Each country has its own specific use of technology. An example of a distinct system is the card system: you may have gone to the supermarket before moving to the Netherlands and they don't accept the Romanian card. At the checkout counter you would be astonished to find that they do not accept the most popular types of cards in the world. Likewise, there are mobile apps used predominantly in this country. Whether you're looking for a house, a nanny, want to sell three quarters of your stuff to live minimalistically - there's an app for all that.
We've put together a list of some of the most popular and frequently used mobile apps:
DigiD
DigiD is short for Digitale Identiteit. It is useful as soon as you have registered in the Netherlands and you need this application to authenticate yourself with several institutions, be it the tax authorities, education, healthcare or the pension fund. It's a way to log in easily and having the security of your personal data.
Funda
This is one of the apps to help you search for the perfect home. Whether you're looking to rent or buy a place to convert from to homeThe functionality of the system can be of real use to you.
Imagine you're walking down a street in your city and you see a "For Sale" sign; pull out your phone and you're sure to find the ad on the Funda. There you can see pictures, dimensions, call for a viewing, basically anything you're interested in.
Too Good to Go
The app is not Dutch, but it has caught on quite well because at its core is the fight against food waste.
Restaurants, supermarkets and shops offer a magic box at a third of the price in which the food is close to its expiry date.
It is recommended that you take your own bag and as far as possible travel on foot, by bicycle or any other environmentally friendly means, so that the aim of protecting the environment is achieved. What's interesting is that you don't know what you'll get, so every box is a surprise (but you can select for example if you only want vegetarian food).
Tikkie
The Tikkie payments app makes it easy to make quick transfers with your phone. Probably one of the most used formulas in recent years is "send a tikkie".
Vinted
It is an app used to sell or buy second-hand clothes, accessories, toys. Vinted exists in several countries and shipping can be very advantageous.
Marktplaats
Looking for a babysitter, new bike or want to sell furniture? Markplaats is the ideal platform. It's similar to Vinted, but much more extensive in terms of products you can sell or buy. It has been successful for over 20 years, with thousands of people posting ads every day.
HelloFresh
An interesting concept, you can order the box of ready portioned food to cook at home. The box contains exactly what you need for your chosen dish, the recipe with easy-to-follow instructions and the nutritional value.
Thuisbezorgd
It's very popular for delivering food from restaurants, cafes or your favourite places. If you're not sure what to have for dinner, you're craving "something good", enter your zip code into the app and see what options are around.
9292
Very good for planning trips using public transport, it's also useful because you can see the price of the trip in advance. Enter your departure point and destination and possibly the time and find the optimal route for the journey you have to make. It also contains information on what the traffic is like at the time. What's more, you can buy your ticket online from the app.
And finally, two absolutely necessary applications, given the weather in the Netherlands:
BuienRadar
This is one of the apps used to find out the weather forecast. Well, with how often it rains, you need to know if you should plan a picnic for the weekend or if you need to take shelter from the rain or storm.
BuienAlarm
You don't leave the house without consulting this app, which lets you know when and how much it's raining in your area! It's your best tip for planning your journey to work by bike or public transport, telling you the minute it starts raining. Sometimes it gets it wrong, but in most cases the information is correct.
Article by Alexandra Gogonea.
Alexandra is passionate about writing, travel and photography. She has been living in Amsterdam since 2020 with her family and decided to become a ROMPRO volunteer to give something back, after she in turn felt she had been given a helping hand when they moved to the Netherlands during the pandemic and the Romanian School was for a while the only interaction with other people.
