How to feel at home in Amsterdam and build a social life.
Many internationals move to Amsterdam for work, study or a new adventure. You might quickly find your way around the city. But building a social life is often a different experience. Questions we hear often:
How do I make friends in Amsterdam?
How do I meet Dutch people?
Where do I start?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Amsterdam is becoming more and more international. English is everywhere. Life moves fast. Many interactions have become more efficient — but also more distant. We order online. We work behind screens. We move through the city without always really connecting. At the same time, the need for real connection and belonging is growing.
This is something we’ve seen for years at Koentact. Since 2009, we’ve been helping internationals not only learn Dutch, but also meet people — through our courses and the Amsterdam Language Cafe. We’ve always believed that language is not just about words. It’s about connection.
Over the years, we’ve guided thousands of people who wanted to feel more at home in the Netherlands. We’ve seen what works. People don’t build a social life by waiting. They build it by doing things together. That’s why we’ve always encouraged our students to:
We often refer people to initiatives like BuurtBuik, where volunteering becomes a natural way to meet others. Read this article for more tips to make friends in Amsterdam, or check out our e-book about how you can start feeling at home in the Netherlands.
The need for better social connection is also recognised at a city level. The municipality of Amsterdam has been exploring how to support internationals in building real connections. As highlighted in this article by EenVandaag, meaningful encounters don’t just happen, they need to be facilitated.
Together with partners, we contributed to thinking about how social onboarding could be shaped in practice.
The Nexxxt Step grew out of these experiences and collaborations. Together with partners such as IN Amsterdam, Serve the City, ACCESS, Luuk van der Vaart (The Story of the NL), we developed a simple and practical approach.
The goal is clear: help people move from meeting others to actually building connections.
The Nexxxt Step focuses on three elements:
Story
Understanding the city, its culture and how people connect.
Connection
Meeting others in a relaxed and accessible way.
Action
Taking a concrete next step, together.
Many people attend events and meet others, but the connection often stays at a surface level. The difference is what happens next. The Nexxxt Step helps participants take a small, concrete step after meeting others.
This could be:
You don’t need perfect Dutch.You don’t need a large network. You need a starting point, and people to take that step with.
The Nexxxt Step is designed for:
No Dutch is required.
The Nexxxt Step was initiated by Koentact and has been developed in collaboration with partners including INAmsterdam, Serve the City, The Story of the NL and ACCESS.
The Nexxxt Step is currently offered through partner organisation IN Amsterdam, and hosted by the Amsterdam Language Cafe. If you would like to join or explore how this could work within your organisation, feel free to get in touch with Koentact or directly through: info @ nexxxtstep.nl.
Feeling at home in Amsterdam doesn’t come from understanding everything. It starts with doing something together.
“It was much better than expected. Inspiring and very well organized.”
“Great energy, inspiring people and meaningful conversations.”
“A really valuable experience — I would definitely recommend it.”
“Very inspiring and well put together.”
“It gave me new perspectives and motivation to take action.”
“I feel inspired to step out of my comfort zone.”
“The insights about connection and culture were really valuable.”
“It made me reflect on my next steps in life.”
“I learned how important it is to start conversations and connect.”
“I felt very connected to others.”
“Great way to meet people and have real conversations.”
“The atmosphere was open and welcoming.”
“It created a safe space to share and connect.”
Koen Gijzel:
“Very authentic and engaging speaker.”
“Clear story, very relatable and inspiring.”
Luuk van der Vaart:
“Strong storytelling and interesting insights.”
“Good knowledge and context.”
Serve the City team:
“Very supportive and friendly team.”
“I can apply what I learned immediately.”
“Practical insights that I can use in my daily life.”
“Helpful tips and real takeaways.”
House & job sorted? Click Here to download Koentact’s free feel-at-home e-book!
