Anybody who has travelled or lived abroad will be honest enough that it’s an experience characterized by loneliness, culture shock, home sickness and many more. The case is not any different for single people moving to the Netherlands. There are moments when one feels the urge to have someone with whom to talk, share experiences or just enjoy the warmth of company.
Most single people coming to the Netherlands unfortunately do not plan their dating from the word go. There is often this cosiness and false expectation that dating is something that will just come naturally. Sorry to disappoint you that in the Netherlands, just like the rest of Europe, dating is a deliberate choice and it takes a particular effort to find a match with whom you can really get along with.
Dating in the Netherlands isn’t something to ignore
Away from the exciting street experiences, magnificent attractions, great historical monuments and bustling cultures that mark most cities in the Netherlands, there is an important space for singles. It is not strange that a single man will bump into the tall, confident, beautiful, blonde and gorgeous Dutch damsels. They are out there on the streets, clubs, cinema, universities, workplaces, name it. All one needs to do is make a pass at them and find a working pick up line, that’s it.
Single ladies coming to the Netherlands can also be sure to find a match in the often direct, opinionated, happy and realistic Dutch men. A lady wishing to be treated with a great sense of love and be given a treatment of a real queen she will find it in Dutch men. Look, if the saying that God created the World but the Dutch created Holland is anything to go by, Dutch men for sure will make real your wild fantasies as a woman and just try to treat you right. As would be expected, not all of them are good at handling women so it’s upon every individual to take their time, learn and connect with only the right ones.
Moving to the Netherlands and trying to find love; start dating
You could be moving to the Netherlands for various reasons. Be it as a student, researcher, job seeker, forced immigration or whichever but the reality is that the stress of leaving friends, your own cultural setting and family can be so real. Everyone can relate this.
Most first generation immigrants to the Netherlands move there alone with no one by their side and so they can’t stand the loneliness it comes with. As a single immigrant in the Netherlands, the feeling of loneliness will highly drive one to look for a dating partner. Given language barriers, cultural differences, shock and struggle to belong, the most natural place most singles find themselves is online dating sites in the Netherlands.
Dating sites also become the first point of call especially for people who are timid or fear outright face to face rejection that may come with first meet ups. It always feels safer to type your bios and dating expectations on dating sites and begin chatting online than just meeting up and expressing affection for this beautiful Dutch lady or handsome man.
Some of the dating sites to look up for in the Netherlands include;
- Parship.nl
- EliteDating.nl
- Victormilan.nl
- Be2.nl
- Lexa.nl
- Pepper.nl
Tricks that singles moving to the Netherlands need to master
Lack of information sometimes makes people misguided in certain areas especially when it comes to love and dating in the Netherlands. As you would guess, each and every country has its own cultures pertaining to love and ways to navigate it. So, you have to take your time to learn and master these cultures to avoid unnecessary regrets. Here are four things everyone should know before moving to the Netherlands.
1. Getting used to the Dutch culture
So many can bear out the fact that the fastest way to start dating in a new country is getting around the culture. Culture is not necessarily language, foods or dressing but also what singles expect of their matches. We are not saying that you have to be unreal to appeal, no, You only need to master the dos and don’ts. After all, anyone who is interested in dating you should also be ready to compromise on some aspects of your culture.
Just to mention, the mindset and culture of the Dutch is one of a kind. They are open minded and occasionally you will meet new faces smiling at you or just saying hi. This is their signature way of showing hospitality to foreigners and making them feel cosy. They can be very friendly, welcoming and romantic who can easily steal your heart. It is really a great place to be and even if you are not from a very distant culture, expect that you will have some adapting to do when you move to the Netherlands.
2. Starting with making Friendship must be part and parcel of your life
Those who have successfully dated Dutch ladies or men will confess that starting it off could be a nightmare. Yes, he or she can be interested in you, make occasional passes and give that “this is an amazing person” look yet not push it further immediately. You may feel disappointed when a possible match seems to take too long to out rightly call a date. To get over such experiences, its good to begin with friendship. But one thing is that you should not be so cold in the friendship to the extent of being friend-zoned. Just be ahead of the game at all times.
Let me agree that making new friends as an adult is a stage on its own in life as it comes with its own challenges especially to the introverts. Friendship is an integral part of a happy life in the Netherlands and you have to find a new one in your new home. The goal remains to find a partner but the means to it can be friendship. You can be lucky to find a few amazing people within your circle.
3. Defy the weather and embrace going outdoors to mingle with possible matches
Truth be told, the Netherlands can be very cold especially during the months of winter and Spring. The country literally goes into some kind of hibernation as people try to avoid being outdoors for a long time. As a single person, you are already dealing with the coldness of loneliness but still have to go out there to clubs, cinema, restaurants, shopping malls. Just be out there and mingle with crowds.
Also its advisable that a single person attends social events and be available to mingle and shoot your shot should you spot some amazing soul out there. So this is the secret, in winter, make your raincoats ready and in summer, your sunglasses will be handy. Probably the glasses will help take away the radiating glare of your Miss charming or prince.
4. Just embrace Integration in the Netherlands
As a single lady or man looking for love in the Netherlands, you have your own culture from your home country. There is totally nothing wrong with keeping it and being real. But remember you are entering a whole new set of cultural settings. At best, you can only expect that they will accommodate some of your ways but then, you have to be the one that gives more room for compromise.
You can expect Dutch singles to really love their culture and will want to teach you a thing here or two there. Do not feel offended or feel suffocated. It is just what it is that people will be hell bent on promoting their own culture . At any time in the Netherlands you should feel like you are really fitting well in your new home. Most people assume that their new partners will help them achieve this but no, they are not enough. The only secret to integration is to set more realistic expectations before moving in.
Dating Dutch women is something worth it
Each and everyone has their own preferences of what they are looking for in a partner they want to spend the rest of their lives with. What someone consider good in one woman may not be similar in the other, therefore there are some unique things that make Dutch women very attractive
The Dutch women are tall, blond and relatively wealthy. The fact that these women are wealthy is a plus. In the contemporary world where men want supportive women too, most men want to associate with these women because they got their partners back when it comes to financial assistance.
Dutch women are also known to be very independent and are also called career women. Almost every woman in the Netherlands if not all have pursued education and have secured jobs in different fields. Women from the Netherlands do not depend on men or their husbands/lovers to provide for them and this makes them very attractive and every man moving there wants to associate with them.
Long distance relationships in the Netherlands
Long distance relationship is not very common in Netherlands. However, any person interested in it for whatever reason must do a few things to make it works out effectively.
keep in regular contact
Most long-distance relationships couples normally schedule their dates online, funny right? Or major on long phone or video calls. Both the lady and the man must make equal efforts to ensure reach out and stay in touch. This really shows that both parties are interested.
The man should acknowledge his special days and milestones.
Even in his absence, a committed man who really wants things to work out always remembers your birthdays or anniversary. He may not be able to be physically present to celebrate it with you but the fact that he remembers it alone is enough conviction that he is into it.
3. Sharing information is a must
Whether it is a long-distance relationship or not, one needs to be open about who he is and what he feels about your relationship. At one point you will hear him mention to you about his concern, his fears or even complaints about the difficulties and relay important milestones with his long-distance partner.
4. Plans for the future
A man really interested in a long distance relationship will always share his future plans. He won’t fail discussing about living together or even marriage to you. Of course, he will be very excited to talk about it when you talk about it.
Our Final thoughts on dating in the Netherlands
Dating a Dutch man or woman still remains to be the most interesting thing everyone wants to experience. It all depends on an individual. Flexibility is all that is required of an individual. Don’t be too rigid or rather cling to your culture. All you need is flexibility for things to work out well for you.
