Drivers pay more at the pump as Dutch petrol prices soar

With rising oil prices, petrol in the Netherlands has become increasingly expensive in the past few days. Near record-high prices mean more drivers are heading across the border to fill their tanks where it is less expensive.

Petrol prices in the Netherlands approach record high

The price of oil has risen above 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since 2022, and this is going to be felt by drivers at the pump. According to Derk Foolen, a fuel expert at consumer organisation UnitedConsumers, a significant petrol price rise is on the way. 

“Motorists will start to notice the first effects of the major changes," Foolen told AD. On Tuesday, March 10, the price of diesel is set to rise from 2,46 euros to over 2,50 euros per litre - the previous record high was 2,37 euros.

The suggested retail price for a litre of Euro95 petrol is also approaching record highs. Currently, it’s sitting at 2,39 euros per litre, up from 2,28 euros before the war broke out in the Middle East. The record is 2,50 euros per litre from June 2022 when oil prices rose due to the war in Ukraine.

Oil prices are rising due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route for oil and gas in the Middle East. Major oil producers such as Kuwait, Iran and the United Arab Emirates have also halted oil production.

No petrol tax cuts on the horizon for Dutch drivers

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced on the weekend that while he is closely monitoring the situation, petrol taxes will not be reduced yet. The government previously lowered petrol taxes in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine led to spikes in fuel and energy prices. 

The fuel tax cuts were extended multiple times until the beginning of 2026, when petrol taxes were increased once again. Gas prices have also been on the rise, but the finance minister has said that it is “too early to panic”, claiming that the Netherlands is less vulnerable to price spikes due to less reliance on a single supplier.

Dutch petrol prices have risen more sharply than those of neighbouring countries and many drivers are taking advantage of that fact. Belgian and German petrol stations on the border have seen many residents from the Netherlands filling their tanks in recent days.

According to NOS, while petrol in the Netherlands costs well over 2 euros a litre, it is often less than 2 euros in Belgium and Germany. This has caused long queues at petrol stations across the border, mostly due to Dutch drivers. "When we arrive around noon, the cars are lined up all the way down the street," VRT NWS reports. "Remarkably, almost all the license plates in the queue are yellow with black lettering."

Increasing petrol prices mean that other products will also become more expensive as transport costs rise, from building materials to groceries at the supermarket.