Regulation

Where Tourists Are Welcome and Where They're Not

In the Netherlands, the policy regarding tourists' access to coffeeshops varies across different cities. Some cities restrict access to coffeeshops for tourists, while others welcome them. This is typically implemented to manage issues related to drug tourism close to the border with Belgium and Germany, control the flow of visitors, and regulate the sale of cannabis.

 

Cities where tourists are not welcome in coffeeshops include Maastricht, Sittard, Geleen, Goes (and the rest of Zeeland), Breda, Oss, Den Bosch, Venray, Terneuzen, Doetinchem, Dordrecht, Culemborg, Amersfoort, and Haarlemmermeer.

 

On the other hand, tourists are generally allowed access to coffeeshops in cities such as Amsterdam, Kerkrade, Venlo, The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Gouda, Leiden, Roermond, Tilburg, Eindhoven, Weert, Winschoten, Assen, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Meppel, Emmen, Zwolle, Delft, Schiedam, Gorinchem, Zoetermeer, Haarlem, Hengelo, Enschede, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Zutphen, Apeldoorn, and Deventer.

 

It's essential for visitors to check the local regulations before planning to visit a coffeeshop, as policies may change over time and could vary within different municipalities.

En Français - For the French

Réglementation : Où les touristes sont les bienvenus et où ils ne le sont pas.

Aux Pays-Bas, la politique concernant l'accès des touristes aux coffee-shops varie d'une ville à l'autre. Certaines villes restreignent l'accès aux coffee-shops pour les touristes, tandis que d'autres les accueillent. Cela est généralement mis en œuvre pour gérer les problèmes liés au tourisme lié à la drogue, contrôler le flux de visiteurs et réguler la vente de cannabis.

 

Les villes où les touristes ne sont pas les bienvenus dans les coffee-shops comprennent Maastricht, Sittard, Geleen, Goes (et le reste de la Zélande), Breda, Oss, Den Bosch, Venlo, Venray, Terneuzen, Doetinchem, Dordrecht, Culemborg, Amersfoort et Haarlemmermeer.

 

En revanche, les touristes sont généralement autorisés à accéder aux coffee-shops dans des villes telles qu'Amsterdam, Kerkrade, La Haye, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Gouda, Leiden, Roermond, Tilburg, Eindhoven, Weert, Winschoten, Assen, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Meppel, Emmen, Zwolle, Delft, Schiedam, Gorinchem, Zoetermeer, Haarlem, Hengelo, Enschede, Nimègue, Arnhem, Zutphen, Apeldoorn et Deventer.

 

Il est essentiel pour les visiteurs de vérifier la réglementation locale avant de planifier une visite dans un coffee-shop, car les politiques peuvent changer avec le temps et pourraient varier d'une municipalité à l'autre.

Comments: 4
  • #4

    Lisa (Tuesday, 22 October 2024 15:15)

    No. Unfortunately not in Maastricht, I tried. You can make a day trip to Kerkrade though and head Down Under

  • #3

    tVere (Monday, 17 June 2024 20:48)

    Goededag!
    My wife and I are planning to visit the Netherlands in November/December of this year for the Christmas markets and for my wife's first trip abroad. A little bit about us: we are in our 50' & 60's (years of age); we are from Oregon in the United States where marijuana has been fully legal for nearly 10 years - it is regulated by the same government entity that regulates alcohol in our state; we are not marijuana tourists, but instead are tourists who happen to smoke marijuana. Our plan was to tour the Netherlands beginning with Maastricht and moving from there up to Utrecht as our base destination, from which we would make day trips throughout the nation. Is there ANY chance of our being allowed to purchase marijuana in Maastricht this year? We will still be visiting Maastricht (its one of my favorite Dutch cities, so we ARE going to visit) either way. I just need to know so that I can plan our trip accordingly. Here are the salient factors: we're old and EXTREMELY peaceful, we are very familiar with the effects of marijuana in its many forms (except we don't smoke tobacco), we are visiting the Netherlands to experience the Netherlands, its people, its history, its art, its public policy, and for the pannenkoeken - not for the pot. If all we wanted was pot, I would have saved the $1100USD and walked down the street to my favorite marijuana dispensary. Based on these factors, again, is there any chance of being able to purchase marijuana while we are in Maastricht?
    Dank u wel!
    tVere

  • #2

    René (Saturday, 27 April 2024 14:05)

    @ Thomas, thank you for the update! Will login later today to change it.

  • #1

    Thomas (Saturday, 27 April 2024 11:26)

    Venlo should be on the "allowed" list: all 3 coffeeshops in Venlo sell to foreigners. The "Nobody's Place" requires "registration", but that is only to make sure you're not buying more than 5g/day.