Netherlands Holiday & Vacation Guide
Understand your holiday entitlements in the Netherlands, including vacation days (vakantiedagen) and the 8% holiday allowance (vakantiegeld).
Holiday Entitlement
Dutch workers are entitled to a minimum of 4 times their weekly working days as annual leave. For full-time workers (5 days), this equals 20 days. Many employers offer 25 days.
Holiday Allowance (Vakantiegeld)
Dutch workers receive an 8% holiday allowance on top of their salary, typically paid in May. This is separate from and in addition to your regular pay during vacation.
Types of Leave
The Netherlands distinguishes between statutory days (wettelijke dagen - 4 weeks minimum) and additional days (bovenwettelijke dagen) provided by employers.
Carryover Rules
Statutory days must be used within 6 months of the year they were earned. Additional days often have longer carryover periods, up to 5 years.