Is Amsterdam safe for tourists?

Each government words its advice differently, and most of the difference is about terrorism, not street crime. This is what each one tells its travellers about the Netherlands:

The Dutch government's own terrorist threat level is 4 on a scale of 5 (in Dutch), which it describes as a real chance of an attack. It kept that level in its assessment of June 2026, so stay aware of your surroundings in crowded places.

Americans. In a security alert of 16 March 2026, after targeted explosive incidents in the Netherlands and other European cities, the US Consulate General in Amsterdam asked US citizens to stay alert in crowded places, avoid demonstrations and keep a low profile. It lists +31 70 310 2209 and ACSAmsterdam@state.gov for help in Amsterdam, and +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444 for the State Department, which also sends security updates through its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

British travellers. The UK advice puts more weight on everyday problems: bag thieves on the trains and trams to Schiphol, fake police, drink spiking and the canals, all covered below. The City's "Stay away" campaign is aimed at party weekends, not at British visitors in general, and the Amsterdam tourist rules explain what it is about.

Europeans. European governments publish their own advice, so read your own foreign ministry's page, as with Germany (in German) and France (in French). Once you are in Amsterdam, 112 is the same Europe-wide emergency number, and the police number is further down this page.

In the 12 months to September 2026, police recorded 2,723 cases of pickpocketing in Amsterdam, and 1,055 of them (38.7%) were in just two districts: Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde, with Centraal Station and Dam Square, and Burgwallen-Oude Zijde, the heart of the Red Light District. At the other end, 93 of the city's 110 districts recorded fewer than 25 cases each.

That shows where the crowds are more than where danger lies. These are among the busiest streets in the city, the figures count residents and visitors alike, and they miss any theft that nobody reports.

Pickpocketing fell by 18.7% from 2024 to 2025, and it is still falling. Assaults are going the other way, so not every number is improving.

How to make yourself a harder target:

• Watch for distractions. Pickpockets often work in teams: one spills something on you or asks for directions while another takes your bag.
• Stay awake on trains and trams. Thieves work in gangs on the lines to and from Schiphol and Centraal Station, and a sleeping passenger is an easy target.
• Do not hang a bag or jacket on the back of your chair. Thieves walk into restaurants pretending to sell something or look for someone.
• Carry little. Leave valuables in the hotel safe, and note your phone's IMEI number before you go out.

Figures: © Politie, from the police open data, table 47022NED (in Dutch). Districts: City of Amsterdam. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles © OpenFreeMap. Open the full-size map >

None of the advisories above names a neighbourhood to stay out of. What they do flag is where thieves work and, in the UK advice, quiet or dark alleys late at night. These are the places where tourists and police reports overlap most:

Cases recorded from October 2025 to September 2026. You do not need to avoid any of these places, and most of what you came to see is in or next to them, as the Amsterdam city centre map shows. Keep your bag closed and your phone out of your back pocket, above all when the crowds are thickest.

Yes, if you stay on busy streets. The UK advice tells visitors to stay away from quiet or dark alleys, particularly late at night, and to avoid any confrontation with people offering drugs. Police recorded 729 street robberies across the city in the 12 months to September 2026, a small number next to thefts, with the highest counts in the old centre.

The real risks of a late night are more ordinary. Do not leave your drink unattended, stay with your group, and take particular care walking home along the canals after drinking: most drownings happen after heavy drinking or smoking cannabis.

Yes, for a walk through, but it is where you need your wits about you most. Burgwallen-Oude Zijde, the district at its heart, recorded 443 cases of pickpocketing and 79 street robberies in 12 months, the most street robberies of any district in the city. Canada and France (in French) both name it among the places where thieves target tourists.

You may be offered drugs in the street. Walk on and do not argue: French advice (in French) warns that street sellers often sell flour, sugar or herbs, and buying from them is illegal anyway.

The district also has its own rules on photos, cannabis, alcohol and guided tours, with fines. The Amsterdam tourist rules cover them and map where they apply.

Yes, and the same precautions apply. The one warning aimed specifically at this group is drink spiking: the UK advice names the risk particularly for young women and solo travellers, and Canada adds food, gum and cigarettes accepted from new acquaintances. If you think your drink has been spiked, get medical help right away and contact the police.

For the way home, I amsterdam mentions Diva Ride, a ride service with a female-driver option. It also asks visitors to report harassment and intimidation to the police, not only theft or violence.

I amsterdam says plainly that hate crimes against any community will not be tolerated, and has a separate guide to LGBTQI+ safety and resources in Amsterdam.

• Fake police. Criminals with false police ID ask to check your cash or cards, usually claiming to investigate counterfeit money. Dutch police do not carry shiny badges, and real plain-clothes officers rarely do this. Decline politely, offer to go to the nearest police station, or call 0900-8844 to check.
• Street drug sellers. Besides being illegal, what they sell is often fake (in French). Sellers near stations and in tourist areas may ask you to follow them: do not.
• Stranded tourists. Germany warns of people in Amsterdam asking tourists for money (in German) for their fare home after a supposed theft.
• Card fraud. Canada advises using cash machines in well-lit places or inside banks, and covering the keypad with your hand.

• Bike lanes. Narrow pavements tempt people onto cycle lanes and tram tracks, and I amsterdam calls that dangerous. Cycle paths are busy, riders go fast and the lanes are not always clearly marked. Check both ways before you cross.
• Trams. They have priority and sometimes share pedestrian streets, so stay clear of the rails. You can also be fined for jaywalking if you cross away from a marked crossing, or before the light turns green.
• Canals. People drown in Amsterdam's canals every year, most of them after heavy drinking or smoking cannabis. The walls are high and the water cold. If you fall in, shout for help, hold on to something and wait. If someone else does, call 112 and throw or hold out something they can grab.
• Your rental bike. Theft of bikes and mopeds is the largest single named crime category in the police figures, with 12,840 cases in 12 months, so lock it every time. I amsterdam has a guide to cycling safely.

• Report it. Go to the nearest police station with your passport or other ID. To be sure an officer is free, book an appointment on 0900-8844 or +31 34 357 8844. You can also report a crime online.
• Stolen passport. Report it to the police, keep a copy of the police report with you and apply for a replacement from your embassy or consulate. A photocopy of your passport makes this easier.
• Stolen phone. Report it right away with the IMEI number, so police can add it to the national database of stolen phones.
• Lost, not stolen. Keys, wallets and other belongings go through iLost. It usually takes three working days for an item to appear online.

Sources: I amsterdam, the Dutch police and the US Consulate General.