Religion & Faith in Netherlands: Expat Guide

Moving to the Netherlands as a person of faith involves a particular kind of adjustment. Dutch society is secular in a way that goes beyond just low church attendance — religion genuinely has a smaller footprint in daily public life here than in most of the world. At the same time, the Netherlands has a long tradition of tolerance, constitutional freedom of religion, and a diverse immigrant population that has brought and sustained religious communities from every tradition.

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Religious Life in the Netherlands: The Big Picture

The Secular Majority

More than half of the Dutch population identifies as having no religion. This is one of the highest rates of non-religiosity in the world. The trend has been consistent since the 1960s and shows no sign of reversing.

What this means in daily life:

• Religion is rarely discussed in casual conversation — it is considered a private matter
• References to religion in public settings are uncommon
• Most Dutch people will not know or ask about your faith
• Religious public holidays (Christmas, Easter) are observed as national holidays but largely stripped of religious content in public celebration

For religious expats, this can feel strange — particularly if you come from a country where faith is a major social organising principle. It is not that Dutch people disrespect your beliefs. They simply operate in a framework where beliefs are personal and private.

The Pillarisation Legacy (Verzuiling)

Historically, Dutch society was organised by “pillars” (zuilen) — distinct social groupings along religious and political lines, each with their own schools, newspapers, hospitals, and social organisations. Catholics had Catholic schools, Protestant communities had Protestant organisations, and so on.

This system mostly dissolved from the 1960s onward, but its legacy is visible:

• Many Dutch schools still have a religious denomination (Catholic, Protestant) even if they are no longer effectively religious in practice
• Some older social organisations trace their roots to religious communities
• The respect for distinct community organising that the pillarisation system represented is still culturally present in a diffuse way

Religious Demographics (2026 Estimate)

Finding Your Faith Community

Christian Communities

Catholic: The Roman Catholic Church has significant presence in the south of the Netherlands (Noord-Brabant, Limburg) where it historically dominated. International Catholic communities exist in Amsterdam and The Hague. Many Catholic churches now offer Mass in multiple languages.

Protestant: The Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (PKN) is the main Protestant body, formed from the merger of Reformed and Lutheran traditions. The English Reformed Church in Amsterdam and similar congregations serve English-speaking Protestants. The Hague has several English-language Protestant options.

Evangelical and charismatic: International evangelical churches operate in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Eindhoven. These are often the most explicitly international communities, with English as the primary language and members from dozens of countries.

Eastern Orthodox: Greek, Romanian, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox communities exist in Amsterdam and other large cities, serving their respective expat populations.

Muslim Communities

The Netherlands has approximately 900,000 Muslims. Mosques are present across the country, with the largest concentrations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.

Most established mosques primarily serve Moroccan (Marokkaans) and Turkish (Turks) communities in Dutch and their heritage languages. For internationally mobile English-speaking Muslims, larger mosques often have some English capacity, and organisations like the Muslim Cultural Centre in Amsterdam cater to a more international audience.

Prayer facilities in workplaces: Dutch employers are legally required to accommodate religious practice where reasonable. If you need a prayer space at work, request it directly from HR. The Netherlands is generally accommodating, but Dutch work culture does not pre-empt your needs — ask clearly.

Jewish Communities

Amsterdam’s Jewish community has deep historical roots. Active congregations include:

• The Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue (Esnoga) — one of the oldest functioning synagogues in the world, Sephardic tradition
• The Ashkenazi NIK congregations
• Liberal Jewish communities

The Jewish Historical Museum (Joods Historisch Museum) in Amsterdam is both a cultural institution and a reference point for the community. The Netherlands’ Jewish history is profound — and painful. Understanding it is part of understanding the country. Amsterdam has kosher restaurants and shops to serve the community.

Hindu Communities

The Netherlands has one of the largest Hindu communities in Western Europe, primarily consisting of people of Surinamese descent (Hindostani). Temples are present in Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, and Surinamese-concentrated areas. For Indian Hindus and other South Asian expats, these communities are welcoming though the predominant cultural background differs somewhat.

Buddhist Communities

Buddhist centres and temples exist in larger Dutch cities, often affiliated with Theravada, Tibetan, or Zen traditions. Most operate internationally in English.

Religious Rights at Work and in Daily Life

Religious Holidays

The Netherlands officially recognises:

• Christmas (two days — 25 and 26 December)
• Good Friday and Easter Monday
• Ascension Day
• Whit Monday
• New Year’s Day
• King’s Day (27 April)

If your religious calendar includes holidays not on this list — Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Yom Kippur, Diwali, or others — you can request these as personal holiday (verlof) days. Most Dutch employers accommodate this without issue. Request early and be direct about what you need.

Dietary Requirements

Halal and kosher food is available in major Dutch cities. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, and ethnic grocery shops stock halal meat. Dedicated halal butchers and supermarkets operate in areas with large Muslim populations. Kosher certified products are available in Amsterdam. See our Dutch supermarkets guide for more.

At work events and restaurants, vegetarian and vegan options are widely available and Dutch restaurants generally understand halal dietary requirements in cities with diverse populations. Less so in small towns.

Religious Dress

You have the right to wear religious dress in the Netherlands. Headscarves, turbans, yarmulkes, and other religious attire are legally protected. Some specific settings (courts, certain police roles) have specific clothing rules, but in general employment and daily life, religious dress is your right.

Secularism and Social Integration

One thing religious expats sometimes find jarring is that Dutch society’s secularism is not hostile to religion — it is more like benign indifference. Your Dutch neighbours and colleagues are unlikely to have strong feelings about your faith. They may not know much about it. They will likely not ask.

This can feel isolating if your faith community is a major source of social connection. The practical response is to be proactive about finding your faith community rather than waiting for it to happen organically through work or neighbourhood connections.

Joining your faith community early is one of the most effective ways to build a social network in the Netherlands. It connects you to people who share your values and, for expat faith communities in particular, to people who understand the specific experience of navigating Dutch life from a religious perspective.

Our making friends in the Netherlands guide and our broader Dutch culture and humor guide give context on social connection more generally.

Religious Schools

If you have children and want faith-based education, the Netherlands retains religious schools as a legacy of the pillarisation system:

• Catholic schools (rooms-katholieke scholen): Largely in the south; many operate more as culturally Catholic than actively religious
• Protestant schools: PKN-affiliated; vary in religious intensity
• Islamic schools: A smaller number of Islamic primary schools operate in the Netherlands
• Jewish schools: In Amsterdam; serving the Jewish community

All religious schools in the Netherlands operate within the national curriculum and receive state funding — a unique aspect of Dutch educational law (Artikel 23 of the constitution). They are inspected by the national education inspectorate.

See our international schools guide and our moving to the Netherlands with kids guide for more on the school system.

Faith Communities and Expat Social Life

For many religious expats, the faith community is not just spiritual — it is social infrastructure. Churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues provide ready-made community, regular gathering points, practical mutual aid, and the particular comfort of shared belief.

In a country where secular Dutch friendships form slowly (see our full guide to making friends in the Netherlands), an active faith community can dramatically reduce isolation in the early months. The social warmth that can feel absent in Dutch secular environments is often abundantly present within religious communities — particularly international ones.

If you have children, faith communities often provide children’s programmes, youth groups, and connections to other families. This is especially valuable alongside the school adjustment process — see our moving to Netherlands with kids guide for the broader picture.

Celebrating Religious Holidays in the Netherlands

The Netherlands’ public holiday calendar is largely secular or Christian-derived. If your religious calendar includes festivals not officially recognised:

Practical steps:

• Request annual leave (verlof) well in advance for your key festivals
• Communicate clearly with your employer — Dutch directness extends to personal requests, and a direct, matter-of-fact explanation is received better than vagueness
• If dietary requirements matter during festivals, the Dutch supermarkets guide covers where to find specialist food items

For the officially Dutch public holidays, see our Dutch public holidays and time off guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I experience religious discrimination in the Netherlands?

Overt religious discrimination is illegal and genuinely rare. However, some research suggests that people with Arabic- or Turkish-sounding names experience more difficulty in the housing and job market. This is a documented reality that affects Muslim expats disproportionately. Dutch anti-discrimination law (AWGB) protects against this and complaints can be submitted to the College voor de Rechten van de Mens.

Is Friday prayer (Jumah) accommodated in workplaces?

Dutch law requires employers to accommodate reasonable religious practice. You can request a longer lunch break on Fridays for Jumah prayers. Most employers accommodate this, especially in larger cities. Be direct about your request — Dutch work culture responds well to clear, matter-of-fact requests.

Are there English-language religious services in smaller Dutch cities?

In cities under 100,000 people, English-language religious services are uncommon. You may need to travel to the nearest large city, or participate in online services for English-language worship. Many faith communities have addressed this through online streaming since the pandemic.

How do I find a specific religious community?

The best starting points are: your host university or employer’s international office (they often know of local expat faith groups), online expat forums and Facebook groups specific to your city, and websites maintained by national religious organisations (PKN, CMO for Muslims, NIK for Jews). Internations.org also has religious groups listed in most Dutch cities.

Does the Netherlands have religious broadcasting or media?

Yes. The NPO (public broadcaster) has a dedicated religious and philosophy programme slot, historically allocated to different faith communities. EO (Evangelische Omroep) is a large Protestant broadcaster within the NPO system. Religious content in Dutch is widely available; English-language Dutch religious media is limited.

Are there any tensions between religious communities and Dutch secular society?

The main areas of tension in recent years have involved questions around Islamic schools, headscarves in certain public sector roles, and exemptions from equal treatment law requested by religious organisations. These are genuine policy debates, but they do not translate to hostility toward individual religious people in daily life. The Netherlands remains constitutionally committed to freedom of religion. For broader context on Dutch social norms and how directness shapes daily interactions, see our Dutch culture and directness guide.

Religious Holidays and Dutch Working Life

The Netherlands officially recognises a number of religious holidays as national public holidays (nationale feestdagen):

• Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag): Not a national public holiday in law, but widely observed in business
• Easter Sunday and Monday (Eerste and Tweede Paasdag): Public holidays
• Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag): Public holiday (40 days after Easter)
• Whit Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag): Public holiday
• Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Eerste and Tweede Kerstdag): Public holidays

For Muslim employees, Friday prayer (Jumah) and Eid holidays are not national public holidays. Employees can request time off for Eid using their annual leave entitlement. Dutch employers are generally cooperative with this. Be direct about your request in advance — Dutch work culture responds well to clear, practical requests framed around scheduling rather than permission-seeking.

For Jewish employees, the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur) and Passover similarly require vacation days. The Amsterdam Jewish community has a specific history and infrastructure that makes observance in Amsterdam more feasible than in smaller cities.

Faith as a Social Entry Point

One aspect of religious community that is often underestimated by new arrivals is its social function. For many expats — particularly those who are not professionally connected to large organisations or universities — a religious community is one of the fastest ways to form genuine local friendships.

The reason is structural: religious communities meet regularly, have shared activities and projects, include members of all ages and backgrounds, and have an inherent orientation toward welcoming newcomers. Unlike a gym or a hobby club, a faith community is explicitly designed around belonging.

For expats who are not religious but are looking for community, the broader secular volunteering landscape (covered in the volunteering guide) provides a parallel structure.

A Note on the Netherlands’ Secular Majority

The majority of Dutch people identify as non-religious (around 55% in recent surveys). This does not mean the Netherlands is hostile to religion — it is genuinely tolerant in both the legal and cultural sense. But it does mean that religion is not a common topic in Dutch social and professional conversation. Dutch colleagues may not know that you observe religious practices, may not ask, and will not assume. This can feel isolating if you are used to religion being a more visible part of everyday social life.

Being matter-of-fact about your faith practices — “I will be leaving early on Friday for prayer” or “I do not eat during Ramadan, so I will skip the team lunch this month” — is the Dutch approach. The directness that characterises Dutch communication applies here too. Clear, practical communication about what you need is received far better than vague hinting or avoidance.

Finding Religious Community: A City-by-City Guide

Amsterdam: Amsterdam has the widest range of religious communities of any Dutch city. The English-language church options are particularly strong:

• Amsterdam Community Church: Evangelical, English-language, international congregation meeting centrally
• Westerkerk: The historic Reformed church where Rembrandt is buried; several Dutch-language services plus English services
• St. John and St. Ursula: English-speaking Catholic community
• Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter: The Joods Historisch Museum area hosts several synagogues; the Liberal Jewish Community (LJG Amsterdam) is active and welcoming
• Mosque options: Over 40 mosques in Amsterdam, including large community mosques in Slotervaart and Surinameplein serving Turkish, Moroccan, and international Muslim communities

Rotterdam: Rotterdam’s diverse population is reflected in its religious landscape. The Rotterdam Islamic Foundation (Islamitische Stichting Nederland) runs several major mosques. The international church community includes Redeemer Rotterdam (international evangelical), Rotterdam English Reformed Church, and several Indonesian-Dutch congregations reflecting the colonial history.

The Hague: The diplomatic community’s presence in The Hague creates a notably international religious landscape. The American Church of The Hague (Protestant), the Church of England congregation at St. John and St. Philip, and the international Catholic community at the Cathedrale Basiliek serve the diplomatic expat population specifically.

Utrecht: Utrecht has an active student religious community alongside the established city congregations. The Domkerk (the great Gothic cathedral) is central to city identity. Several international and English-language evangelical congregations operate alongside traditional Dutch Reformed communities.

Eindhoven: Eindhoven’s international technical community (particularly the ASML workforce and TU/e faculty) has created demand for English-language religious services. The International Church of Eindhoven and the international Catholic Mass serve this community.

The Legal Framework: Religious Freedom in the Netherlands

The Netherlands’ approach to religious freedom is anchored in Article 6 of the Dutch Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion in both private and organised forms. This right is broad and consistently upheld. In practice, it means:

• Religious organisations can operate freely without state registration requirements
• Religious schools can teach within their faith tradition (subject to national curriculum standards)
• Employers must accommodate reasonable religious practice (prayer breaks, religious dress, time off for religious observance) unless there is a specific and documented operational reason not to
• Religious communities can own property, build places of worship (subject to standard planning permissions), and receive tax-exempt status as charities (ANBI status)

The separation of church and state (scheiding van kerk en staat) is a constitutional principle, which means the state does not fund religious activities — but equally does not interfere with them. Religious organisations fund themselves through donations (vrijwillige bijdragen) and, for recognised charities, can receive tax-deductible donations.

For expats coming from countries with state religions or state-controlled religious organisations, the Dutch framework can feel unusually open and unregulated — in a good way. Your faith community operates on its own terms, not at the discretion of a government ministry. If you want to establish a new religious community or register an existing one as a charity, the ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) registration process through the Belastingdienst is the route to take — it enables tax-deductible donations and exempts the organisation from certain taxes. The process is straightforward and fully documented on the Belastingdienst website in Dutch, with English guidance available through legal advisors.

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