The Netherlands’ Central Bank (DNB) is urging households to keep emergency cash reserves at home in response to growing concerns over cyber threats and potential disruptions to the country’s digital payment infrastructure.
In a joint advisory with several national organizations, the DNB recommends that citizens set aside €70 per adult and €30 per child in cash—enough to cover basic needs such as food, water, medicine, and transport for up to three days. This would amount to €200 for a typical family of four.
“Think of a power failure, a technical disruption at your bank or the Wi-Fi going down,” the DNB stated. “Then you might not be able to pay the way you are used to. But paying with cash is almost always possible.”
The central bank emphasized that the advice is a precautionary measure, driven by “increased geopolitical tensions and cyber threats that could challenge our payment system.”
Olaf Sleijpen, a senior official at the DNB, also referenced recent power outages in Spain and Portugal as examples of how quickly systems can go offline.
