Netherlands Emergency Guide: NL-Alert, Sirens

Emergency Preparedness in the Netherlands

If you live in the Netherlands you have heard it: at noon on the first Monday of every month, sirens sound across the country. That is a test. In 2024 the government also launched the campaign "Denk vooruit" (Think ahead), asking every household to be ready for the first 72 hours of a crisis. This page explains the system in English for residents, students, expats and visitors.

Emergency numbers

112 Police, fire and ambulance, when there is danger to life
0900 8844 Police, non-urgent

How you will be warned

NL-Alert: alerts on your mobile phone

NL-Alert sends a message with a piercing sound to every mobile phone in the danger area. It tells you what is happening, what to do and where to find more information.
It is used for serious events such as major fires, severe weather, terrorist attacks and epidemics. You do not register.
Test messages are sent twice a year, at 12:00 on the first Monday of June and of December.

Sirens

Sirens are tested at 12:00 on the first Monday of every month, with an uninterrupted sound of 1 minute and 26 seconds. The test is skipped on public holidays.
In a real emergency the siren sounds repeatedly. Do not wait for it: NL-Alert is the main warning channel.

When you hear the siren or get an NL-Alert

Go inside, or into the nearest building if you are outdoors.
Close doors and windows.
Leave children at school. Schools have their own plans.
Avoid phone calls, and follow NL-Alert, the regional emergency broadcaster on radio and trusted news sources.

What the authorities ask you to have at home

The government asks every household to keep an emergency kit (noodpakket) for the first 72 hours:

Drinking water and food that keeps for a long time
A flashlight
A battery or wind-up radio, to listen to the emergency broadcaster if there is no internet
Cash: the advice is 70 euros per adult and 30 euros per child, built up gradually, plus more than one way to pay
Medicines, a first aid kit, blankets and hygiene items

The full checklist is on the government site denkvooruit.nl. Work out the amounts with our kit calculator and see the 72-hour kit on a budget.