Summer 2026 Program Calendar will be available in May!

Food & Drink Groceries per week, if you cook every meal at home €100 Breakfast at a restaurant €10-15 Lunch at a restaurant €10-20 Dinner at a restaurant €20-40 Soft drink €4 Coffee €4-6 Housing Key replacement fee (if key is lost, stolen, or damaged) €25-75 (Depending on housing) Local transportation Weekly tram and bus pass €40 Monthly tram and bus pass €100 Bike Rental and lock €60-100 for full term Personal Necessities Toiletries per week €5 Laundry per week €10 (for detergent or other supplies) Social Activity & Entertainment Movie Ticket €14 Concert/Theater performance Varies Museum...

Visit the State Department's Information page for detailed information about safety in the Netherlands.

Students are able to receive mail and packages to the IES Abroad Center as well as directly to their housing location. If you are shipping a debit or credit card, we recommend that you disguise it as regular mail (i.e., put it in a birthday card or use a cardboard FedEx or UPS envelope). All of your mail should be addressed to you at the IES Abroad Amsterdam Center: Your Name c/o IES Abroad Amsterdam Center Geldersekade 101-D 1011 EM Amsterdam The Netherlands While you are free to receive mail addressed to you at the IES Abroad Center, you may also get it delivered to your housing location...

It is impossible to define a "typical" Dutch person. You will meet many types of people in the Netherlands who have different opinions, attitudes, and habits. The more you interact with Dutch people, the more likely you are to form lasting relationships with them and better understand their culture. During these interactions, use common sense and a sense of objectivity. Be prepared to discuss your views freely and openly, and try to listen with an open mind. You may arrive in the Netherlands with some preconceptions about the Dutch and may encounter some Dutch people with preconceptions about...

Before departing for the Netherlands, you should exchange between about €50 - €150 in order to cover incidental expenses during your first few days in Amsterdam. Euros can be purchased at large banks in the United States and at most international airports. Dutch Bank Account Credit and Debit cards like Visa or Mastercard are becoming more widely accepted. Google Pay and Apple Pay are also widely accepted. That being said, opening a bank account while in Amsterdam is possible once you have registered at City Hall. ATM When accessing a bank account through an ATM card, we recommend the following...

The Dutch monetary unit is the euro (€). The euro functions similarly to the US dollar in that it is subdivided into 100 cents. There are eight-euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cents. In the Netherlands, 1- and 2-euro cents are not used and it is common for places to round up to the nearest 5-euro-cent amount. Each euro coin has a common European face and a face designed by each monetary member EU state. All coins can be used in every monetary member EU country. There are seven-euro notes which are differently sized and colored, and come in denominations of...