Leave rules · 2026
Annual leave and sick leave rules in the Netherlands (2026)
Employees in the Netherlands get at least 20 days of paid annual leave a year on a 5-day week (4 weeks). Sick leave: paid.
Rules as of September 2026 · page built Monday, September 28, 2026Statutory minimums
High confidenceYour number
20 days a year (160 hours)
Statutory minimum 20 days on a 5-day week at 0 years of service.
This is the legal floor for the Netherlands; the contract can give more.
| Service | Minimum (5-day week) | In weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting entitlement | 20 days | 4 weeks |
4 times the weekly working hours per year (Civil Code book 7), which is 20 days on a 5-day week.
Worked exampleA full-time employee on a 5-day week gets at least 20 days a year.
What the rules mean in practice
In the Netherlands, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 20 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 4 weeks.
In the Netherlands, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 20 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 4 weeks. The legal wording: 4 times the weekly working hours per year (Civil Code book 7), which is 20 days on a 5-day week.
Compared with the other 37 jurisdictions LeaveCalc covers, that starting minimum is higher than 20, the same as 8 and lower than 9. Across all of them the range runs from 5 days (the Philippines) to 30 days (the United Arab Emirates). 20 days is about 7.7% of a 260-day working year.
No service-based step is recorded here, so the 20-day minimum applies at every length of service; the official source has the full rule.
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. For 2026, the public holiday calendar for the Netherlands lists 10 holidays, 7 of them on working days. An employee who has all 7 weekday holidays off on top of the 20-day minimum is away from work on at least 27 weekdays in 2026.
Sick leave: The employer continues at least 70% of wages for up to 104 weeks of illness; not an accrued balance. LeaveCalc rates this entry High confidence, based on the official sources listed below as of September 2026.
Public holidays
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. See the 2026 and 2027 public holiday dates for the Netherlands, with .ics downloads.
Sources
- https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/vakantiedagen-en-vakantiegeld
- https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005290
As of September 2026. Statutory minimums only: contracts, collective agreements and local rules can give more.
Questions about leave in the Netherlands
The statutory minimum is 20 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (4 weeks).
How many days of annual leave do employees get in the Netherlands?
The statutory minimum is 20 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (4 weeks). 4 times the weekly working hours per year (Civil Code book 7), which is 20 days on a 5-day week.
Does annual leave increase with length of service in the Netherlands?
No service-based step is recorded here for the Netherlands: the statutory minimum stays at 20 days a year. Check the official source for the full rule.
Is sick leave paid in the Netherlands?
Yes. The employer continues at least 70% of wages for up to 104 weeks of illness; not an accrued balance.
Are public holidays part of annual leave in the Netherlands?
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. In 2026 the calendar for the Netherlands has 10 public holidays, 7 of them on working days.