Parental leave in the Netherlands: rules, pay, and how it works

However, the system often confuses expats because parental leave operates alongside completely separate entitlements for pregnancy, maternity (bevallingsverlof), and partner leave (geboorteverlof).

This guide covers who qualifies, how leave is calculated, when the 9 paid weeks apply, and what to check with HR, UWV, and your CAO.

Key takeaways

• Each parent can take up to 26 times their contracted weekly working hours per child.
• Up to 9 weeks can be paid through UWV if they are used in the first year after birth, adoption, or foster placement.
• The remaining 17 weeks are unpaid and can be used until the child turns 8.

What parental leave means in the Netherlands

Under the Work and Care Act, or WAZO (Wet arbeid en zorg), parental leave lets parents reduce or stop work to care for a child. Many readers assume it means a fully paid block after birth, but Dutch parental leave is a separate care entitlement with its own pay rules.

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Who qualifies for ouderschapsverlof?

Employees can request parental leave through their employer if they are the official parent of a child under 8. Under UWV rules, paid parental leave can also cover some people raising the child without legal parent status, such as certain step-parent or family situations.

Self-employed parents with no staff are outside the statutory employee system for parental leave, so they need separate guidance rather than going through the employee process. To qualify:

• You need to be in paid employment.
• Your child must be under 8.
• Your family relationship must fit the legal or recognised caregiving rules for the leave type.

How many hours or weeks can you take?

The law uses hours because part-time work is common in the Netherlands, with each parent receiving 26 times their weekly working hours, for each child.

If you work 32 hours a week, 32 x 26 gives you 832 hours of parental leave. You can take that as 26 full weeks away from work, or stretch it out by reducing your schedule over a longer period.

How paid parental leave works

The first 9 weeks can be paid if you use them in time. The rest stays available until your child turns 8, but it is unpaid unless your CAO or employer offers more.

How much pay do you get from UWV?

Up to 9 of the 26 weeks can be paid parental leave if you use them in the first year after birth, adoption, or foster placement. The benefit is 70% of your average daily wage, including 8% holiday pay, up to the current maximum daily wage.

Your employer applies for the benefit, while UWV pays after you have taken the leave, or part of it, so there can be a short gap before the money reaches you. Some employers or CAOs may top up the benefit, but the statutory payment is not automatically 100%.

• Ask whether your employer will advance pay and reclaim it from UWV later.
• Confirm whether UWV will pay your employer or pay you directly.
• Review your CAO for any top-up above the statutory 70%.

When does leave become unpaid?

If you miss the first-year window, those 9 weeks can still become unpaid parental leave. You keep the time off, but the pay no longer applies.

The remaining 17 weeks can be used until your child turns 8. Unlike partner leave, this later leave is not tied to the birth itself.

• Reserve the paid weeks early if income replacement matters.
• Ask HR how reduced hours will appear on your payslips.
• Do not assume the later weeks are paid unless your contract or CAO says so.

Leave for fathers, partners, and co-parents

Fathers, partners, and co-parents can have parental leave rights of their own if they qualify as parents. They may also have birth-related leave after the child arrives, and mixing the two up can send you to HR with the wrong request.

What is geboorteverlof and additional partner leave?

Under Government.nl guidance, a partner in paid employment can take 1 working week of birth leave, called geboorteverlof, within the first 4 weeks after the birth. That week is paid at 100% of salary by the employer.

Business.gov.nl also sets out up to 5 working weeks of additional partner leave, called aanvullend geboorteverlof, within the first 6 months after birth. That extra leave is paid at 70% through UWV, and some CAOs may require an employer top-up.

• Take the 1 week of partner leave first.
• Use that first week within 4 weeks after the birth.
• Request additional partner leave at least 4 weeks before it starts.
• Treat partner leave and parental leave as separate entitlements.

How is partner leave different from parental leave?

Partner leave is for the period right after birth, while parental leave is the longer care entitlement that each parent can use up to a child’s eighth birthday. Most people ask for partner leave first, then additional partner leave, and plan parental leave separately.

Pay works differently too. The first partner week is employer-paid at 100%, additional partner leave is paid at 70% through UWV, and parental leave has its own 9 paid weeks and 17 unpaid weeks.

How to apply and plan your leave

Most problems show up before the leave starts, not after. Settle the dates, hours, and payment route with HR early, especially if you work part time or expect your income to change during leave.

What to discuss with your employer and check in your CAO

Request parental leave in writing at least 2 months in advance and include the hours, working days, and your planned start and end dates.

1. Write to your employer early and keep a copy.
2. Confirm your working pattern during leave.
3. Ask who handles the UWV application.
4. Check when the money is likely to reach you.
5. Review your CAO or contract for better pay or extra process rules.

An employer can only request to reschedule parental leave if it causes serious operational hardship, which is where knowing your rights under Dutch labor law becomes critical.

Payroll specialists at Teamed’s Netherlands benefits guide put it bluntly: “Before making an offer, confirm whether a collective labour agreement (CAO) applies to the role.” For employees, the takeaway is simple: know which CAO covers you before you assume what paid leave you will get.

• Confirm which CAO applies to your role.
• Ask whether your employer tops up paid leave.
• Clarify how leave affects payroll, vacation accrual, and benefits.

If your household will receive money from abroad or pay baby-related costs in another currency during leave, compare cross-border money tools carefully. Options such as Wise can help, but they are secondary to your leave plan.

What if you work part time, change jobs, or have more than one child?

Part-time work: Because parental leave is calculated from contracted weekly hours, part-time workers still get the same 26-times rule, based on their own schedule rather than a full-time standard.

Changing jobs: If your job ends, UWV allows you to keep remaining paid parental leave with a new employer, but ask your former employer for a written statement first and do not assume the leave transfers automatically.

More than one child: The entitlement is per child and per parent. Multiple births, multiple adoptions, and foster cases can change the paid leave outcome, so check the official UWV page closely.

Start planning childcare and household benefits early, using our Childcare in the Netherlands and Child benefits in the Netherlands guides below as background reading. If leave pay changes your wider budget, Social security in the Netherlands and the Belastingdienst benefits guidance can help you check possible knock-on effects.

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Other Dutch leave types parents should know about

These leave types are related, but they are not the same as parental leave. Knowing the difference helps you ask for the right leave at the right time.

Pregnancy and maternity leave

Maternity-related leave for employees is at least 16 weeks in total. Pregnancy leave, or zwangerschapsverlof, happens before birth, and maternity leave, or bevallingsverlof, happens after birth.

That leave is separate from parental leave in both purpose and timing. Once maternity-related leave ends, you and your employer can plan parental leave around work and childcare.

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Adoption and foster leave

Employees who adopt a child or take in a foster child can get 6 weeks of adoption or foster leave. That leave applies around the child’s arrival and is separate from parental leave.

After that, adoptive and foster parents may also qualify for parental leave under the usual child-age and employment rules. Avoid using “parental leave” as a catch-all label for every family leave type.