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.
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.
To follow local life in French: news, what's on, good addresses and, often, a directory of French-speaking professionals.
lepetitjournal.com Pays-Bas
MediaIn French
The Dutch edition of the online daily for French expatriates, for French speakers in Amsterdam and the Randstad: news, settling in, housing, education, health, jobs and an events calendar.
The expat directory, where French-speaking professionals and addresses list themselves; check each entry before booking.
The magazine and cultural agenda of the Institut français in the Netherlands, in French and Dutch: exhibitions, film, literature, French workshops and the Passage(s) podcast.
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
178,800 members · ≈ 224 posts/week
Welcome to the Amsterdam - Housing, Apartments, Rooms, Sublets group. Through this group you can :
Browse and find your suitable accommodations in Amsterdam according to your preferences.
This includes private housing properties in Amsterdam which consists of flats, apartments, private halls, shared rooms, student flatshare, residences, off-campus properties and much more.
Get more information regarding the area and surroundings.
Get details and reviews regarding a particular Amsterdam accommodation.
Post listings for sub-lease.
Find roommates.
Get Latest offers on housing/accommodations in Amsterdam.
Alternatively, you can directly get in touch with property consultants, who will personally assist you will all your queries and help you find and book your accommodation in Amsterdam.
Note:
The group is moderated. Spam/Promotional will be instantly deleted. Users posting such content would be banned from the group.
Rooms, apartments, and studios in Amsterdam for students, expats, and locals. Accommodations are posted daily to help you with your search. Feel free to post housing you might have, or, you can post that you are searching for housing.
Expats Netherlands | housing | work | Amsterdam | Utrecht | Den Haag |
104,600 members · ≈ 167 posts/week
Welcome to the group for expats living or coming to live in The Netherlands! In this group you can ask questions which we will answer. You can think of...
No Need to Become a Member if You Just want to SELL your stuff :)
EVENTS, HOUSING ADDS or PROMOTE yourself? >> REACT to the montly topics. Sharing it anyway? You will be banned immediately.
The purpose of this page is to provide information and support to expats across the Netherlands.
IMPORTANT:
BY BEING A MEMBER OF THIS GROUP YOU ACCEPT TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS.
***
HOUSE RULES
We want this page to be a welcoming place for expats, providing useful support and advice about living in The Netherlands. By posting on our Facebook group page, users must agree to our rules. Any serious offense will result in an immediate ban and the deletion of relevant posts.
BE NICE TO PEOPLE.
Do not attack others. Posting comments is meant to stimulate conversation, not to create contention. Remember that people from all walks of life may use this Facebook page. Let others have their say, just as you may. Also people on this group may not always be looking for advice, but just for others to listen, or give emotional support.
KEEP IT CLEAN.
All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal comments are strictly prohibited. Do not post comments that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.
USE COMMON SENSE.
If you are recommending other sites, organisations or services - or are receiving recommendations, take them as personal recommendations that you should check out yourselves. Expats in The Netherlands will not be held liable for recommendations given on this page.
NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
This forum is not for commercial purposes. The deliberate posting by members of pyramid schemes, chain letters, commercial advertisements or anything illegal or illicit is not permitted. Do not advertise or promote products or services here. We reserve the right to delete posts that have this type of information
THIS IS FOR YOU.
Use it. Share things, learn stuff, help each other, get to know each other. That’s the point.
And help us keep this page clean! If you think that someone is being offensive, or breaking the house rules of the forum, please use the report function and we will try to deal with these messages as quickly as possible.
Meet the other expats in Amsterdam !
- Expat events
- Expat trips
- Expat network
- Expat party
- Expat dating
In this group it is all about social and cultural events! Rules: Events posted in this group must be written in English and need to start in the header with the following information:
Name of event, date and location (city) and a clear description of the event.
The posting date of the event must be at least 7 days before the event date. Only events taking place in the Netherlands will be posted.
If you use links in your posting to other sources (e.g. facebook event), then these sources must be in proper English too.
A place for people creating or looking for cool events in Amsterdam.
🔹 All posts must include a date, time, and location.
🔹 Unrelated posts or members will be removed.
🔹 Please respect the group’s mission and report any inappropriate posts or behavior.
***PLEASE READ THE GROUP RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS***
Request to join the group, once you've signed up to our newsletter you're request will be approved. You must have a profile pic.
NEWSLETTER:
Visit http://expatrepublic.com/mailing-list/ to join the newsletter.
HOUSING:
If you are looking for a room/house please checkout:
http://www.expatrepublic.com/resources-finding-house-room-netherlands/
BUYING A HOUSE CHECKOUT:
http://www.expatrepublic.com/buying-house-near-amsterdam/
TENANT SEARCH AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (FILL IN THE FORM)
http://expatrepublic.com/find-a-tenant/
POSTING APARTMENTS:
You must explicitly request approval for posting apartments to the group: [email protected] failure to do so will result in immediate removal from the group.
BUSINESSES:
If you are a business and would like to promote your product or service, please contact [email protected]. Do not simply post promotional content.
A group for expats and internationals living in the Amsterdam area. Lots of ideas, tips, news, recommendations. So jump in and invite your local friends.
Based in Amsterdam, we are the largest and coolest international community in the Netherlands. Every week, we host a range of networking and social events at various hotspots in the city. Come swing by and get to know us!
Get event news and updates on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/laughingatpotatoes.amsterdam
Find us on meetup!
www.meetup.com/amsterdam-expat
Check out our new community forum expats.page: https://community.expats.page
Housing search/offers: https://community.expats.page/feed/housing
Job search/offers: https://community.expats.page/feed/jobs
Buy/Sell posts: https://community.expats.page/feed/buy-sell
We have several Whatsapp chat channels based on interest. To join, send a message to +31 6 1968 0620. Remember to state your member name either on our meetup.com page or on our facebook group and let us know which event you're interested in so we can slot you in the proper groups.
A community group serving as a useful means of communication for anyone living in the Netherlands. A place to share accurate information, to keep each other up to date with relevant info. To spread the word about expat friendly local businesses and service providers that you recommend (or not as the case might sometimes be).
STATING THE OBVIOUS:
Keep it clean and use appropriate language.
Ads are accepted. Please use your initiative with the regularity that you are posting. It gets boring to see the same thing over and over.
When using this page, please respect the views and beliefs of other people.
It's a word of mouth world!
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.
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.
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.
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.
A place has closed, something has changed?
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.
What mums ask when they arrive in Amsterdam, in short, sourced answers.
Dutch school or French school: where do we start?
Dutch school is free and takes children from age 4; immersion works very well for little ones, but some schools have waiting lists. The two accredited French schools (the International French School in Oud-Zuid and the École française d'Amsterdam in De Pijp) have limited places: apply as soon as the move is confirmed. Fees are on our page /en/cities/amsterdam/school-fees/.
No: as French citizens, a valid ID card or passport is enough to live and work in the Netherlands, and IND registration has not been compulsory since 2014. Only a non-EU family member must apply for a residence permit. The essential step is municipal registration, detailed on /en/cities/amsterdam/settling-in/.
The BSN is your personal number, used for both tax and social security. You get it by registering in your municipality's population register, compulsory for stays over four months; in Amsterdam, the IN Amsterdam desk handles it. Without it, you cannot get paid, open an account or take out health insurance.
Yes, the whole family must take out Dutch basic insurance within four months of arrival, but children under 18 pay neither premium nor deductible. Adults pay a monthly premium and an annual deductible of 385 euros in 2026, excluding GP visits. It is all explained on /en/cities/amsterdam/health/.
No: in the Netherlands, the huisarts, the family doctor, is the gateway to all care and refers you to a hospital paediatrician if needed. Register the whole family with a huisarts near home on arrival. For under-4s, the consultatiebureau provides free check-ups and vaccines.
Source ↗What if my child falls ill in the evening or at the weekend?
Call the Amsterdam GP out-of-hours service on 088 003 0600, 5 pm to 8 am on weekdays and 24 hours at weekends: you cannot walk in without an appointment. For a life-threatening emergency, dial 112. The reference paediatric emergency department is at the Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC (AMC site).
Source ↗Where can we find a French-speaking doctor or therapist?
The consulate general publishes a list of French-speaking doctors, dentists and psychologists in the Netherlands; in Amsterdam it mostly includes dentists, psychologists including some for children, a midwife and a postnatal carer. For everyday care, most GPs speak excellent English. Our selection is on /en/cities/amsterdam/health/.
Source ↗Which neighbourhoods do French families live in?
Mostly in the south: Oud-Zuid around Museumplein and Beethovenstraat, De Pijp and Rivierenbuurt, close to the two French schools; some families choose Amstelveen for its houses with gardens. The rental market is very tight, so prepare your file before searching. Details are on /en/cities/amsterdam/settling-in/.
For leases signed since 1 July 2023, at most two months' basic rent, and the contract must be in writing. If the landlord uses an agency, the landlord pays the agency fees. Beware of listings that look too good and never pay before viewing.
Source ↗How do we arrange childcare for an under-4?
Daycare centres (kinderdagverblijf) take children before school, and playgroups (peuterspeelzaal) from age two and a half, on a voluntary basis. Places are in demand and daycare is expensive, but childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag), calculated on income, refunds part of it. Sign up early, sometimes during pregnancy.
Under-4s always travel free, and children aged 4 to 11 registered in Amsterdam travel free within the city; elsewhere, they get 34% off with a personal OV-chipkaart. By train, the free Kids Vrij pass lets under-12s travel free with a paying adult. The rest is done by bike, see /en/cities/amsterdam/family-outings/.
Source ↗How do we meet other French-speaking families?
Amsterdam Accueil, part of the FIAFE network, runs pram coffees, bike outings, neighbourhood lunches and a monthly café, and neighbourhood hosts help newcomers. The Alliance française runs classes for French-speaking children, and the school gates of the IFSA and the École française do the rest.
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