Statutory notice period
The minimum notice an employer must give. Contracts and collective agreements can lengthen it and only rarely shorten it, and the tenure bands are where cross-border assumptions usually go wrong.
Employer side; dismissal by notice generally needs prior UWV permission. The employee side is 1 month regardless of tenure.
| Service | Employer notice | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 1 month | notice takes effect against the end of a calendar month |
| At least 5 years | 2 months | notice takes effect against the end of a calendar month |
| At least 10 years | 3 months | notice takes effect against the end of a calendar month |
| At least 15 years | 4 months | notice takes effect against the end of a calendar month |
Contracts and collective agreements may deviate within statutory limits; a longer employee notice requires the employer side to be at least double.
Source: Artikel 7:672 BW – Opzegtermijn, Wetboek+ (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Minimum paid annual leave
The statutory floor for paid holiday. The counting basis matters as much as the number, since some laws count a six-day week and others count working days or calendar weeks.
4 weeks per year.
The statutory formula is four times the agreed weekly working time, which makes 20 days on a five-day week. Contracts and collective agreements very commonly add days on top.
Source: Artikel 7:634 BW – Aanspraak op vakantie, Arbeidsregels (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Probation limit
The longest trial period the law allows an employer to agree, together with the notice that applies while it runs.
| Group | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Indefinite contracts | 2 months |
| Fixed-term of 2 years or longer | 2 months |
| Fixed-term over 6 months and under 2 years | 1 month |
| Fixed-term of 6 months or less | none |
Notice while it runs: either side may end the contract with immediate effect during a valid probation.
Must be agreed in writing and be equal for both sides.
Source: Artikel 7:652 BW – Proeftijd, Wetboek+ (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Employer social contributions
What the employer pays on top of gross salary into statutory schemes. Some countries charge a percentage of pay, others charge flat amounts, and a single headline rate hides caps, regional rules and industry-rated items.
Figures apply for 2026.
| Scheme | Rate, per cent of pay | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment fund (AWf), low rate for permanent written contracts7.74 for flexible and fixed-term contracts. | 2.74 | pay up to 79,409 EUR per year |
| Disability fund (Aof), small-employer rate7.63 for larger employers; size classes are set by the tax authority each year. | 6.27 | pay up to 79,409 EUR per year |
| Childcare surcharge (Wko) | 0.5 | pay up to 79,409 EUR per year |
| Health insurance employer levy (Zvw werkgeversheffing) | 6.1 | pay up to 79,409 EUR per year |
| Return-to-work fund (Whk)Set per employer by the tax authority from sector risk and past claims; the notional average for 2026 is 1.52. | varies | pay up to the same ceiling |
| Sum of the shares aboveFor a small employer with an employee on a permanent written contract, on pay up to the ceiling, before the individually set return-to-work premium. | 15.61 |
There is no statutory pension scheme; most employers fall under a mandatory industry pension fund whose contributions sit outside these figures.
Source: Premiedifferentiatie WW: lage en hoge AWf-premie, Belastingdienst; Premiepercentages 2026 (Regeling SZW, Staatscourant), Salaris Vanmorgen. Checked on 2026-07-27.