Will the nationwide fireworks ban in the Netherlands be effective?

The nationwide fireworks ban is officially in force in the Netherlands from this month. However, many people have said they still plan to set off fireworks for New Year's this year, so the question is: how effective will the ban actually be?

1 in 7 people in the Netherlands set off fireworks

After years of working towards a nationwide fireworks ban, Dutch residents have officially been banned from buying and setting off consumer fireworks as of August 1, 2026. An RTL Nieuws survey asked participants about their thoughts on the ban. 

42 percent of survey participants said they would have preferred a complete fireworks ban without exceptions. Of the 20.000 people surveyed, one in seven has set off fireworks themselves in recent years, 97 percent of whom set off category F2 or even stronger fireworks, such as rockets, cakes, compound boxes and firecrackers, reports RTL Nieuws. 

While 7 percent of people who usually set off fireworks want to apply for an exemption permit, 57 percent plan to set off fireworks whether they have a permit or not. "Fireworks are a ritual for me, and always will be. I am willing to accept any fines or prison sentence for that," said one survey participant. Another panel member doesn’t think they’ll get caught. "The police have better things to do," they said.

Few exemption applications since fireworks ban implemented 

On August 1, the nationwide fireworks ban was officially implemented. The start date was chosen to give municipalities enough time to process and grant exemptions for groups and associations.

The ban was first approved in April 2025, before the government decided to introduce an exception allowing clubs, neighbourhood associations and other organised groups to apply for permits to set off fireworks. Under the ban, residents are not allowed to set off fireworks of category F2 or higher on New Year’s Eve, but can still use category F1 fireworks, such as sparklers and bang snaps.

Clubs that receive exemption have to prove they have a “clear local connection” before being allowed to set off F2 fireworks. The association must also include the location, firing times, supervision, safety plan and site plan with their permit application.

Some municipalities have decided they will not be accepting applications for exemptions, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Breda, Maastricht and Delft, among others.

Since the firework ban has been in place, residents have been able to submit an application for an exemption from the fireworks ban with their municipalities. An NU.nl survey of municipalities revealed that not many applications have yet been submitted. 

However, even if applications do start rolling in, there are concerns that there won’t be enough time to process them. The associations need to register with the Chamber of Commerce before submitting an application, after which it still needs to be processed by the municipality before the group is permitted to purchase the fireworks - all of which is a lengthy process, according to a spokesperson for the municipality of North-East Friesland, Benjamin Smit.

Illegal fireworks see growing activity

A spokesperson for the Fireworks Enthusiasts’ Association, Jeffrey Peters told NU.nl that he is not surprised that there hasn’t been much interest in exemption permits so far. With all the rules involved, he believes it has "become too high a barrier in this way to offer a good alternative to the illegal market”.

This will likely lead to increased purchases of illegal fireworks. "Illegal fireworks are already more readily available than usual around this time of year. And fireworks are still readily available among our southern and eastern neighbours as well," said Peters.

With many turning to illegal fireworks and planning to set off fireworks despite the ban, it remains unclear whether the nationwide ban will be effective. Municipalities and the police have also already struggled with enforcement in cities that had local bans in previous years due to staff shortages and concerns around safety.