Dutch Road Signs Explained in English

Dutch road signs follow the European Vienna Convention, but the Netherlands has its own quirks — and a handful of signs unique to Dutch cycling culture. This guide walks through the four main sign categories and the ones expats most often misread.

The four categories

• Warning signs — red triangle, point up. They tell you 'be careful, something is ahead'.
• Prohibition signs — red circle. They tell you what you may NOT do.
• Command signs — blue circle. They tell you what you MUST do.
• Information signs — blue or white rectangle. They give information (parking, exit, hospital).

Signs that catch expats out

Haaientanden (shark teeth)

White triangles painted on the road, points facing you. They mean 'give way'. Combined with a B6 sign (red-bordered triangle pointing down), they're the most common 'yield' marker in the Netherlands.

Woonerf (residential yard)

A blue sign showing a house, a person and a child playing. Inside a woonerf, walking pace is the limit (≈15 km/h), pedestrians may use the entire road, and parking is only allowed in marked bays.

Fietsstraat

A street where cyclists are the main traffic and cars are 'guests' — cars may not overtake bikes. The sign is a white rectangle with a bike and the words 'Fietsstraat — auto te gast'.

Uitgezonderd

Dutch for 'except'. Often added under a prohibition sign — e.g. 'no entry, uitgezonderd fietsers' means cyclists are exempt.

Signs vs. road markings — who wins?

When a sign and a road marking disagree, the sign usually wins. The exception: a traffic officer's instruction always beats both signs and markings. This ranking — officer > traffic light > sign > marking — is a favourite CBR exam question.

How to memorise them quickly

Don't try to learn 200 signs from a poster. Practise them inside realistic exam-style questions — that way you learn the sign AND the situation in which it matters.