What Rights Do Expats Have Under Dutch Labour Law?
Dutch labour law applies to expats in the same way as to Dutch employees: once you work in the Netherlands under an employment contract, you have the protection of Book 7 of the Dutch Civil Code, whatever your nationality or the currency of your salary. That includes the minimum wage, at least 20 days of paid holiday for a full-time job, 8% holiday allowance, up to two years of sick pay, and protection against dismissal. Even if your contract chooses foreign law, you can in principle rely on the mandatory Dutch rules. What differs for expats is mainly the right to work, which non-EU nationals must arrange through a permit, and the tax facility known as the 30% ruling.
Dutch labour law for expats at a glance
- Same protection as Dutch employees once you work in the Netherlands under an employment contract.
- Right to work: free for EU/EEA and Swiss nationals; others need a work permit, a single permit or the highly skilled migrant scheme.
- Minimum wage: EUR 14.99 gross per hour from 1 July 2026 for employees aged 21 and over.
- Holiday: at least four times your weekly working hours per year, plus at least 8% holiday allowance.
- Sickness: at least 70% of your wage for up to two years, paid by the employer.
- Dismissal: only with permission from UWV or the court, by agreement, or for an urgent reason.
- 30% ruling: up to 30% of the salary tax-free for qualifying recruits from abroad; 27% from 1 January 2027.
On this page
Does Dutch Labour Law Apply to Expats?
Yes. If you work in the Netherlands under an employment contract, Dutch employment law applies to you, regardless of your nationality or your employer's. Dutch employment law, mainly Book 7, Title 10 of the Dutch Civil Code, contains mandatory rules that cannot be contracted out of.
Some employment contracts of international companies choose a foreign law. Under the Rome I Regulation, such a choice cannot deprive you of the protection of the mandatory rules of the country where you habitually work. For someone working in the Netherlands, that typically means the Dutch rules on dismissal, notice periods, the transition payment and sick pay. More on the basics: the employment contract under Dutch law.
Do Expats Need a Work Permit in the Netherlands?
Not if you are a national of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland: you can work in the Netherlands freely. For other nationals, the employer generally needs a work permit (TWV) or you need a single permit for residence and work (GVVA), unless you come under the highly skilled migrant scheme.
| Your situation | Route | More information |
|---|---|---|
| EU, EEA or Swiss national | No permit needed | Register with the municipality |
| Non-EU, employer is a recognised sponsor and salary meets the threshold | Highly skilled migrant permit | Highly skilled migrant scheme |
| Other non-EU nationals | Work permit (TWV) or single permit (GVVA) | Work permits in the Netherlands |
An employer who lets a non-EU national work without the required permission can be fined by the Netherlands Labour Authority. The Foreign Nationals Employment Act also protects the worker: if someone works in breach of the permit rules, they are presumed to have worked for that employer for at least six months at the usual wage (Article 23(2) Wav).
What Should Expats Know About Their Employment Contract?
Dutch law distinguishes between fixed-term and permanent contracts, and limits probation periods. A probation period is not allowed in a contract of six months or less, and is at most two months in a permanent contract (Article 7:652 of the Dutch Civil Code).
- A chain of fixed-term contracts can turn into a permanent contract; see fixed-term and permanent contracts.
- For the probation period, see the probation period.
- Many sectors have a collective labour agreement (cao) with better terms than the statutory minimum.
- If you work as a freelancer rather than an employee, different rules apply; see freelance contracts.
What Are Expats Entitled to in Pay and Holiday?
At least the statutory minimum wage, at least 8% holiday allowance on top of the salary, and paid holiday of at least four times the agreed weekly working hours per year.
| Right | Statutory minimum | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage (21 and over) | EUR 14.71 per hour from 1 January 2026, EUR 14.99 from 1 July 2026 | Minimum wage |
| Holiday allowance | 8% of the wage, usually paid in June | Holiday allowance |
| Holiday | 4 times the weekly hours; 20 days for a five-day week | Holiday entitlement |
What Happens if an Expat Falls Ill?
The employer continues to pay at least 70% of the wage for up to 104 weeks, and at least the minimum wage in the first 52 weeks (Article 7:629 of the Dutch Civil Code). The employer cannot give notice during the sickness until it has lasted two years.
Both employer and employee must work on the return to work, with advice from the company doctor. See sick pay in the Netherlands and the company doctor.
Can an Expat Be Dismissed, and How Can an Expat Resign?
An employer cannot simply dismiss an employee. It needs permission from UWV (for economic reasons or long-term incapacity) or a decision of the subdistrict court (for other reasons), or the employee's agreement, or an urgent reason for immediate dismissal. An employee can resign with one month's notice.
- Dismissal routes and grounds: termination of employment.
- Notice periods of one to four months for the employer: notice periods.
- Compensation when the employer ends the contract: the transition payment.
For an expat whose residence permit depends on the job, a dismissal can also have immigration consequences; the highly skilled migrant page explains the search period after losing the job.
What Is the 30% Ruling for Expats?
A tax facility for employees recruited from abroad with specific expertise that is scarce on the Dutch labour market. If the conditions are met, including a salary threshold, the employer can pay part of the salary tax-free as compensation for the extra costs of working abroad: up to 30% in 2024 to 2026, and up to 27% from 1 January 2027.
The ruling is a tax matter that the employer applies for; it does not change your employment rights. The conditions and current salary thresholds are explained on the 30% ruling page.
A Checklist for Expats Starting a Job in the Netherlands
- Do you need a permit, or are you free to work as an EU, EEA or Swiss national?
- Is your contract fixed-term or permanent, and is the probation period within the legal limits?
- Which collective labour agreement applies to your job?
- Is your salary at least the minimum wage, and is the 8% holiday allowance included or on top?
- How many holiday days do you get above the statutory minimum?
- Does the contract choose a foreign law, and have you checked which Dutch mandatory rules still apply?
- Does your employer apply for the 30% ruling, and do you meet the conditions?
Key Legal Sources
- Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10, employment contract
- Wet arbeid vreemdelingen (Wav), Foreign Nationals Employment Act
- Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag, minimum wage and holiday allowance
- UWV: work permits