A new scheme to reduce pollution and prevent overcrowding on the waterways of Amsterdam in the Netherlands now requires most boats transiting the city to purchase a ‘vignette’.

Published 12 months ago

Source:  Cruising Association

Costing €40 and valid for three years, the charge applies to all Amsterdam waterways – including the Standing Mast Route used by hundreds of boats each year – with the exception of a few major waterways such as the Nordzeekanaal and Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal.

The vignette (doorvaartvignet) is a credit card type device containing a ‘chip’ to identify the boat, which must be ordered online before entering the waterways and can be collected at various locations in Amsterdam upon arrival.

Although summary information on the scheme is available in English on the City of Amsterdam Boating Through Amsterdam website pages, the major snag is that the online application can at present only be completed in Dutch, which presents a problem for most foreign boaters.

The Cruising Associations European Inland Waterways Section (EIWS) has helped decipher the application process with a 13-page guidance note explaining the fine details of the scheme and providing step-by-step translations of the numerous online pages to be navigated when ordering and paying for the vignette.

Members and non-members can download the EIWS guidance note free of charge at from the Cruising Association’s website on the Amsterdam Vignette link.

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Related Links:

• Cruising Association
• City of Amsterdam website
• Boating through Amsterdam

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