Disability discounts in Amsterdam

There is no Dutch national disability card aimed at visitors, and no single Dutch equivalent to the German Schwerbehindertenausweis or the French Carte Mobilite Inclusion that you can present at every door.

The practical proof at Amsterdam venues is your home-country disability card plus a recent doctor's letter on letterhead.

The letter should be dated within the past twelve months and clearly state the diagnosis and, where applicable, the need for a companion.

ID plus a clearly stated diagnosis is accepted in practice at the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk, the Anne Frank House, NEMO, and the Royal Palace.

Carry both in print. A folded letter in your wallet beats any app when batteries or terminals fail.

The Dutch museum staff are generally polite and pragmatic about visitor documentation. If a venue queries your card, ask for the duty manager rather than walking away.

The Rijksmuseum on Museumstraat charges a standard adult admission. Disabled visitors qualify for a reduced rate, and a medically necessary companion is admitted free of charge on presentation of proof.

Wheelchair loans are free at the cloakroom and there is no advance booking requirement for the disabled visitor's ticket beyond the standard timed-entry slot.

Use the dedicated accessible entrance on Museumstraat, signed with the wheelchair symbol. The accessible entrance bypasses the main staircase and arrives directly at the lift bank serving every gallery floor.

The Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein admits wheelchair users at both main entrances with priority entry. The standard adult ticket applies to the disabled visitor.

A medically necessary companion is admitted free with a free companion ticket, and the museum's multimedia guide is included free of charge for disabled visitors.

Pick-up and drop-off for accessible vehicles is at Paulus Potterstraat 7, with accessible parking available at the same address. Lifts and accessible toilets are featured in the museum's published Accessibility Map.

The Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263-267 is a partially accessible historic building.

The original Secret Annexe is reached only by very steep, narrow stairs that cannot be retrofitted with a lift. The exhibition rooms above the bookshop and ticket area are reachable by lift.

A virtual tour of the Annexe gives wheelchair visitors the historical content they cannot reach in person.

The disabled visitor pays the standard timed-entry ticket. A companion ticket admits one accompanying person free of charge on presentation of proof.

The museum asks accessible visitors to contact the visitor services team in advance through the contact form on annefrank.org so that visit timing can be planned around the building's space and routing constraints.

The Stedelijk Museum on Museumplein houses the Netherlands' national collection of modern and contemporary art.

The new Benthem Crouwel wing is purpose-built and step-free. The historic 1895 Weissman building has a lift to every gallery floor. Wheelchair loans are free at the entrance.

Disabled visitors pay a reduced rate on presentation of proof; a medically necessary companion is admitted free of charge. The accessible entrance is on the Van Baerlestraat side; staff at the welcome desk handle the disability discount on the spot.

NEMO Science Museum on Oosterdok occupies a Renzo Piano building that is step-free across all five floors and the rooftop terrace.

Disabled visitors pay a reduced rate on presentation of proof; a medically necessary companion is admitted free of charge.

The disability discount is applied at the ticket desk on the day; pre-booking is not required beyond the standard timed slot in peak season.

Lifts connect every floor; accessible toilets are on the ground floor and the second floor. The rooftop terrace, with its panoramic view across the harbour, is fully step-free via the main lift bank.

The Royal Palace on Dam Square is a working ceremonial building of the Dutch royal household, open to the public on most days outside state events.

The main visitor entrance has steps. The dedicated accessible entrance is on the side and is step-free with a lift to the upper state rooms.

Disabled visitors pay a reduced rate on presentation of proof; a medically necessary companion is admitted free of charge.

Two or three small upper-floor cabinets are reached by stairs only. The main state rooms (the Citizens' Hall, the Council Chamber, the Tribunal) are all step-free via the lift.

The Moco Museum at Honthorststraat 20, off Museumplein, is housed in Villa Alsberg, a 1904 brick mansion.

A small lift in the entrance hall serves the ground floor and the lift-accessible upper rooms (the largest first-floor gallery and the second-floor street-art rooms).

Some original side rooms have a single threshold step or a short flight of stairs that cannot be retrofitted in the listed building. The basement immersive-art space is reached by stairs only.

Disabled visitors pay a reduced rate on presentation of proof, and a medically necessary companion is admitted free of charge. The accessible entrance is at street level on Honthorststraat, signed with the wheelchair symbol.

Read the dedicated Moco attraction page on this site for the per-room detail. Check the current programme before booking, since the basement rotating installation is the most-photographed but stair-only.

Public transport in Amsterdam runs under GVB (trams, metro, buses, ferries) and NS (national rail). Neither operator runs a visitor-facing disability discount on its standard fares.

Dutch national schemes (Wmo-funded local transport, the OV-Begeleiderskaart for a free companion on NS trains) are for residents who hold the relevant card.

Visitors pay standard fares. The GVB ferries between Centraal and Noord are free for everyone, including wheelchair users.

NS Travel Assistance is free of charge and provides ramp boarding at every staffed station. Book at least one hour ahead by phone on +31 (0) 30 235 78 22 or through the NS app.

Pack two pieces of proof. First, your strongest: a national disability card or a pension certificate.

Second, a doctor's letter on letterhead, dated within the past twelve months, stating your condition and the need for a companion if applicable. Carry both in print.

Use the dedicated accessible entrance at every national museum. Ask before you pay: most staff apply the discount automatically once they see the proof.

Some staff will ring up the standard ticket unless you request the disabled rate. It is yours by right where the venue's policy applies.

If a venue queries your card or letter, ask for the duty manager. The Dutch museum staff are generally polite and pragmatic, and the duty manager has the authority to apply the published policy when a more junior ticket clerk is unsure.