If you fall pregnant while working in the Netherlands, you are legally entitled to paid maternity leave during your pregnancy and after giving birth. Here’s what you need to know about maternity leave in the Netherlands.
Types of maternity leave in the Netherlands
Strictly speaking, there are two types of maternity leave in the Netherlands, which in total add up to at least 16 weeks of leave:
- Pregnancy leave (zwangerschapsverlof)
- Maternity leave (bevallingsverlof)
Pregnancy leave (zwangerschapsverlof)
The first part of maternity leave in the Netherlands is known as pregnancy leave (zwangerschapsverlof). It starts while you are still pregnant and ends on the day you give birth. You can choose when to go on pregnancy leave, but it should be at least four to six weeks before your due date. If you are expecting twins or triplets, your pregnancy leave should start eight to 10 weeks before your due date.
You can, however, choose to carry on working for some of this period, and any days of leave that you do not take will be added to your maternity leave, which starts after you give birth.
Maternity leave (bevallingsverlof)
Also known as postpartum leave, maternity leave (bevallingsverlof) starts on the day after you give birth. It lasts at least 10 weeks. If you took fewer than six weeks off work before the birth of your child, the unused pregnancy leave is added to your total maternity leave entitlement. If your baby comes early, your unused pregnancy leave is added to your maternity leave entitlement.
If your baby is in hospital for more than seven days after the birth, you are entitled to nine weeks of additional maternity leave.
Seven weeks after giving birth, you are permitted to return to work part-time. Any remaining maternity leave days can be taken in parts over the following 30 weeks. This is known as taking partial maternity leave. Your employer needs to give you permission to do this but in general they can only refuse this request in extraordinary circumstances.
How long is maternity leave in the Netherlands?
Maternity leave in the Netherlands therefore lasts at least 16 weeks, or at least 20 weeks if you have twins or multiple births.
However, because maternity leave only starts on the day after you give birth, it is often longer than this, for instance if your baby comes late.
Maternity leave calculator
To calculate your total pregnancy and maternity leave entitlement, you can use this calculator (in Dutch) from the UWV.
Do I get maternity leave if I am on a fixed-term contract?
You are entitled to maternity leave even if you are on a fixed-term work contract. If your contract ends while you are still on maternity leave, you will continue to receive maternity pay until the end of your statutory leave entitlement. The benefit will come from the UWV, rather than from your employer.
Maternity pay in the Netherlands
While you are on maternity leave, you receive the maternity benefit (also known as the pregnancy and childbirth benefit or zwangerschaps- en bevallingsuitkering). This amounts to 100% of your regular salary, up to a maximum of 290,67 euros per day (as of January 2025). Your employer can choose to top this up, if you usually get paid more than this, but they are not obliged to do so.
Usually, the UWV pays the maternity benefit to your employer, who then pays you.
Paid maternity leave for self-employed people
If you are self-employed in the Netherlands, you may be eligible to receive the maternity benefit for self-employed persons from the UWV, known as the ZEZ scheme. This lasts for at least 16 weeks. You can find out more information and apply for the ZEZ scheme on the UWV website (in Dutch).
Maternity pay if you are on benefits
You may also be entitled to the maternity benefit if you receive:
Does maternity leave affect my holiday entitlement?
Being on maternity leave does not affect your entitlement to vacation days. You continue to accrue holiday days while you are on maternity leave, and your employer cannot ask you to use them up while you are on maternity leave.
How to apply for maternity leave
If you are pregnant then legally you must inform your employer at least three weeks before you want to take maternity leave.
In reality, most pregnant women tell their employer around week 12 or 13, when they are entering the second trimester, or after they have carried out the first round of prenatal checks. This gives the employer enough time to organise cover while the mother is away.
Your employer will need to see your pregnancy certificate, which you can get from your doctor or midwife. This tells them your expected due date, which they need to report your pregnancy to the UWV and start claiming your maternity pay. You should keep hold of your pregnancy certificate for at least a year after you give birth, as the UWV may ask to see it.
Special employment protections while you are pregnant
In most cases, it is not permitted to terminate the contract of a woman who is pregnant (and who has informed her employer) or who is on maternity leave.
An employer is not obliged to renew a temporary contract that is due to expire during pregnancy or maternity leave, but the pregnancy must not be the reason for the non-renewal.
Paternity leave & partner leave in the Netherlands
Partners are also entitled to take up to six weeks of leave following the birth of a child. Some of this leave is paid and some is unpaid, but you may be able to claim benefits from the UWV to cover some of your loss of earnings.
Regular paternity leave (partnerverlof)
As of January 1, 2019, partners of mothers who have just given birth are legally entitled to up to one workweek of paid leave (partnerverlof or geboorteverlof), calculated on the basis of your regular weekly working hours. For example, if the partner works five hours a day, five days a week, they will get 25 hours of geboorteverlof.
You can take partner leave any time in the first four weeks after the birth of the child (note that this doesn’t change even if your child is hospitalised). While on paternity leave, the partner continues to receive 100% of their regular salary.
To take partner/paternity leave, you need to inform your employer in advance or as soon as possible after the birth. This can be done verbally or in writing, and your employer cannot refuse your request for leave.
Extended partner leave (aanvullend geboorteverlof)
To spend additional time with their new child, fathers and partners also have the option to take up to five weeks of leave in the first six months following the child’s birth. This leave is unpaid, but it is possible to claim benefits from the UWV to cover up to 70% of your salary during this period. In order to claim extended partner leave, you must first take one week of regular paternity leave. You need to request this leave at least four weeks in advance.
It is also possible to work part-time while on extended partner leave, in order to spread the leave over a period longer than five weeks. Your employer has to give their consent for you to do this.
Parental leave
New parents in the Netherlands are also entitled to apply for parental leave to spend more time with their child.