Leave and Holidays

If you work in the Netherlands and you want to take time off work, you request leave from your employer.

If you work in the Netherlands, you have the right to take holidays. This means you do not have to work and still receive your wages.

There are a number of official national holidays in the Netherlands. Your contract or CAO says whether you get time off on these national holidays.

This page contains information about the different types of leave and holidays and how to request for them.

Taking time off work If you work in the Netherlands, you are allowed to take time off from work in some situations, for example because you are going on holiday. Your employer will then pay your wages while you are off work. This is called 'leave'. You request leave from your employer. You are usually allowed to take time off. Your employer must give you permission unless this would cause major problems at work. In that case, your employer must let you know by letter or e-mail within two weeks. You will then be able to take time off at a different time.

Types of leave There are different types of leave in the Netherlands. Examples include holiday leave, parental leave, care leave, paternity leave and emergency leave. You can also go on leave if you are sick. Each type of leave has its own rules.

Employment agency agreement or permanent contract If you have an employment agency agreement, the arrangements that apply are often different from a permanent contract. Carefully check your contract or CAO (arrangements regarding work) to see what applies to you. Some CAOs include additional arrangements regarding leave. This is called non-statutory leave. In this case, you may be able to get more days off than you have a right to by law.

Frequently asked questions:

• If I am in the Netherlands and I have a job, how many holiday days do I get? As an employee, you have a right to a certain number of holiday days each year. This is the law. Your holiday entitlement in hours is four times the number of hours you work each week. For example, if you work 25 hours a week all year, you are entitled to 100 hours’ holiday each year. In that case, you can take at least four weeks' holiday every year. You can also use holiday days to take one or more hours off work. Your employer continues to pay your wages while you are on holiday. These terms of employment also apply if you are on a posting.
• Do I also get time off on Dutch national holidays? There are a number of national holidays in the Netherlands. They include New Year's Day, Easter, and Christmas. Employees do not automatically get time off for national holidays like these. Your CAO specifies whether you have these days off. If this national holiday falls on a weekday and you normally work on that day, your employer will pay your wages for this day. Check the CAO for your sector to find out which Dutch national holidays are days off.
• My work requires that I take time off during specific periods. Do I have to take time off then? Some jobs have fixed holiday periods. These include jobs in construction or education. We call these periods collective holiday periods. As a rule, you have to take your holidays during the holiday period. If you do not want to, you must discuss this with your employer well in advance.