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City guide

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Amsterdam is built at child height: school runs happen by cargo bike along the canals, nearly everyone speaks English, and the city is compact enough to live without a car. The French community is human-sized and gathers between Oud-Zuid and De Pijp.

Currency
Euro (€)
Language
Dutch (English everywhere)
Time vs Paris
None
Emergencies
112

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Amsterdam Accueil

Since 1970

Since 1970, Amsterdam Accueil has helped francophone families discover the Venice of the North: pram-friendly coffees, a monthly café, bike rides, neighbourhood lunches and a Projet-Pro club to relaunch your career.

Where to meet them

At De Lairessestraat 120 (Oud-Zuid); meet-ups and activities announced on the website calendar.

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Pram-friendly coffees and monthly café
  • Bike rides ("À bicyclette !") and walking club
  • Neighbourhood lunches and rotating French book library
  • Projet-Pro club and career workshops

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Pays-Bas

    The Dutch chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger: welcome, mutual aid and conviviality for the French in the Netherlands.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Pays-Bas

    The Dutch section of Français du monde - ADFE defends the rights of French residents in the Netherlands and helps with their paperwork.

    Visit the website Facebook page

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

CCI France Pays-Bas

The Franco-Dutch chamber, based in Amsterdam, runs a business club and offers a jobs and relocation service to network, find a position or start a business in the Netherlands.

Visit the website CCI country page

The online community

The Facebook groups to join

Before you even land in Amsterdam, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.

  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    AMSTERDAM - Housing, Apartments, Rooms, Sublets

    👥 178,500 members · ≈ 224 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Amsterdam Rooms and Apartments

    👥 170,900 members · ≈ 81 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Expats in The Netherlands

    👥 157,800 members · ≈ 258 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Expats Netherlands | housing | work | Amsterdam | Utrecht | Den Haag |

    👥 103,497 members · ≈ 167 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats in The Netherlands

    👥 89,700 members · ≈ 53 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats Amsterdam

    👥 78,300 members · ≈ 57 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Amsterdam Events

    👥 57,000 members · ≈ 53 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expat Republic Amsterdam

    👥 56,900 members · ≈ 6 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats And internationals in Amsterdam

    👥 52,000 members · ≈ 2 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    The Amsterdam Expats Meetup Group

    👥 47,000 members · ≈ 1 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Netherlands Expats/ Internationals

    👥 38,800 members · ≈ 8 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔒 Private In French

    French people in Amsterdam

    👥 33,600 members · ≈ 48 posts/week

    View the group
💬 Explore the full group directory

Compiled from Facebook's public search, links checked in July 2026. Group sizes change all the time.

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

Two AEFE-accredited schools share the south of the city: the International French School Amsterdam, which takes children from nursery to the final year, and the École française d'Amsterdam, the directly managed annexe of the Lycée Vincent-van-Gogh, for nursery and primary.

Good to know

  • The IFSA (Oud-Zuid) is the only school covering the full journey to the French bac, with small class sizes.
  • The École française d'Amsterdam (De Pijp) stops at the end of primary: pupils continue at the IFSA or at the Lycée Vincent-van-Gogh in The Hague, about 50 minutes by train.
  • Dutch school is free and welcomes children from age 4: immersion works well for younger children.
  • Places are limited in both French schools: apply as soon as the move is confirmed.

Children's healthcare

The Dutch system runs on mandatory private health insurance and on the huisarts, the family doctor who is the gateway to all care. Once the family is registered, everything is simple and remarkably well organised.

Good to know

  • First step: take out a basisverzekering (basic insurance) within 4 months; children under 18 are covered for free with their parents.
  • Register the family with a huisarts (GP) near home on arrival: there is no direct paediatrician access, everything goes through them.
  • The consultatiebureau follows the under-4s for free (check-ups, vaccines), like the French PMI.
  • 112 is the emergency number; the Emma children's hospital (Amsterdam UMC) is the paediatric reference.

French-speaking community

The French community in Amsterdam is human-sized and all the closer for it: you cross paths at the school gates of Oud-Zuid and De Pijp, and Amsterdam Accueil has animated it since 1970.

Good to know

  • Amsterdam Accueil (FIAFE network) gathers around a hundred households, from pram coffees to tulip bike rides.
  • Oud-Zuid and De Pijp, around the two French schools, are where the community meets.
  • UFE Pays-Bas and Français du monde - ADFE complete the support network.
  • Paris is 3h20 away by direct Eurostar: grandparents hop on the train easily.

Family outings and events

Amsterdam is a children's city: kids grow up in cargo bikes, the museums take them seriously and the beach is half an hour away by train.

Good to know

  • NEMO, the big hands-on science museum on the harbour, is paradise for ages 4 to 12.
  • Artis, one of Europe's oldest zoos, and its microbe museum Micropia make a winning combo.
  • The Vondelpark and the Amsterdamse Bos (goat farm included) are the weekend playgrounds.
  • Zandvoort beach is 30 minutes away by direct train; in spring, the Keukenhof tulips are worth the pilgrimage.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

The arrival reflex

The apps to download when you land

Drop your bags, download these and you're set: the apps everyone in Amsterdam uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.

Getting around

  • GVB

    Amsterdam's own transit app: GVB trams, metros, buses and ferries, with live times and tickets you buy straight from your phone.

    App Store Google Play

  • 9292

    The national journey planner: it combines every mode (train, tram, bus, ferry) to hand you the fastest door-to-door route across the country.

    App Store Google Play

  • NS

    The Dutch railways app, essential for trains and the Schiphol airport link; timetables, platforms and tickets all in one place.

    App Store Google Play

  • Uber

    The ride-hailing app everyone knows, well established in Amsterdam; handy at night or with luggage, though locals often compare it with Bolt.

    App Store Google Play

  • Bolt

    Uber's Estonian rival, often a bit cheaper in Amsterdam; plenty of residents open both apps before picking their ride.

    App Store Google Play

Food delivery

  • Thuisbezorgd.nl

    The go-to food delivery service in the Netherlands: the widest choice of neighbourhood restaurants, from local snack bars to big chains.

    App Store Google Play

  • Uber Eats

    The other major food delivery app in Amsterdam; useful to compare restaurants and fees against Thuisbezorgd before you order.

    App Store Google Play

Groceries

  • Albert Heijn

    The reigning Dutch supermarket: Bonus loyalty card, deals and online shopping; you will spot an AH store on nearly every corner.

    App Store Google Play

  • Picnic

    The all-Dutch online supermarket, delivered free by little electric vans; you order the day before for a slot the next day.

    App Store Google Play

  • Flink

    Express grocery delivery: everyday essentials dropped at your door in about fifteen minutes, handy when you are missing one ingredient.

    App Store Google Play

  • Crisp

    The premium online supermarket loved in Amsterdam: fresh, local, quality products delivered in a chosen afternoon or evening slot.

    App Store Google Play

Everyday life

  • Tikkie

    The Dutch reflex for paying friends back: you send a payment link by message and they settle in one tap from their bank.

    App Store Google Play

  • Too Good To Go

    The anti-waste app: surprise bags from restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets at a small price, very active across Amsterdam at day's end.

    App Store Google Play

  • Buienradar

    The rain radar everyone checks before hopping on their bike; it tells you almost to the minute when a shower will start or stop.

    App Store Google Play

  • Marktplaats

    The big second-hand classifieds site in the Netherlands; perfect for kitting out your home cheaply, from a bike to a sofa to furniture.

    App Store Google Play

Coming soon: the full Amsterdam guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Amsterdam page first.

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