Voting in the local elections in Amsterdam for internationals

What are the local elections about?

In Amsterdam, the local elections are for the city council (gemeenteraad) and district committees (stadsdeelcommissie). They are held every four years. Amsterdam residents vote to elect the 45 members of the city council. They also vote for a district committee to manage their city district.

Who can vote?

Unlike in parliamentary elections, foreign nationals who live in the Netherlands are entitled to vote in local elections. To be eligible to vote in the city council elections, you must be over 18 years of age, registered with the municipality where you live and be either an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen who has lived in the Netherlands for at least five years and without interruption. Non-EU internationals that have been registered in the city for at least two years are permitted to vote for their district committee.  

How does the City government work?

The City of Amsterdam’s government is formed by:

• the city council
• the municipal executive (college van B&W – college of mayors and alderpersons)
• the district committees and
• the administrative committee for Weesp.

The city council is the highest governing body and consists of elected representatives of the people of Amsterdam. The alderpersons, also known as Deputy Mayors, are selected by the city council; the mayor is appointed by the Crown.

The number of representatives in city councils and district committees is determined by population size. The City of Amsterdam currently has 45 councillors, and there are seven district committees, plus the administrative committee for Weesp.

City council

The city council makes policy decisions and monitors the municipal executive, checking if it’s properly implementing municipal policy. The meetings of the city council are open to the public and everyone can speak. The council meetings are held in Dutch; non-Dutch speakers can request to speak with an interpreter but this is not always granted.

Mayor and Deputy Mayors

The municipal executive (college van burgemeester & wethouders – college of mayor and alderpersons) is responsible for daily operations and policy implementation. There are seven Deputy Mayors, each with their own portfolio of topics. The mayor chairs both the municipal executive and the city council. The meetings of the municipal executive are not open to the public.

District committees

Amsterdam has seven city districts – Centrum, Nieuw-West, Noord, Oost, West, Zuid and Zuidoost – plus the administrative committee for Weesp. Each city district is managed by a district committee.

The district committees are the link between local neighbourhoods and the city. The members are residents of the district in question and deal with topics such as greenery and parks, household refuse collection, street design, social issues and local law enforcement. They are responsible for implementing city policies in a way that best suits their own district.

How can I vote?

If you are registered in your municipality, it is not necessary to additionally register to vote. The municipality automatically sends a poll card (stempas – ‘voting pass’) to everyone who is eligible. You must bring this pass with you to the polling station, and you will also need to show an ID document (passport, driver’s license or ID card issued by an EU country). You can bring an expired document, but the expiry date must be less than five years ago.

If you’ve lost or damaged your poll card, you can apply for a new one in person, with your ID, at your District Committee office. It’s also possible to nominate someone else to vote on your behalf using the form that will be supplied with your voting pass.

More information

Read more about the government of the City of Amsterdam.