more than 2 people or 1 household can go somewhere or do something together, not counting children under 13.

Schools:

• As of Monday 8 February primary schools, special primary schools and childcare centres will reopen fully.
• Daycare and out-of-school care centres will remain closed.
• From 1 March, secondary schools and institutions of secondary vocational education (MBO) will partially reopen. In practice, this means that all secondary school pupils will attend school at least one day a week, subject to certain conditions. For now, MBO students will attend one day a week.
• Higher professional education institutions (HBO) and universities can offer exams and practical training on site.

Face masks:

• Wear a face mask in indoor public spaces and on public transport if you are aged 13 or over. Passengers who do not wear a face mask can be fined €95.
• Passengers will be required to wear a non-medical face mask on trams, buses, water buses, metros and trains. Passengers who do not wear a face mask can be fined €95.
• For other shared forms of transport, such as taxis, passenger vans and coaches, passengers must reserve and must undergo a pre-travel health check. Non-medical face masks must also be worn.

CURFEW

A night-time curfew applies throughout the Netherlands. You must stay inside from 9.00 pm to 04.30 am. You cannot go outdoors without a valid reason. From Wednesday, March 31, the curfew will start one hour later, you will not be allowed to go out between 10.00 pm and 4.30 am. In principle, the curfew will remain in force until 4.30 am on 20 April 2021. Curfew violations will be fined at 95 euros plus any administrative costs.

There will be some exceptions to the curfew:

1. In the event of an emergency;
2. You need urgent medical assistance, your pet needs urgent veterinary assistance or someone needs your urgent assistance;
3. Your employer requires you to leave your home for work;
4. You are travelling abroad or returning to the Netherlands;
5. You are going to or returning from a funeral and can prove this;
6. You are travelling in connection with a summons issued by a court or public prosecutor, or in connection with a court hearing in objection, judicial review or appeal proceedings, and you can prove this;
7. You are walking a dog on a leash. You do this on your own.

If it is necessary for you to go outside during the curfew, you must take a ‘curfew declaration’ with you. If you have to go out for your job, you must also be able to produce an employers declaration. In certain cases, no declaration is required. 

TRAVEL BAN AND RAPID TESTS

A flight ban is in force for passenger flights from the following other countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

In addition, all passengers travelling to the Netherlands by air or sea from high-risk areas must be able to produce a negative result of a rapid COVID-19 test performed shortly before their departure. The test must not have been performed more than four hours prior to boarding the aircraft or ship. This requirement is in addition to the existing mandatory negative test result for a PCR test performed no more than 72 hours before arrival in the Netherlands. These measures also apply to people travelling to the Caribbean parts of the Netherlands.

A number of exemption categories have now been added. People in the following categories are allowed to enter the Netherlands for a short period again: business travellers, students, highly-skilled migrants, professionals from the cultural and creative sectors and people in long-distance romantic relationships.