Frequently asked questions

Metstrade 2026 will take place 17 - 19 November 2026.

Metstrade will take place at:

RAI Amsterdam
Europaplein 24
1078 GZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

RAI Amsterdam
Europaplein 24
1078 GZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Opening hours are:

View our exhibitor list on this website.

The digital floor plan is available on the Metstrade website and on a sign in the entrance.

The general RAI map can be consulted at www.rai.nl.

The DAME Design Awards is a contest where a professional, international jury will choose the most innovative products, the winners will be announced on the opening day of Metstrade.
You can find the complete list on the website.

Please view the programme at the Metstrade website or subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates about the programme.

The minimum age is 18 years. Accompanied children and babies are also NOT allowed.

Metstrade is only open to trade visitors. The minimum age for entry is 18 years, this also goes for accompanied minors.

By using the exhibitors list, the digital floor plan and the online Metstrade Connect Platform.

Have you lost something? We place all the found items online.

See at iLost if your lost item has been found »

For general questions and inquiries about tickets and registration, please contact us via metstrade@rai.nl.

You can register here

After registration, you will receive an email confirmation.

Your visitor badge is valid for all the exhibition days.

No, the invitation card is not a ticket.

Please validate your invitation card online at www.metstrade.com with the code on your invitation. You will receive a confirmation and e-ticket by email.

No, this is not necessary if you have a smartphone. You can have your e-ticket scanned at the entrance.

You can order ticket. The e-ticket can be scanned on your smartphone.

Yes, e-tickets can also be scanned from a smartphone at the entrance. E-tickets are also our preferred choice for environmental reasons.

If you have any problems or questions about ordering tickets, we advise you to read the frequently asked questions carefully. If this does not answer your question, please contact us via registration@rai.nl. Due to busy times, you may have to wait longer than usual for a response by email.

After registration you will receive an email confirmation in which you can request an invitation letter for visa application purposes. This letter is no guarantee in obtaining a visa. An invitation letter can only be submitted to a company related email address.

If you have any questions, please contact RAI Registration, registration@rai.nl.

There will be a total of 4 entrances. You can find the location of each one in the floor plan.

The minimum age for entry is 18 years, this also goes for accompanied minors (babies are also NOT allowed).

Dogs are not allowed in RAI Amsterdam.
Assistance dogs are always welcome in RAI Amsterdam.

Yes, you’re able to enter the venue and enjoy the event with your mobility scooter.

Wheelchair assistants get free access to events organised by RAI Amsterdam. The person using the wheelchair will need to show a valid disability card and will need to pay for his/her own ticket. It will be clearly stated which exhibitions are organised by the RAI Amsterdam on the website.

When borrowing a wheelchair at RAI Amsterdam, the assistant will not receive free entry.

Metstrade is accessible for people using a wheelchair. The aisles at the show floor are spacious and the surface is flat. Elevators and disability toilets are available. Visitors with an official 'disability card' can follow route 7 to P7-parking garage. With a disability card, parking costs € 5.50 (as of January 1, 2026: € 6.00) per 24 hours.

It is possible to borrow a wheelchair. A reservation is needed and can be made by sending an email to ReceptieRAID@rai.nl and provide us with the following information:

• name;
• Telephone number;
• Date;
• Event/exhibition name.

A valid ID is mandatory.

As a professional event organizer, RAI Amsterdam stays up to date with all current societal events. Our safety & security department stays in contact the government authorities. RAI Amsterdam aims to achieve a balance between safety and hospitality, to make sure guests can enjoy their visit to Metstrade.

All about access to the show »

RAI Amsterdam 'houses' 700 narrowcasting screens all over the building and in the exhibiting halls, a system called RAILive!.
The screens show your location, halls, rooms, routes and events.

Yes, it is possible to borrow a wheelchair during major public events. Reservation in advance is necessary, send an email to ReceptieRAID@rai.nl with the following information:

• Name;
• Phone number;
• Date of retrieval;
• Event/exhibition name.

Borrowing a wheelchair is free. We do ask for a cash deposit of € 50.00. The cash deposit will be returned upon return of the undamaged wheelchair.
A valid ID is required upon collection.

No. As a result of the European tobacco legislation, RAI Amsterdam has been smoke-free since July 1, 2008. The smoking ban applies to all RAI buildings, including the catering locations and garages. Smoking is not permitted during set-up or breakdown.

Yes, guests can leave their coats in the cloak room for € 2.00.

An ATM can be found at two of entrances (D and K) of the RAI building. The information desks at various entrances can give you directions to their exact locations.

There will be plenty of catering facilities on-site offering a wide range of foods catering to a wide range of tastes, including Asian and Western.

Catering points are available throughout the exhibition complex.

There will be plenty of catering facilities on-site offering a wide range of foods catering to a wide range of tastes, including Asian and Western. The offer varies by event, check here for more information.

RAI Amsterdam offers all visitors acces to its public wifi network during Metstrade.

Yes, air conditioning is in use throughout the entire venue.

Yes. The Prayer Room has a washroom and two private cubicles where people of all faiths can pray or meditate in a peaceful environment. The Prayer Room is always open and accessible via Entrance D at level -1.
The two private cubicles for prayer/meditation can be locked from the inside.

For general questions and inquiries about tickets and registration, please contact us via metstrade@rai.nl.

RAI Amsterdam has plenty of parking facilities at and near the exhibition centre. We also offer around 30 electric charging stations.

For large public events, the capacity is not always sufficient and more distant sites are also used. Free and frequent shuttle buses are then used for transport to and from the RAI. Reference is made to these areas via signs on the public road and/or the police.

For more information, have a look at our parking website.

The rate is € 5.50 (as of January 1, 2026: € 6.00) per hour with a maximum of € 35.00 (as of January 1, 2026: € 36.00) per day. You can also buy a day ticket online upfront for € 29.00 (as of January 1, 2026: € 30.00).
Motor cycles park for free in the parking zones for motor cycles outside of the parking garage.

Yes you can via the RAI parking website.

The maximum height allowed in the RAI parking garages 1/2/3 and 7 is 1.90 metres.

The maximum height allowed in the RAI parking garage 4 is 2.70 metres.

Online payment is possible via iDEAL, VISA, MasterCard or American Expess. Onsite you pay via debet or credicard (VISA, MasterCard or American Expess) and cash.

Yes. People with an official European parking card for the disabled (GPK) can use these special parking spaces, which are located close to the exit of the building. People with disabilities pay the normal RAI parking rate.

It's not possible to book a parking space for people with disabilities.
The RAI has several of these spaces. Should they be occupied, a parking attendant will help you find the best possible spot.

If the RAI car parks are full, you can use a parking area outside RAI Amsterdam only minutes away, which is served by shuttle buses.

If you booked and paid for a parking space, you can be certain of having a spot. When entering the garage or parking grounds, you will be assigned a parking space. If you booked in advance, the ticket will indicate where you can park. The ticket also explains which route you can follow.

The license plate of your car will be read automatically by a camera as you enter the garage. You will not receive an exit pass. You can pay the parking fee related to that license plate at the payment terminal before leaving the garage. When exiting the garage, your license plate will be read by the camera and the barrier will open automatically. Receipts are available from the payment terminal.

No, you cannot drive to the entrance by car. However, you can let someone get out at Lodge P7 and then leave the site again. Lodge P7 is in the middle of the complex. Follow P - RAI 7 to get to Lodge P7.

Parking at the parking garage of RAI Amsterdam is at your own risk (see the Visitor conditions).

Your licence plate is registered by our Parking Management System as soon as your vehicle enters one of the access roads to the parking garages or areas of RAI Amsterdam. When booking via parkeren.rai.nl, your licence plate is registered in our system as well to ensure it is recognised when you enter or exit the parking garage.

Your licence plate is registered in order to calculate how long you have parked, as no parking ticket is issued when entering the garage. You can also book a parking space via parkeren.rai.nl.

It is also possible via the registration to find your car in the parking when you did not remember where you parked it.

RAI Amsterdam collects personal data provided by the customer on the personal data page, details about click and surf behaviour, and transactions via the website of RAI Amsterdam. RAI Amsterdam has exclusive access to the abovementioned data. The RAI complies with the requirements of the Dutch Personal Data Protection Act and other privacy legislation. Customer data are stored in a customer database, and used for processing orders or bookings and customer service.

RAI Amsterdam also uses the data to analyse the click and surf behaviour of its customers and establish customer profiles which are then used to complete the range of products and services on the website, and provide customers with bespoke offers from its product and service range. RAI Amsterdam may perform marketing campaigns with the address details of its customers at the request of third parties.

Customer address details can be used up to twelve (12) times a year for a mailing in which RAI Amsterdam has exclusive access to the personal data. If customers object to the collection and analysis of their data and bespoke offers from RAI Amsterdam, they can let RAI Amsterdam know via a link in the newsletter. In case customers want to have their data removed from the customer database, they can do so by contacting the RAI via parking@rai.nl.

RAI Amsterdam will not supply the personal data of customers to other persons or organisations outside of RAI Amsterdam without consent from the customer, unless it is legally obliged to do so. RAI Amsterdam takes great care to ensure the quality of its customer database. Personal data are checked regularly for correctness, and outdated & no longer relevant data are regularly removed.
Customers can correct their personal data directly via the personal data page. For questions or complaints, customers can contact the RAI via parking@rai.nl. At customers’ request, RAI Amsterdam can provide an overview of the data included in the customer database.

The licence plate details are stored in our Parking Management System for 30 days after you exit the garage, unless you booked via your licence plate, in which case the details are used for the processing and aftercare of your booking.

The details are not shared with parties other than RAI Amsterdam, unless we are legally obliged to do so. There is no link to the government road transport agency (RDW).

Contact us via parking@rai.nl.

No, you can only book a space via our website.

Online reservations are made per calendar day. Choose the day of arrival at the RAI. You can drive out until midnight. If you drive out after midnight, it is better to buy a parking ticket in the garage.

During dance parties, you can reserve a parking ticket allowing you to drive out after midnight.

Reserve your parking ticket online

Yes. If you booked and paid for a parking space, you can be certain of having a spot. When entering the garage or parking grounds, you will be assigned a parking space.

If you booked in advance the ticket will indicate where you can park, for example P1/P2/P3/P4 or RAI / EXTERNAL. The ticket also explains which route you can follow.

No, this does not automatically mean there are no more parking spaces, only that booking is no longer possible. If there are no parking spaces available at the RAI, you will be directed to an external parking area, as indicated on the access roads around the RAI via (mobile) information panels.

You can easily change your licence plate yourself by logging into our parking webshop and selecting your booking there. Then select change parking space and then press the 'pencil' icon to change your licence plate number.

• Dates cannot be changed by yourself. You can change it by sending an email to parking@rai.nl. Your booking will then be canncelled and refunded. You can then make a new booking.
• Cancellation of a booking is not possible.

The conditions are simple:

• Booking is only possible via iDEAL, VISA, MasterCard or American Express;
• Booking is only possible via parkeren.rai.nl;
• You can exit the parking garage using licence plate recognition, barcode or pin number (the latter two are indicated on your parking ticket).

After booking you will receive an email which includes a PDF file. This PDF is your confirmation and indicates the booking period and booking number.
You must have your confirmation and parking ticket or tickets when entering and exiting the parking garage (physical or on your smart phone).

You can park in parking garage 1 till 4. During special events, there are external parking locations. This will be clearly indicated in the product you select.

If you parked shorter than booked, you will not receive a refund. If you parked longer than the booked period, you can pay any extra costs at the exit.

When you arrive in the parking garage:

1. A sensor will 'read' your licence plate. You will not receive an entry pass.

When returning to the parking garage:

1. You do not have to pass by the payment machine. You can exit the garage thanks to licence plate recognition.
2. If this does not work, you can scan the barcode at the exit column; the barcode is indicated on the PDF confirmation which was previously emailed to you. If you have not the printed ticket with you, you can also scan the barcode from your smartphone. Make sure it is not in dark mode and brightness on 100%.
3. If you have parked longer than the booked period, you will have to pay for the extra days at the exit.

Yes, this is possible. But after exiting, you cannot use your parking card for 60 minutes to exit again. 
You may not have access to the exact same parking space.

See the website for the options by car, taxi or public transport.

​By Metro & Bus
If you arrive at Amsterdam Central Station (CS), you can take the metro 52 (travelling time: 6 minutes, in the direction of Zuid (South), Europaplein stop). Metro 52 stops right in front of the RAI and will take you into the heart of Amsterdam.
If you are travelling by train to the Amstel station, you can take metro 51 to Amstelveen (travelling time: 5 minutes) or the bus (route 65), which will bring you to the RAI within 10 minutes. In this case you should get off at Scheldeplein. From Amsterdam Sloterdijk station, the best way to reach the RAI is with metro 50.

By Train
NS-station Amsterdam RAI is 300 meters from the RAI and has regular connections to all parts of the Netherlands, like Schiphol, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and is also linked to the international train network. Check the NS journey planner for your itinerary.

By air
You can reach RAI Amsterdam from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol by car or public transport in less than 15 minutes. Schiphol Airport is one of Europe's biggest airports and offers passengers a high standard of service.
See Schiphol.nl for flight information, 'To & From' Schiphol Amsterdam Airport and other facilities at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

The RAI is ideally suited for visitors who travel by car. It is situated alongside the Amsterdam’s A10 orbital motorway (exit S109) and has its own underground car parks. This means that the RAI is easily accessible for visitors coming from the Netherlands or abroad. All the main motorways can be reached without difficulty from the orbital motorway.

Numerous signboards indicate the route to the RAI. During large exhibitions, orange signs displaying ‘P RAI’ will direct you to additional parking places. From there, a free shuttle bus will bring you to the RAI.

For routeplanner navigate to:

RAI Amsterdam
Europaplein 24
1078 GZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Please use the following address to navigate to RAI Amsterdam:

RAI Amsterdam
Europaplein 24
1078 GZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

• By car/taxi: approx. 15 minutes (allow for considerably more time during rush hour).
• By train: 11 minutes from RAI train station. Trains run frequently from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam RAI station.

• By car/taxi: approx. 10 minutes (allow for considerably more time during rush hour)
• By metro 52 (subway): approx. 6 minutes from Europaplein stop
• By tram: approx. 25 minutes

• to Schiphol Airport approx. € 45.00
• to the city centre approx. € 35.00
• to the Central Station approx. € 50.00

See the FAQs for Parking at RAI Amsterdam

View information on the city of Amsterdam, including tourist attractions.

There are many restaurants, shops and supermarkets in the vicinity of the RAI Amsterdam.

Information and reviews of restaurants in Amsterdam

Via RAI Hotel Services,  +31 (0)20 549 19 27 or  hotelservices@rai.nl, you can book a hotel at attractive rates.

Book your hotel room online

RAI Hotel Services is happy to help you find and book a hotel room for your stay.

More information about hotel rooms

It is also possible to book a hotel room online.