Holiday days

If you work in the Netherlands, you have the right to holiday days. That means you can take time off and still receive your wages. 

Holiday days 

If you work, you have the right to holiday days. This right is also referred to as holiday entitlement. Your holiday entitlement is equal to four times the number of hours you work each week. If you work 25 hours a week, your holiday entitlement is 100 hours a year. You can take this in days or individual hours. When you are on holiday you continue to receive your usual wages. These rules also apply if you work as a temporary agency worker. 

Additional holiday days 

Sometimes your holiday entitlement, or number of holiday days, is more than the minimum. Extra holiday entitlement is referred to as additional holiday days. Your contract or CAO contains arrangements for this. 

Exchanging holiday days for extra wages 

In the Netherlands, you are not allowed to exchange your statutory holiday days for extra money. If you do not take your holiday days within a year, they will expire six months later. If you leave your job, the holiday days you have left will be paid out.  

If you have any additional holiday days, you can have them paid out too. Your employer cannot insist on this and must reach agreement on this with you.  

Holiday entitlement during leave (including sick leave) 

If you are pregnant or have just given birth, you continue to build up holiday days. You do not need to use up any free days for this. You still build up holiday days even if you are sick. Different rules may apply for additional holiday days. You can find these rules in your contract or CAO. 

If you are sick during your holiday 

If you become sick while you are on holiday, you should report sick to your employer to make sure you do not lose the holiday days you have taken. You can take those holiday days at another time. If you recover while you are still on holiday, you must let your employer know. The rest of your holiday will be converted back to holiday days for you.   

Holiday entitlement during other leave 

If you are on unpaid leave, you do not build up holiday days. However, you do if you are on long-term care leave or additional paternity leave. 

Unused holiday days 

You have to take your holiday days within eighteen months. If you do not, they will expire. For example, holiday days from 2025 expire on 1 July 2026. Sometimes you can keep them for longer, for example if you were sick and could not take a holiday. Additional holiday days on top of your legal entitlement (also known as non-statutory holiday days) usually expire after five years. Ask your employer about the rules that apply to you.