Dutch workplaces have a reputation: flat hierarchies, punctual meetings, a lot of part-time work and a firm line between office and home. The legal framework behind that reputation is the thing you can check before you sign. This guide covers working in the Netherlands as a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
Do EU citizens need a permit for working in the Netherlands?
No. You can take a job on the same footing as a Dutch citizen. What you need is your BSN, and so you need to register with your municipality (see BSN number in the Netherlands), plus a bank account for your pay. Your right to stay beyond three months rests on genuine work: the IND looks at whether you earn at least 50% of the applicable social assistance benefit or work at least 40% of a normal full week. See residence in the Netherlands for EU citizens.
To look for a job, use the UWV's werk.nl, EURES and the many temp agencies. If your profession is regulated (health, teaching, law), get your diploma recognised before you apply.
What is the minimum wage in the Netherlands?
It is set per hour. In 2026, for people aged 21 and over, it is €14.71 gross from 1 January and €14.99 from 1 July. Younger workers get lower amounts: for example, at age 20 it is €11.99 an hour from 1 July. Since 2024 there is no monthly or weekly minimum, so your pay depends on your hours, including paid leave.
Read job offers carefully. An annual figure may include holiday pay, and a "monthly" salary needs the hourly rate and weekly hours behind it before you can compare it with another offer.
What is holiday pay and how many days do you get?
Employees get holiday pay (vakantiegeld) of at least 8% of gross annual salary, often paid once a year. Above three times the minimum wage, a written agreement can reduce or remove it.
The legal minimum leave is four times your weekly working time, counted in days or in hours. Your collective labour agreement (cao) often provides more. Unused statutory days expire six months after the end of the year in which you earned them, so days from 2026 expire on 1 July 2027.
If you have an offer and you are unsure whether it follows the collective agreement for your sector, whether the holiday pay is inside the figure or on top, or how the 30% ruling affects your pay, Moovy can explain the official rules in plain English and flag what to ask your employer. For a dispute, contact the Juridisch Loket or a union.
What do Dutch contracts look like?
- Probation period. None for a contract of six months or less. At most one month for a contract longer than six months but under two years. At most two months for a permanent contract or one of two years or more.
- The cao. Many sectors have a collective agreement that sets pay scales, hours and extra leave. Ask which one applies to you.
- Hours. Contracts state weekly hours, and your pay is calculated on them, so a part-time contract changes your pay and your leave in proportion.
How many hours can you be asked to work?
The Working Hours Act sets the limits: no more than 12 hours per shift, 60 hours per week, an average of 55 hours over four weeks and 48 hours over 16 weeks, and 11 hours of rest between working days. Your contract and cao may set fewer.
What if you lose your job?
Unemployment benefit (WW) is paid by the UWV. The main conditions: you worked at least 26 of the 36 weeks before becoming unemployed, you lose at least five working hours a week, you are available for work and you did not become unemployed through your own fault. If you resign yourself, you generally have no right to it, except in exceptional situations, such as resigning because your partner moves.
With the weeks condition met, you get a basic benefit of three months. A longer benefit depends on your work history: one month per year worked, and half a month per year from the eleventh year, for a maximum of 24 months. A separate "years condition" is described by the UWV. If you worked in another European country, ask the UWV about form U1, which documents your periods abroad. It is not clear from the official page whether foreign work counts for the 26-week rule, so check before you rely on it.
How do you find a job when working in the Netherlands is your goal?
Start with the public tools. The UWV's werk.nl lists vacancies, and EURES is the European job mobility portal. Temp agencies are very present in the Dutch labour market, and many first jobs go through them. If you are a jobseeker from another EU country, register with the UWV during your first six months, which is also what the IND expects to see. After six months you must show a good chance of finding work in the Netherlands, so keep records of your applications.
If your profession is regulated, for example in health, teaching or law, get your diploma recognised before you apply. A foreign diploma can also be evaluated by the IDW, which costs €148.83 including VAT. According to the IDW, the initial check takes about 6 working weeks and the evaluation phase about 8 more.
What should you check in a Dutch employment contract?
Read the contract for the hourly rate or monthly salary, the weekly hours, the probation period, the notice period, the holiday pay and any collective labour agreement (cao). The cao is often where the extra leave, the pension scheme and the pay scales sit. If you are recruited from abroad, ask whether the employer will apply for the 30% ruling and have the percentage written in the contract before you sign.
Ask what the contract says about working from home, travel costs and training. These are negotiable and often described in the cao or in company policy.
How does the Dutch pay slip work?
Your employer withholds payroll tax and pays it to the tax administration, applying the tax credits if you ask. The slip shows your gross pay, holiday pay build-up, tax and net pay. At year-end you receive an annual statement (jaaropgaaf) for your return. In your first year, keep every slip and statement, because you will need them for the special return for people who moved in during the year.
What if you work in the Netherlands but live in Belgium or Germany?
Border workers have special rules. In full unemployment, it is in principle the country of residence that pays. Taxes and social security follow the treaties between the countries. If this is your case, talk to the tax administration and the UWV before you take the job.
What are the traps to avoid?
- Resigning without a plan. It usually costs you the WW.
- Comparing gross figures without hours or holiday pay.
- Taking a job before you have a BSN. Your employer cannot pay you properly without it.
- Commuting from Belgium or Germany and assuming the same rules apply. Border workers have special rules; in full unemployment, it is in principle the country of residence that pays. Check with the UWV.
To see what Dutch pay covers each month, read cost of living in the Netherlands. For the paperwork around a new job, start with moving to the Netherlands.