How to make friends in Amsterdam
Friends come from hours with the same people, again and again: Jeffrey Hall's study found about 50 hours together for a casual friendship and about 90 for a friend. So the ways that work in Amsterdam are the ones that repeat, like a weekly club, a course, a volunteer shift, or working at the same table on the same days.
Why it feels slow after a move
Most adults meet friends at work, at school or through other friends. After a move, all three are gone at once.
Meeting someone once is easy. What is missing are the hours with the same person, and those only add up when you see them again next week.
How many hours it takes
Hall counted the hours people spent together before they called each other friends: about 50 hours for a casual friend, about 90 for a friend, and more than 200 for a close friend.
He also found that hours of only working side by side count for less than hours of talking. Time in the breaks matters more than time at the desk.
Ways to get those hours
Pick something that repeats and that you would do anyway: a sports team or a running club, a course that runs for weeks, a fixed volunteer shift.
If you work on a laptop, your working day can do it too. Work next to the same people on the same days and talk in the breaks, and the hours add up without giving up an evening.
How a Limen day helps
At a Limen day you work at one small table and talk in the breaks and at lunch: at least 2 hours a day. Come every Monday and Friday and you reach about 50 hours together in 12 weeks or less.
From your first check-in, the facilitator may suggest people from earlier days you should meet. The first day is from €15, paid on Luma when you register.
Where to work on the other days
The work spots guide lists the cafés, libraries and coworking spaces in Amsterdam where you can sit with a laptop, with their hours and what visitors say.
Questions
Is it hard to make friends in Amsterdam?
It takes time after any move. What helps is seeing the same people often: Hall's study puts a casual friendship at about 50 hours together.
What are good ways to meet people in Amsterdam?
Things that repeat: a weekly sport, a course, a volunteer shift, or a coworking day with the same people. One-off events are easy to go to, but the hours add up only when you see the same faces again.
Are there apps to make friends?
Apps such as Meetup and Bumble For Friends help you find a first meeting. The friendship still comes from meeting the same people again.
How long does it take to make a friend?
About 50 hours together for a casual friend and about 90 for a friend, by Hall's study. At a few hours a week, that is a few months.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-22.