Paternity leave in the Netherlands: a complete guide for new fathers in 2026

Dutch paternity leave gives new fathers up to 15 weeks of statutory leave (geboorteverlof), but it’s essential to understand the complex UWV payout rules and strict allocation timelines before your baby arrives.

Here’s our guide to paternity leave (vaderschapsverlof) in the Netherlands: what your rights are, how much time you get, and whether it’s paid or not.

How many weeks of paternity leave do you get in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, partners are entitled to one week of fully paid birth leave (geboorteverlof) to be taken within four weeks of the birth.

To extend this, you can take up to five weeks of supplementary birth leave (aanvullend geboorteverlof) within the first six months, paid at 70% of your daily wage (up to the UWV maximum daily wage limit).

If that seems a bit hectic, you can also request additional birth leave on top of the existing paternity leave you’re entitled to. To do so, you’ll have to:

• take out paternity leave,
• decide what date you want your leave to start,
• know how many whole weeks you’ll need,
• and have a plan about how many weeks you’d like to spread this leave (eg, paternity leave every day for a few consecutive weeks, or a few days of paternity leave each week spread over several weeks).

As such, even though you need to start taking this time off within six months of the baby’s birth, it doesn’t need to be right after they are born. You could, for example, decide to take your five weeks of leave after the maternity carer leaves.

- Advertisement -

Ultimately, you’re entitled to five weeks of paternity leave (vaderschapsverlof), for which you get 70% of your regular pay. However, you could even get full pay if your employer is willing to supplement it.

Here’s how to apply for paternity leave in the Netherlands

Sorting out your paperwork while prepping for a baby might feel like a chore, but securing your time off is a straightforward process.

Because government payouts are tied to strict deadlines, timing your application correctly ensures you get full legal coverage without administrative delays.

Let’s walk you through the process:

• Notify your employer in writing (~4 weeks before the due date): Send a formal letter or email to your HR department or manager stating your intent to take both standard and supplementary leave. You don’t need to provide exact calendar dates yet, just specify how many total weeks of leave you plan to request.
• Take your standard leave (1 to 4 weeks post-birth): Take your one week of 100% fully paid geboorteverlof within the first four weeks of your child’s arrival. This serves as a mandatory prerequisite; the government requires you to fully exhaust this week before any supplementary funds can be unlocked.
• Initiate the UVW claim via your employer (immediately after the birth): Provide your employer with the baby’s official date of birth. Your employer will then log into the UWV portal (the Employee Insurance Agency) to submit the formal application for your 70% supplementary leave allowance (WAZO-verlof).
• Schedule your leave blocks (up to 1 year post-birth): Coordinate with your team to distribute your remaining time. You have 6 months to use your 5 weeks of supplementary leave and 12 months to use your 9 weeks of paid parental leave. These can be taken in consecutive blocks or spread out flexibly (e.g., taking one specific day off per week).

Can fathers get paid holiday leave in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, new fathers and partners continue to build up their fully paid statutory annual holiday leave (wettelijke vakantiedagen) while they are away on government-subsidised birth or parental leave.

By Dutch law, an employer is strictly prohibited from reducing your standard accrued vacation days simply because you took time off to welcome a child. You accumulate your vacation hours at 100%, meaning you won’t return to work with a drained holiday balance.

- Advertisement -

However, it is important to understand how this interacts with your 8% annual holiday allowance (vakantiegeld). According to the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), your vacation allowance continues to accumulate normally during your time off.

When the UWV processes your 70% payouts for supplementary birth leave or paid parental leave, your vakantiegeld is automatically calculated and factored directly into that 70% payout rate, which the UWV distributes along with your regular leave payments.

If your employer chooses to supplement your leave up to 100% of your regular salary based on a company policy or collective labour agreement (CAO), they will also top up your holiday allowance accordingly.

Many expat fathers choose to strategically chain their regular annual vacation days onto the end of their parental leave.

Because full-time employees in the Netherlands are legally entitled to a minimum of 20 days of fully paid vacation per year, using these days allows you to create an even longer bridge of time at home without taking the 30% cut in your daily income required by the UWV framework.

Let op: This holiday accumulation only applies to paid leave blocks.

- Advertisement -

According to the Rijksoverheid, while you accrue vacation days during your 9 weeks of paid parental leave, you will stop accruing holiday hours and holiday allowances during any weeks of unpaid parental leave, unless your company’s specific CAO or employment contract explicitly states otherwise.

How does paid parental leave (ouderschapsverlof) work for fathers?

What about after paternity leave is over? Well, then you can take parental leave (ouderschapsverlof).

Some conditions apply, such as:

• you’re the official parent of your child,
• you’re the adoptive/foster parent of your child, and they live at the same address as you, according to the BRP (Personal Record Database),
• your child is under 8 years old.

In the Netherlands, parents are entitled to 9 weeks of partially paid parental leave (ouderschapsverlof) during the child’s first year. Both supplementary birth leave and paid parental leave are compensated at 70% of your salary.

However, keep in mind this is capped at 70% of the statutory maximum daily wage (maximumdagloon) set by the UWV. If your salary exceeds this cap, your payout will be lower unless your employer chooses to supplement the difference.

Some employers will also cover part of the salary the parent would have earned without that leave, but they are not obligated to do so under Dutch labour law.

On the bright side, at least you have an excuse for not helping them with maths homework. 😉

Paternity leave in the Netherlands as a self-employed person

Unlike maternity leave, paternity leave as a self-employed person (zzp’er) is not legally recognised in the Netherlands.

This means that independent entrepreneurs and freelancers have no statutory right to paid partner leave (geboorteverlof) or paid parental leave (ouderschapsverlof)

Unlike salaried employees who fall under the Wet WIEG framework, self-employed partners are fully responsible for managing their own working hours and must personally absorb any loss of income while taking time off to bond with a newborn.

The only statutory exception for independent workers applies to birthing mothers, who remain entitled to at least 16 weeks of financial support through the Self-Employed and Pregnant scheme (ZEZ-uitkering).

That means that you will need to have your own savings if you want to take any leave at all to be with your partner and new baby.

What are your experiences with the Dutch paternity leave system? Tell us in the comments below! 

Paternity leave in the Netherlands: Frequently asked questions

- Advertisement -