Your Dutch employment contract: 10 clauses to check against the law before you sign

The offer is in, and so is a ten-page PDF titled arbeidsovereenkomst: your Dutch employment contract. It mixes English and Dutch, refers to a collective agreement you have never heard of, and HR would like it back signed by Friday.

Dutch employment contracts are built differently from those in many other countries. Much of what matters, such as probation, renewals, non-competes and notice, is written into the contract itself. And the law sets hard limits: a clause that goes beyond them is often simply void, even if you signed it. That makes a Dutch contract unusually checkable. If you know which rule applies to which clause, you can verify most of it yourself.

This guide starts from an article by an employment lawyer published by ACCESS on 7 October 2026, and compares it with guides from DutchReview, IamExpat, Expatica, The Hague International Centre, Xpat.nl, NL Times and DutchNews. Every figure was then checked against Book 7 of the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek) and official sources from the government (Rijksoverheid), the IND (immigration service) and the Belastingdienst (tax authority). All figures were checked on 21 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice for your situation.

Main sources for this guide

• ACCESS, "A guide through your new employment agreement in the Netherlands" (7 October 2026, written by an employment lawyer)
• DutchReview, "7 important things to check on your Dutch employment contract in 2026" (28 September 2026)
• Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10 (employment contracts), version of 1 July 2026, on wetten.overheid.nl
• Rijksoverheid minimum wage 2026, IND income requirements 2026, Belastingdienst conditions for the 30% ruling

1. What changed in 2026

The core contract rules have not changed much since the 2020 reform (Wet arbeidsmarkt in balans) and the August 2022 update. The numbers around them, though, move every year. Here is what changed in 2026, or is about to.

Sources: minimum wage from Rijksoverheid and DutchNews; search period from the IND; new laws from NL Times, 7 July 2026 and NL Times, 1 October 2026; the 30% ruling from Rijksoverheid.

For a contract you sign today, the minimum wage, the IND thresholds and the 30% ruling matter directly. The 2028 laws do not affect the validity of current contracts.

The flexible work law

According to NL Times, the bill approved by the Senate phases out zero-hour contracts and limits temporary contracts to genuinely temporary work, sickness cover and a "stepping stone for young people". Today, an employer can hire someone on a new temporary contract six months after a chain of three has ended. Under the new law that gap is reported to become three years. It is due to take effect in 2028.

The 27% cap is already law, and it depends on your start date

The move to 27% from 1 January 2027 was already enacted in the Tax Plan 2025 (Staatsblad 2024, 434), as the government's business portal Ondernemersplein states. It is not part of the new budget proposals. But not everyone moves to 27%: it depends on when your ruling started (Rijksoverheid, checked 1 November 2026).

The date of your Belastingdienst decision shows which row applies to you. Figures are set out in our Budget Day guide.

2. What to compare your contract against

Dutch employment terms come in layers. Reading only the contract tells you what it says, but not whether it is good, normal or even valid. Deciding what to compare it against first makes the rest much faster.

Rijksoverheid explains that when a CAO applies, your contract may not be less favourable than the CAO, though better terms are allowed (Hoe weet ik of er voor mij een cao geldt?).

Does a CAO apply to you?

A CAO (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst, collective labour agreement) is negotiated between unions and employers. DutchReview sums up when your employer has to follow one:

The Ministry of Social Affairs lists which CAOs are generally binding and for which period. If your contract names a CAO, check whether it says "and any successor agreement". If it does not, the CAO in force when you signed may keep applying, according to Rijksoverheid.

What your employer must tell you in writing

Since August 2022, employers must give you more information in writing or electronically (Civil Code 7:655): place of work, role, start date, end date for a fixed-term contract, leave, termination procedure and notice, and the components and frequency of pay. The key items are due within one week of starting, the rest within a month. If something is missing from the contract, it is fair to ask where it is written down.

3. Fixed-term vs permanent, and the chain rule

The first thing to find is the duration. In Dutch, fixed-term is bepaalde tijd and permanent (open-ended) is onbepaalde tijd. English contracts say fixed-term and indefinite or permanent.

ACCESS notes that a fixed-term contract can end on a set date or when a specific task or project is completed.

The chain rule (ketenregeling)

You cannot be kept on temporary contracts forever. Under Civil Code 7:668a, when fixed-term contracts with the same employer follow each other with gaps of six months or less, the last contract counts as permanent from the day the total passes 36 months. And when more than three such contracts follow each other, the fourth counts as permanent.

There are two yardsticks, count and duration, and whichever you pass first converts the contract. A CAO can stretch them for specific roles, to at most 48 months and six contracts (7:668a paragraph 5). If your contract refers to a CAO, look for that clause.

The one-month notice before a fixed-term contract ends

For fixed-term contracts of six months or more, the employer must tell you in writing, at least one month before the end date, whether the contract will be renewed and on what terms. This is called aanzegging (Civil Code 7:668). If the employer fails to do so at all, it owes you one month's salary. If it is late, it owes a pro rata amount. The duty applies even if your contract does not mention it.

4. Probation: length and symmetry

Probation is proeftijd in Dutch. ACCESS explains that during probation either side can end the contract immediately, without a reason and without notice. Because that is such a strong power, the law limits its length tightly.

The tricky boundary is a contract of exactly six months. The law says no probation for contracts of "at most six months", so a six-month contract has none. The one-month maximum applies to contracts longer than six months and shorter than two years.

The last row matters most. A probation period that is too long is not shortened to the maximum. The clause is void (7:652 paragraph 8), so normal dismissal protection applies from day one.

Falling ill during probation

Juridisch Loket, the free legal help desk, explains that an employer can end the contract during probation even if you are ill (Kan ik worden ontslagen in mijn proeftijd?). Discrimination is a separate matter. Under Civil Code 7:676 paragraph 2, if you ask, the employer must give the reason for ending the contract in writing.

5. Pay: minimum wage, holiday allowance and extras

The pay clause is about more than the headline number. Check three things: gross or net, monthly or annual, and whether holiday allowance is included. ACCESS notes that contracts state gross salary and when it is paid, usually monthly.

The 2026 minimum wage

Since 2024 the Dutch minimum wage is set per hour. Monthly pay depends on your hours.

Source: Rijksoverheid, Bedragen minimumloon 2026. For someone aged 21 or over on 40 hours a week, that works out at roughly €2,598 a month from July (€14.99 × 40 × 52 ÷ 12). On 36 hours it is about €2,338. The exact figure varies by month.

Holiday allowance (vakantiegeld)

Holiday allowance is at least 8% of your gross annual salary, paid at least once a year. It comes from the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act (Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag). ACCESS says most employers pay it once a year, usually in May.

Rijksoverheid confirms the exception for those earning more than three times the minimum wage (Hoe hoog is mijn vakantiegeld?). On €4,000 a month, the allowance is 8% of €48,000, or €3,840.

Thirteenth month, bonuses and expenses

A 13e maand (thirteenth-month salary) or year-end payment is not required by law. It comes from a CAO or your contract. DutchReview advises getting bonus criteria clearly defined. Commuting allowance is not mandatory either; the article puts the usual tax-free maximum at €0.23 per kilometre.

Minimum wage vs permit thresholds

If you work as a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant), your real floor is the IND threshold, not the minimum wage.

The IND does not count holiday allowance towards its threshold; it lists it among the items that are excluded. As the chart shows, the threshold for those aged 30 and over is more than twice the full-time minimum wage.

6. Holidays are counted in hours

Statutory leave is four times your contractual weekly hours (Civil Code 7:634). On 40 hours that is 160 hours, or 20 eight-hour days. Because it is counted in hours, a 32-hour week gives you 128 hours.

Expatica notes that about 25 days a year is common in practice, with public holidays on top. In a full-time contract offering 25 days, 20 are statutory and 5 are extra (bovenwettelijke dagen).

Statutory and extra days expire differently

ACCESS gives the same dates. If your contract says which days are used first, that can help you avoid losing statutory days.

The Hague International Centre explains that the employer must approve a leave request unless there are compelling business reasons, and must then offer an alternative (Employment contracts).

7. Sick pay

ACCESS explains that by law the employer pays at least 70% of salary for up to two years while you are ill, and that contracts often improve on this, for example 100% in year one and 70% in year two.

The legal basis is Civil Code 7:629. In the Netherlands the employer keeps paying your salary, rather than a public insurer stepping in early. That is why sickness clauses (ziekteverzuim) come with reporting rules and appointments with the company doctor (bedrijfsarts).

8. Notice periods and how contracts end

ACCESS notes that probation can be ended without notice but does not give notice periods after probation. The Civil Code fills the gap. Notice is opzegtermijn in Dutch.

The employer's notice grows with service; yours stays at one month. Notice normally runs to the end of a calendar month. If you resign on 21 October with one month's notice, your last day is 30 November.

DutchReview also points out that equal two-month periods are not valid. Under 7:672 paragraph 8, an extended employee notice may be at most six months, and the employer's must be at least twice as long. A CAO can shorten the employer's side, but not below the employee's.

An employer needs permission to dismiss you

To dismiss someone on a permanent contract, an employer generally needs either a permit from UWV (the employee insurance agency) or a court ruling. UWV handles economic reasons and long-term illness; other grounds go to the subdistrict court (UWV, Wanneer kan een werknemer worden ontslagen). Other routes are ending during probation, summary dismissal for serious misconduct (ontslag op staande voet) and mutual agreement.

Mutual agreements come with a 14-day cooling-off period

In practice, many contracts end with a settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst). Under Civil Code 7:670b, such an agreement must be in writing, and you can cancel it in writing within 14 days without giving a reason. If the employer leaves that right out of the agreement, the period becomes three weeks. Keep this in mind if you are pressed to sign quickly.

Money when a contract ends

When a contract ends at the employer's initiative, you are owed a transitievergoeding (transition payment): one third of a month's salary per year of service. The 2026 cap is €102,000, or one year's salary if that is higher (Civil Code 7:673). It also applies when the employer chooses not to renew a fixed-term contract. On €4,500 a month after three years, that is roughly €4,500, before adding fixed allowances that also count.

9. Non-competes, non-solicitation, confidentiality and side jobs

The ACCESS article spends most of its space on clauses that apply after you leave. In the Netherlands these usually sit in the contract itself.

Reading a non-compete

Under Civil Code 7:653, a non-compete is valid only in a permanent contract, agreed in writing with an adult employee. In a fixed-term contract it needs a written explanation from the employer showing that serious business interests require it. ACCESS adds that there is no statutory limit on duration or geographic scope.

A court can, however, cancel all or part of a clause that unreasonably disadvantages you compared with the employer's interest, and can order compensation where the clause seriously restricts your ability to work. If the contract ends because of the employer's serious fault, the employer cannot rely on it.

DutchReview notes that non-competes are easiest to negotiate before you sign. In 2023 NL Times reported plans to cap their duration and require compensation (Ministry working on new law to restrict non-compete clause). As of October 2026 those plans are not in force, so the article above is the test.

How to negotiate

The levers are duration, geography, scope and compensation. If a clause covers "any competitor, anywhere in the Netherlands, for two years", proposing "clients you worked with in the last 12 months, for six months" is a reasonable counter. A non-compete in a fixed-term contract without written reasons can simply be pointed out.

Side jobs can no longer be banned outright

Since 1 August 2022, an employer cannot simply forbid outside work (Civil Code 7:653a). ACCESS gives health and safety, protecting confidential information and avoiding conflicts of interest as examples of objective reasons. Contracts often still require you to report or ask permission, so raise any plans early.

Training cost clauses

The same 2022 update made training that the employer is legally or contractually obliged to provide free of charge and part of working time (Civil Code 7:611a). A clause recovering those costs is void. For optional training, check how long a repayment clause (studiekostenbeding) runs and how it tapers.

10. Pension, the 30% ruling and residence permits

ACCESS does not cover pensions or the 30% ruling, but for people moving to the Netherlands these often have the biggest financial impact.

Pensions often depend on your sector

The Dutch system has three layers: the state pension (AOW), a workplace pension and private savings. Rijksoverheid explains that not every employer offers a pension, but in sectors with a mandatory industry pension fund the employer must enrol you (Opbouw pensioenstelsel). Around 90% of employees have a workplace pension.

In the contract, look for the name of the fund or insurer, your share of the premium, and when you join. Workplace pensions must move to the new pension rules by 1 January 2028. If you might leave the country later, ask the fund how benefits are paid out after you move abroad.

The 30% ruling in your contract

The 30% ruling (expatregeling) lets an employer pay part of the salary of staff recruited from abroad as a tax-free allowance. According to the Belastingdienst, employer and employee apply together, and it lasts at most five years. One condition is that you lived more than 150 km in a straight line from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before you started (Belastingdienst).

The norms come from the Belastingdienst expertise requirement. Because the test excludes the tax-free part, a full 30% allowance implies a gross salary of roughly €68,590 or more (€48,013 ÷ 0.7, a rough calculation).

Contracts differ in whether the allowance is included in or paid on top of the gross salary. Usually it is included, so the remaining taxable part must still meet the norm. The employer is not obliged to pay the full 30%, and the Belastingdienst advises agreeing the amount in advance. It is also worth checking what happens to your pay if the ruling is refused.

Highly skilled migrant permits

Only an IND-recognised sponsor can apply for this permit. The salary must be in line with the market, and the monthly gross amount, excluding holiday allowance, must meet the thresholds in Figure 3. If you lose your job, the IND generally gives you three months to find another. If you lost it on or after 22 May 2026 and have held the permit for at least two years, you get up to six months. Your contract's end date can therefore decide your residence, so diary it, along with the date the aanzegging is due.

11. Where the guides disagree

The eight outlets we read mostly agree, but some differ on boundaries or still describe older rules. Small differences can lead to the wrong conclusion about your own contract.

The Xpat.nl page appears to describe the pre-2020 "3-2-6" rule. Many guides carry no update date, so when a number matters, check the article of the Civil Code.

12. Three example cases

These are fictional people, used to show how the same checks lead to different answers.

Case 1: A 32-year-old knowledge migrant offered €70,000 "including holiday allowance"

The monthly base is €70,000 ÷ 1.08 ÷ 12, about €5,401. That is below the IND threshold of €5,942 for those aged 30 or over. The salary structure needs to change before the permit application can work.

Case 2: A one-year contract with two months' probation and a non-compete

A one-year fixed-term contract can have at most one month of probation, so the clause is void. The non-compete has no written reasons, so it is void too. Both are worth correcting before signing.

Case 3: A 32-hour retail job under a generally binding CAO, "25 days' leave"

Statutory leave is 128 hours, or 16 eight-hour days. It is worth asking how many hours "25 days" means. The CAO may also improve holiday allowance or notice, so read its clauses.

13. Before you sign: step by step

IamExpat notes that you do not need to sign on the spot; a few days to review is normal. This order keeps you from missing things.

1. Get every document: contract, appendices, staff handbook, pension information
2. Check whether a CAO applies, and whether it is generally binding
3. Check the five hard numbers: probation, fixed-term count and length, notice, holiday hours, 8%
4. Write out your pay in gross terms: monthly salary, holiday allowance, thirteenth month, 30% ruling
5. Compare with permit thresholds if you need one: monthly gross without holiday allowance
6. Read the post-employment clauses: non-compete, non-solicitation, penalties, training repayment
7. Ask questions by email and keep the replies; verbal promises leave no trace
8. Get advice if unsure: Juridisch Loket, a union or an employment lawyer
9. Keep a signed copy: the employer must give you one free of charge (7:654)

14. Mistakes to avoid

On the last point: you can still receive unemployment benefit (WW) after a settlement in many cases, but conditions apply, such as having worked 26 of the last 36 weeks, and the wording of the agreement matters.

15. Checklist

• I know whether my contract is fixed-term or permanent, and its end date
• Probation is within the limit, in writing and equal for both sides
• I have counted my previous fixed-term contracts and total months with this employer
• I know which CAO applies, and whether it is generally binding
• I know if my salary is gross, monthly or annual, and whether it includes holiday allowance
• Holiday hours are at least four times my weekly hours
• The employer's notice is at least double mine if mine is extended
• I have checked, and if needed negotiated, the non-compete's length, area and scope
• Any side-job restriction has an objective reason
• I know my sick pay and my pension contribution
• If I need a permit, my monthly salary without holiday pay meets the IND threshold
• I have the employer's answers to my questions in writing

16. Summary

• Read your contract against the law, then the CAO. Worse terms usually have no effect
• Probation is at most two months, none for contracts of six months or less, and an over-long clause is void
• Fixed-term contracts are capped at three or 36 months, with written notice one month before the end
• Leave is four times your weekly hours; holiday allowance is 8%. Check whether quoted pay includes it
• You give one month's notice to the end of the month by default; if extended, the employer's must be double
• Non-competes are easiest to negotiate at the start, and void in fixed-term contracts without written reasons
• Knowledge migrants must check the monthly salary without holiday allowance against the IND threshold

Sources

Law and official sources

• Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 7, version of 1 July 2026 — wetten.overheid.nl: full text of Title 10, employment contracts
• Civil Code articles on wetten.overheid.nl: 7:652 probation, 7:653 non-compete, 7:653a side jobs, 7:668 end-of-contract notice, 7:668a chain rule, 7:672 notice periods, 7:673 transition payment, 7:634 holidays, 7:629 sick pay, 7:655 written information, 7:611a training
• Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag — wetten.overheid.nl: legal basis for the 8% holiday allowance
• Bedragen minimumloon 2026 — Rijksoverheid: hourly minimum wage, January and July 2026
• Hoe hoog is mijn vakantiegeld? — Rijksoverheid: 8% and the high-earner exception
• Hoe weet ik of er voor mij een cao geldt? — Rijksoverheid: when a CAO applies
• Hoelang duurt mijn proeftijd? — Rijksoverheid: probation limits
• Opbouw pensioenstelsel — Rijksoverheid: pension layers and mandatory sector funds
• Expatregeling — Rijksoverheid: 30% and 27% by start date
• Vergoeding 30%-regeling expats wordt 27% — Ondernemersplein: enacted in the Tax Plan 2025 (Staatsblad 2024, 434)
• Applying for the expat scheme — Belastingdienst: joint application, 150 km rule, five years
• Deskundigheidsvereiste — Belastingdienst: 2026 salary norms
• Required amounts income requirements — IND: 2026 permit salary thresholds
• Highly skilled migrant — IND: sponsor, market salary, search period
• Wanneer kan een werknemer worden ontslagen — UWV: dismissal routes
• Kan ik worden ontslagen in mijn proeftijd? — Juridisch Loket: ending a contract during probation

Outlets for residents

• A guide through your new employment agreement in the Netherlands — ACCESS: the starting article
• 7 important things to check on your Dutch employment contract in 2026 — DutchReview: working hours, CAO, travel costs, notice
• Employment contracts in the Netherlands — IamExpat: contract types and a pre-signing checklist
• 30% ruling changes in 2027 — IamExpat: 27% and transitional rules
• Dutch employment law: labor rights in the Netherlands — Expatica: holidays, holiday allowance, fixed-term contracts
• Employment contracts — The Hague International Centre: zero-hour contracts, leave requests
• The Dutch Employment Market — Xpat.nl: probation table and an older description of fixed-term limits
• Netherlands to end zero-hour work contracts — NL Times: flexible work law from 2028
• New law to provide clarity on when a worker qualifies as a freelancer — NL Times: freelancer bill
• Ministry working on new law to restrict non-compete clause — NL Times: non-compete reform plans, 2023
• Minimum wage and rents up: what changes from July 1 — DutchNews.nl: July 2026 minimum wage

Legal texts and official figures were checked on 21 October 2026. Amounts change every year, and a CAO or your personal situation can change the answer, so check current official guidance and, where needed, get professional advice before you sign.

Original article

A guide through your new employment agreement in the Netherlands — ACCESS