Parental leave in the Netherlands

On top of maternity leave and paternity/partner leave, new parents in the Netherlands are also entitled to take parental leave (ouderschapsverlof) to spend more time with their new child. Parental leave can be taken anytime in the first eight years of your child’s life, as long as a portion of it is taken in the first year after their birth. Both parents are entitled to take it, so long as they fulfil the requirements. 

Parental leave requirements

You must fulfil the following requirements to qualify for paid parental leave: 

• You are an employee in paid employment. 
• You are the official parent of your child or children, or you are the adoptive parent or foster parent of the child, and they are registered at the same address as you. 
• Your child or foster child is no more than eight years old. 

You must take at least nine weeks of your parental leave during the first year after your child is born (or in the first year of adopting or fostering the child). 

If you are self-employed in the Netherlands, you are not entitled to parental leave. 

Is parental leave paid in the Netherlands? 

Approximately one-fifth of your parental leave in the Netherlands is paid, while the remaining four-fifths is unpaid, as follows:

Paid parental leave

During the first nine weeks of your parental leave - which you must take within the first year of your child’s life - you will receive 70% of your regular salary, up to a maximum of 203,47 euros per day (70% of the maximum daily wage in 2025). 

This benefit comes from the UWV, which pays it to your employer, who then forwards the benefit on to you. 

Unpaid parental leave in the Netherlands

The remaining 17 weeks of your parental leave entitlement are unpaid. This means that you will receive no income or benefits during this time. 

Some employers may pay you more than this or pay your wages for longer while you are on parental leave. This depends on your collective labour agreement or work contract. 

How much parental leave can I get? 

Each parent is entitled to 26 times the number of hours they work per week in parental leave. So, for example, if you worked 40 hours per week you would be entitled to 26 times 40 hours of parental leave. The number of hours specified in your employment contract is what is used for the calculation. 

You can take your leave all in one go, or use it flexibly by taking a few days per week, spread over several months. 

If you have twins or multiple births, you are entitled to double (or triple, and so on) the amount of parental leave. 

Can I extend my parental leave? 

There is no statutory right to extended parental leave. Your employer might offer a more generous scheme. Alternatively, you have the option of using vacation days to extend your leave (they continue to accrue while you’re on parental leave - see below), or to request unpaid leave from your employer. 

Can I end my parental leave early? 

There are several circumstances in which you can interrupt or end your parental leave. These are: 

• You are going on maternity leave, adoption leave or foster leave.
• An unforeseen situation has arisen, for instance your partner has been made unemployed, your child gets a place in daycare, your household expenses rise, or you become sick long-term. 

To interrupt or terminate your parental leave, you need to submit a request to your employer in writing. They must respond to you within four weeks. Your employer can only refuse your request in exceptional circumstances. 

Can I work part-time during my parental leave?

As outlined above, it is possible to use your parental leave flexibly, spreading out the days over a period of several months. Many parents work part-time while using their parental leave on other days. 

This time can be distributed in many different ways and the employee must decide the arrangement of their hours in agreement with their employer.

How to apply for parental leave

To apply for parental leave, you must submit a request to your employer in writing at least two months in advance. In your request, you should indicate the number of hours of leave you wish to take, and the dates on which you wish to take them. Your request should indicate the start and end dates of your parental leave. 

Your employer is not permitted to refuse your request for parental leave. However, they are allowed to ask you to arrange your leave differently if there is a compelling business need.  

Can I lose my job while I am on parental leave? 

In general, you are not entitled to special protections from dismissal while you are on parental leave. However, your employer will need to follow usual protocols to proceed with a contract termination. If you become unemployed while you are on parental leave, your entitlement to parental leave and any benefits still due to you ends on the first day of your unemployment. 

Can I take my parental leave with me to a new job?

Since your parental leave is a statutory right and not tied to any one employer, you are perfectly free to take your allowance with you to a new job. You will need to ask your previous employer for a statement showing how much parental leave you have taken, and how much you are still entitled to. 

Do I accrue holiday days while I am on parental leave? 

While you are on paid parental leave (the first nine weeks), you will continue to accrue your holiday days as normal. You also receive a holiday allowance on top of your benefit from the UWV. While you are on unpaid parental leave (the remaining weeks), you do not accrue holidays. 

Adoption leave and foster leave

On top of parental leave, you are also entitled to special adoption or foster leave if you adopt or foster a child. Employees can take up to six weeks of leave during the period between four weeks before the day of adoption/foster until 26 weeks later. 

During this time, you can apply to receive an allowance from the UWV, which is 100% of your regular daily wage, up to a maximum of 203,47 euros per day (70% of the maximum daily wage in 2025). 

You need to give your employer notice of your intention to take adoption/foster leave three weeks before taking it. You can decide to take your leave all at once or to spread it out.