October 2025: 7 things expats in the Netherlands need to know

There’s a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in. October is just around the corner, meaning we are properly heading into autumn, and a whole host of changes are on their way. From the October 29 election day to new travel rules in the EU, here’s what expats in the Netherlands need to know about in October 2025. 

1. Election Day on October 29

After Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the Dutch government and Dick Schoof submitted the resignation of the cabinet, the Netherlands will hold a snap general election on October 29, 2025, to elect a new government. 

September polling puts PVV, GroenLinks.PvdA and D66 as the two largest parties going into the election, with the VVD having experienced a huge drop in support since May 2025. The first exit poll will be released at 9pm on the evening of October 29, but the result won’t be fully clear until the morning of Thursday, October 30. 

Barring a surprise landslide victory for any party, the rest of the year will almost certainly see months of negotiations as the biggest parties seek to form a coalition government. 

2. EU’s Entry/Exit system gets going

The EU’s new border system, known as the Entry-Exit System or EES, will come into effect on October 12. That will see some changes for people from non-EU countries travelling into the bloc, including the Netherlands. 

The new system aims to enhance the efficiency and security of border checks within the EU. It is an automated IT system that records certain details about non-EU nationals coming to Europe for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of any EU country using the system. Instead of stamping the person’s passport, the information about their entries and exits, along with either a photo or a fingerprint scan, will be held electronically.

3. Dynamic electricity pricing comes into effect

From October 1, 2025, the way electricity prices are calculated on the wholesale market in the Netherlands will change. Prices will no longer be calculated per hour but per 15 minutes (quarterly pricing). The change is part of a broader modernisation of the European electricity market and is aimed at better matching supply and demand with the growing share of renewable energy. 

Nothing will obviously change on your utility bill, unless you have a dynamic electricity contract with your energy supplier in the Netherlands, in which case from October 1 you might start being charged prices that change every 15 minutes. 

Although it sounds a lot more complex, the system enables users to take advantage of cheaper electricity, for example during periods of strong sunshine or wind. Quarterly pricing is expected to become standard across all suppliers by 2026. 

4. Health insurers to release 2026 premium rates

Some health insurers have already begun to advertise their premium rates for next year, and the rest should follow sometime in October, so keep an eye out for communication to be advised of your updated premiums for 2026. 

Thanks to some additional budget allocated to health insurers from the Dutch government, premiums should remain pretty stable this year, with the average increase expected to be around 6 euros per month. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t savings to be made by shopping around. If you wish to switch to a new health insurer, you can do this during the “switching season” between mid-November and the end of December. 

5. Amsterdam celebrates its 750th birthday

Celebrations have already been going on since this time last year, but on October 27, 2025, Amsterdam will officially celebrate its 750th anniversary. The city has scheduled a special programme of events in the 75 hours leading up to this milestone, including a Story Festival on October 24, a city-wide food festival between October 24 and 27, and a National Celebration concert on October 27. 

If you like cake, get yourself down to Dam Square, where on October 27 a 75-metre-long specimen will be cut into 7.500 pieces at 7.50am and handed out to passersby. 

6. Autumn school vacation

It might feel like the summer holidays have only just ended, but primary and secondary schools across the Netherlands will close again in October for the autumn vacation, which takes place for one week sometime between October 11 and October 26, depending on your location. 

7. Clocks go back

Last but not least, the end of October will see the end of summer time and the return of regular or winter time as the clocks go back at 3am on Sunday, October 26. The time change will let us enjoy lighter mornings but see darkness draw in earlier in the evenings. The good news is that you get to enjoy an additional hour in bed.