---
title: "Hiring in the Netherlands"
description: "How to hire in the Netherlands: employer costs, contracts, notice, leave and work permits, plus how Fronted employs your team or runs your own BV."
canonical: "https://fronted.com/countries/netherlands"
updated: "2026-11-09"
---

# Hiring in the Netherlands

_How to hire in the Netherlands: employer costs, contracts, notice, leave and work permits, plus how Fronted employs your team or runs your own BV._

To hire in the Netherlands without your own company, use an Employer of Record. Fronted employs your people through our own Dutch entity for €390 per employee/month, with statutory costs passed through at cost. When you want your own BV, we set it up and run it, including accounting and payroll.

## Employer costs in the Netherlands

The example assumes a permanent contract with a small employer and no pension scheme. Employer contributions cover unemployment insurance (AWf, 2.74%), disability insurance (Aof, 6.27%), the childcare surcharge (Wko, 0.50%), an average Whk rate of 1.52% and the Zvw health insurance levy (6.10%). In practice these are charged on salary including holiday allowance, up to €79,409 a year, and the Whk rate is set for each employer, so the real figure can differ slightly. A pension, if a sector fund applies, comes on top.

## Employment contracts in the Netherlands

More than three temporary contracts, or more than three years in total, turns the next contract into a permanent one. A gap of more than six months breaks the chain. From 1 January 2028 a new law blocks a new temporary contract for three years after three temporary contracts. Probation must be agreed in writing and is not allowed on temporary contracts of up to six months.

## Working hours

The Working Hours Act (Arbeidstijdenwet) limits shift length and weekly hours and sets minimum rest periods. There is no general legal rule on overtime pay; the contract or collective agreement decides.

## Holiday

Employees get statutory paid leave and a holiday allowance, and the collective agreement or contract often adds more days. Public holidays in 2026 include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, King's Day, Liberation Day, Ascension Day, Whitsun and Christmas, but the law gives no automatic right to a day off on them. The cao or contract decides.

## Parental leave

Pregnancy and maternity leave lasts at least 16 weeks, with at least 10 after the birth. UWV pays a benefit of up to 100% of the daily wage, capped at the maximum daily wage. Dismissal is not allowed during pregnancy, the leave and the six weeks after it. Partner and parental leave also apply.

## Notice and termination

Dismissal in the Netherlands needs a reasonable ground and usually permission from UWV or the subdistrict court, or a mutual settlement agreement. Employer notice runs from 1 to 4 months depending on length of service. Employees are entitled to a transition payment of one third of a monthly salary per year of service, capped at €102,000 or one annual salary if higher (2026).

## Work permits

Non-EU hires usually come through the highly skilled migrant route, which needs an employer recognised as a sponsor by the IND. In 2026 the minimum gross monthly salary, excluding holiday allowance, is €5,942 from age 30, €4,357 under 30 and €3,122 for recent graduates. The legal decision period is 90 days.

## How Fronted can help

Fronted employs your people in the Netherlands through our own Dutch entity, so you can hire without a local company. When you are ready for your own BV, we set it up and run it, including accounting and payroll. You and every employee get a dedicated contact who knows you.

## What employers ask about hiring in the Netherlands