Weapons — Netherlands

Dutch knife law goes by category, not blade length, and it is stricter than most visitors expect. Switchblades, gravity knives and butterfly knives are banned outright — possessing, carrying or even bringing one in is a criminal offence. Any other folding knife is banned if the blade has more than one cutting edge or if the knife measures more than 28 cm fully open. Ordinary knives are not banned nationally, but carrying one ready to hand on the street can still be an offence, and a growing number of Dutch towns now ban carrying knives anywhere in the municipality.

Possessing or carrying a category I knife breaches art. 13(1) WWM and is a misdrijf punishable under art. 55(1) by up to nine months imprisonment or a fourth-category fine — EUR 27,500 since 1 January 2026. On board an aircraft or at a designated airport the same conduct falls under art. 55(3)(b): up to eight years or a fifth-category fine of EUR 110,000. Carrying a category II, III or IV weapon breaches art. 27(1) and draws a third-category fine of EUR 11,000 under art. 54.

Do not bring pepper spray or a stun gun to the Netherlands. Both are category II weapons under Dutch law — the same class as firearms — and simply possessing one is a serious criminal offence carrying up to eight years. Dutch law contains no self-defence exception and no exemption for private individuals; the only exemption on the books is for livestock workers using a stun device at work. This surprises US visitors who carry pepper spray legally at home.

Possessing pepper spray or a stun gun breaches art. 26(1) WWM and is punished under art. 55(3)(a) by up to eight years imprisonment or a fifth-category fine — EUR 110,000 since 1 January 2026. Carrying one additionally breaches art. 27(1), a third-category fine of EUR 11,000 under art. 54. The statutory maximum for art. 55(3) was raised from four years to eight with effect from 1 July 2026 (Stb. 2025, 333).