Kaulav/Prepare/Netherlands

How long should you be prepared in the Netherlands? 72 hours.

The Dutch government's Denk vooruit campaign asks households to be able to hold out at home for 72 hours in an emergency. Store at least 3 litres of water per person per day, long-life food, a battery radio, a torch, a power bank and cash: €70 per adult and €30 per child.

The official rule in the Netherlands
hours
72 hours on your own, by official advice
010 days
Water
litres a day, per person
Emergency
free from any phone
At a glance

The official numbers for the Netherlands

Every figure comes from the official source, linked below.

Cope on your own for72 hours (3 days)
WaterAt least 3 litres per person per dayBottled, long-life
Water for 72 hoursAt least 9 litres per personKaulav's arithmetic from the official figure.
Cash€70 per adult, €30 per childFor 72 hours
AlertsNL-AlertPhone alerts and app
Emergency number112Police non-emergency 0900-8844 · Government information 1400
The kit

What the official kit list includes

The emergency kit from the booklet Bereid je voor op een noodsituatie, in its own order.

  1. Bottled long-life water01
  2. Long-life food02
  3. Hygiene items (hand gel, toilet paper, wipes, sanitary products, toothpaste)03
  4. Blankets04
  5. Torch with spare batteries05
  6. Candles and matches06
  7. Battery radio07
  8. Charged power bank08
  9. Cash09
  10. Copies of ID10
  11. Map of your town11
  12. List of phone numbers12
  13. First-aid kit with instructions13
  14. Whistle14
  15. Tools (hammer, saw, wire cutters)15
  16. Spare house and car keys16

Translated from Dutch by Kaulav.

Water maths

How much water to store

The booklet says at least 3 litres per person per day. For 72 hours, that works out to at least:

1 personlitres
2 peoplelitres
3 peoplelitres
4 peoplelitres
5 peoplelitres

Kaulav's arithmetic from the official figure.

Beyond the kit

Also advised

What the official guidance adds.

Sources

Straight from the source

Kaulav is independent. We summarise official guidance, link to it, and never rewrite safety steps.

What is the Dutch 72-hour emergency kit?

“Zo kan je het in geval van een noodsituatie thuis 72 uur volhouden.”

“So that in an emergency you can hold out at home for 72 hours.” (Kaulav's translation)

It's the Denk vooruit advice to keep enough at home to cope for 72 hours: water, long-life food, hygiene items, blankets, a torch, a battery radio, a power bank, cash, copies of ID and a first-aid kit.

Quoted from the official source. In an emergency, call 112.
Good to know

Questions people ask

What is the Dutch 72-hour emergency kit?

It's the Denk vooruit advice to keep enough at home to cope for 72 hours: water, long-life food, hygiene items, blankets, a torch, a battery radio, a power bank, cash, copies of ID and a first-aid kit.

How much cash should I keep for an emergency in the Netherlands?

The government booklet says €70 per adult and €30 per child, for 72 hours.

How much water do I need for 72 hours?

At least 3 litres per person per day, so at least 9 litres per person for 72 hours.

From the official advice to your kitchen table

Kaulav turns this into
your household's plan.

A kit sized to who lives with you, reminders before anything expires, offline maps and a power-cut mode, all built on the Netherlands's official advice. Works with no internet. iPhone, early 2027.

Join the waitlist · $9.99 founding price
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Every government gives a different number

United KingdomdaysCabinet OfficeUnited StatesSeveral daysReady.gov · FEMAGermanyideallydaysBBKNetherlandsYou are herehoursNCTV · Denk vooruitFrancehoursSGDSNSwedenat leastdaysMSB, now MCFEuropean Unionat leasthoursEuropean Commission