How do you hire a Netherlands employee in 2026?

1. Issue the offer letter

   Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation period of up to 2 months, holiday pay entitlement, and any conditions such as work authorisation or references.

2. Complete the work-authorisation check

   For EU citizens, check passport or national ID and retain a copy. For non-EU nationals, apply for a TWV work permit or GVVA via UWV or IND before the employee starts. Do not let a non-EU national begin work before the permit is granted.

3. Issue the written employment contract

   The arbeidsovereenkomst must be signed before or on day one. It must include probation terms, notice period of 4 weeks minimum for the employer, holiday pay, and whether a CAO applies. Probation must be in writing or it has no effect.

4. Complete onboarding admin

   Verify the employee's BSN, register with the Belastingdienst and UWV, collect bank details, enrol in pension if applicable, and start vakantiegeld accrual. This runs across days one to seven.

5. Issue the first payslip

   Run the first payroll at the end of the first month. Payroll tax and social-insurance contributions are withheld. The payslip shows gross salary, deductions, net pay, and the running vakantiegeld accrual balance.

Three traps to avoid in Netherlands offer letters:

• Not specifying contract type. The Netherlands has open-ended contracts (vast contract) and fixed-term contracts (tijdelijk contract). The offer letter should state which applies. A fixed-term contract that is renewed too many times converts to a permanent one under the chain rule (ketenregeling).
• Omitting the holiday pay line. The 8% vakantiegeld (holiday allowance) is a legal entitlement. Not mentioning it does not remove the obligation, but it creates confusion and disputes. State it clearly.
• Stating probation terms that do not match the law. Probation must be equal for both parties and cannot exceed 2 months for permanent contracts. A clause that sets a longer or asymmetric probation is not valid.

Teamed's Netherlands offer letter template covers all required ground. Clients set the commercial terms. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and ensures the offer is consistent with the contract that follows.

EU and EEA citizens

Citizens of EU or EEA countries have the right to work in the Netherlands without restriction. The employer must verify identity by checking a valid passport or national identity card and keeping a copy on file. No share-code or online portal applies here. Swiss nationals also have free movement rights under the bilateral agreements.

Non-EU nationals

For most non-EU nationals, the employer must obtain a work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) from UWV, or a combined residence and work permit (gecombineerde vergunning voor verblijf en arbeid, GVVA) via the IND. Applications are filed before the employee starts. Processing times vary but are commonly five weeks or more for a standard application. Highly skilled migrants (kennismigranten) qualify for an accelerated IND route.

The employer carries the obligation to verify the right to work and to retain identity document copies. Working without the correct authorisation exposes the employer to fines and exposes the employee to deportation risk.

Follow-up checks for time-limited permits

Work permits and residence permits carry expiry dates. Teamed tracks each permit expiry and alerts the employee in advance so a renewal application is filed before the current authorisation lapses.

What the Netherlands employment contract must include:

• Names and addresses of employer and employee
• Start date and, for fixed-term contracts, the end date or objective criterion for termination
• Job title and brief description of duties
• Work location or confirmation that work can be performed in multiple places
• Agreed salary and pay frequency (Dutch payroll is monthly)
• The 8% vakantiegeld (holiday allowance) entitlement or confirmation it is included in gross salary
• Annual leave entitlement (minimum 20 days per year for a five-day week)
• Working hours per day or week
• Notice period for employer and employee
• Probation period, if agreed (must be written and must be equal for both parties)
• Whether a CAO (collective labour agreement) applies and which one
• Pension scheme details, where applicable
• Non-compete or non-solicitation clauses, if agreed (must be in writing for permanent contracts)

Probation is the item most often written incorrectly. It must be agreed in writing before work starts. It cannot exceed 2 months for permanent or long fixed-term contracts. Either party can end the contract during probation with no notice. A probation clause that is not in writing does not apply.

Teamed's standard Netherlands employment contract covers all required items and is reviewed against current legislation. Clients choose commercial elements such as salary, notice extensions, and any non-compete. Teamed signs as the legal employer.

Real HR and legal experts handle your Netherlands hires, from the first offer letter through every monthly payslip, vakantiegeld accrual, and social-insurance filing. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.

EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Netherlands contractor who converts to a salaried role keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see the month your Netherlands hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Netherlands hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Dutch employment law.

Key sources: Business.gov.nl (Netherlands Enterprise Agency), Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Authority), and UWV (Employee Insurance Agency).