Home Blog The Top 4 Benefits of a Dutch Employment Contract

The Top 4 Benefits of a Dutch Employment Contract

April 10, 2026

If you work in the Netherlands, you should have a Dutch employment contract with Dutch employee benefits, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case!

Some employment agencies hire people in another European country and then send them to the Netherlands to work under a foreign employment contract. In this way, they evade Dutch rules on pensions, holiday pay, and other social benefits. This is advantageous for the employment agency, as it lowers their costs, but a problem for the employee because their NET payment is much lower. For example, a company can offer an employee a Lithuanian employment contract and then have them work in the Netherlands for a NET lower salary.

At EU-People we believe in equal pay for equal work. That is why we hire everyone with a Dutch employment contractSo you always get Dutch benefits. You are also guaranteed the same salary as Dutch colleagues working in the same position as you. Read on for the top 4 benefits of Dutch employment conditions.

1. The best salaries in Europe

The Netherlands is among the best-paying countries in all of Europe (2024). When we look at NET salaryonly Luxembourg pays better!

The minimum wage in 2024 in the Netherlands for people aged 21 and older is €2,150 NET per month or €13.27 gross per hour (based on a 40-hour work week). That is 1.8x higher than Spain, 2.9x higher than Poland, and 3x higher than Lithuania – after taxes!

With a Dutch employment contract, you are paid at least the Dutch minimum wage. At EU-People, many of our jobs even pay more than the Dutch minimum wage. If you work in the Netherlands but do not have a Dutch employment contract, your NET salary is often less than the Dutch minimum wage – so watch out!

2. Vacation days and holiday allowance

There is a good work-life balance in the Netherlands. If you work full-time, you get at least 20 paid vacation days per year. Those 20 days are a “legal requirement and exclude public holidays.

20 vacation days is the statutory minimum, but many companies offer at least 4-5 extra vacation days per year. These are called “above-statutory” vacation days, which can instead be paid out in your salary. Your “statutory” vacation days are mandatory, so you must take those vacation days in the year you received them.

You'll also receive vacation pay, which is at least 8% of your total earned salary. This vacation pay is required by Dutch law and exists to help you enjoy your vacation even more.

You can only take advantage of these benefits if you have a Dutch employment contract with Dutch terms and conditions of employment. If you work at EU-People through us, your vacation pay will be higher than the minimum: 8,33% instead of 8%.

3. Insurance and Healthcare

If you live and work in the Netherlands, you are legally required Om health insurance. If you earn less than €37,496 per year (2024), you can apply for healthcare allowance (Healthcare allowance). You will then receive up to €236 per month (2024) to help you pay for your health insurance. You can calculate online how much healthcare allowance you can get.

If you not working under a Dutch employment contractyou probably can't BSN in the Netherlands, which means you cannot get Dutch health insurance or healthcare allowance. As a result, you may only be covered for medical emergencies, IF you have travel insurance that covers it. If you need other types of medical care, you will have to stop working and return to your home country. If you need immediate care in the Netherlands, you will probably have to pay for it yourself.

4. Social benefits

If you have a Dutch employment contract, you are probably entitled to many social benefits. For example, you can apply for a healthcare allowance (Healthcare allowance), Extraterritorial tax credit, housing allowance (Housing benefit), child benefit (Child benefit), and much more. These benefits can add up to a substantial extra income per month. At EU-People you have a Dutch employment contract and you can apply for social benefits under certain conditions. If you work at EU-People, our staff will help you with this free of charge.

In summary

The Netherlands is notorious for its high taxes on labor, which can make a non-Dutch employment contract sound appealing. The reality is that you get a lot of benefits in return, as you can see above! Especially if you have a lower income, there are many financial benefits to be gained from a Dutch employment contract with Dutch employment conditions. Make sure to do your research properly so you don't get scammed!

blogs

Check out our other blogs