Dutch Notice Period Calculator (Opzegtermijn)
Find the statutory notice period that applies to your Dutch employment contract, and the exact date the contract can lawfully end. Works for both resignation and dismissal.
Last reviewed 12 August 2026
Who is ending the contract
Dates
Notice runs to the end of a calendar month, so the day you hand it in changes the leaving date.
Including earlier contracts with the same employer.
Contract terms
Optional - leave blank if nothing longer than the statutory period was agreed.
In months.
Enter your start date and the date notice is given. The calculation runs entirely in your browser - nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Based on article 7:672 of the Dutch Civil Code. A collective agreement (CAO) can shorten the employer’s notice period, so check whether one applies to you.
The statutory notice periods
Dutch notice periods are set by article 7:672 of the Civil Code and they are not symmetrical. An employee always owes one month. An employer owes more the longer you have been there:
| Length of service | Employer’s notice | Employee’s notice |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 years | 1 month | 1 month |
| 5 to 10 years | 2 months | 1 month |
| 10 to 15 years | 3 months | 1 month |
| 15 years or more | 4 months | 1 month |
Notice runs to the end of the month
This catches people out constantly. Unless your contract or a CAO says otherwise, notice must be given against the end of a calendar month. The period does not start on the day you hand in your letter - it starts on the first day of the following month.
The doubling rule
A contract can extend your notice period beyond the statutory month, but there is a safeguard: if the employee’s notice period is extended, the employer’s must be at least double it. A contract binding you to three months therefore binds your employer to six, unless a CAO says otherwise.
Employers regularly write a long notice period for the employee and leave their own at the statutory minimum. That clause is defective, and the consequence is usually that the employer’s period is read up to double rather than yours being read down.
Where the notice period does not apply
- During probation. Either side can end the contract with immediate effect. Probation clauses are invalid in contracts of six months or less.
- Summary dismissal (ontslag op staande voet). No notice, but it requires an urgent cause, immediate action and immediate notification of the reason. It is very often successfully challenged - and the deadline to do so is two months.
- Termination by mutual consent. In a settlement agreement the parties agree the end date. It should still respect the notice period, because ending earlier usually costs you unemployment benefit for the intervening weeks.
Notice and your unemployment benefit
If you are negotiating a settlement agreement, the end date has a direct financial consequence beyond the salary itself. Where the agreed end date does not respect the applicable notice period, the UWV normally treats the intervening period as one in which no benefit is payable. Agreeing to leave two months early in exchange for a slightly higher payment can leave you worse off overall.
This is one of the reasons a settlement agreement is worth reading properly rather than quickly - see the settlement agreement guide on FindLawyer.nl. If your contract is ending, it is also worth running the transition payment calculator to see what the statutory severance floor looks like.
Common questions
What is the statutory notice period in the Netherlands?
For an employee it is one month, regardless of how long they have worked. For an employer it depends on length of service: one month under five years, two months from five to ten years, three months from ten to fifteen years, and four months at fifteen years or more.
When does my notice period start?
Unless your contract or a collective agreement says otherwise, notice runs to the end of a calendar month. Notice given on 12 August with one month's notice therefore takes effect from 1 September and employment ends on 30 September - not on 12 September.
Can my contract set a longer notice period than the law?
Yes, if it is agreed in writing. An employee's notice period may not exceed six months. And if your own notice period is extended beyond one month, your employer's notice period must be at least double yours - so a three-month clause for you means six months for them, unless a collective agreement provides otherwise.
My contract says a shorter notice period than the statutory one. Is that valid?
Generally no. A clause that undercuts the statutory minimum is void, and the statutory period applies instead. The exception is a collective agreement (CAO), which can shorten the employer's notice period - this is one of the few places where a CAO may depart from the statutory rule to the employee's disadvantage.
What happens if I leave without giving proper notice?
Leaving early without your employer's agreement makes you liable for compensation, normally equal to the salary for the part of the notice period you did not observe. Employers do enforce this, most often by withholding it from the final settlement. If you need to start a new job sooner, ask for the shorter notice in writing rather than assuming it will be waived.
Does a probationary period change the notice period?
Yes. During a valid probationary period either party can end the contract immediately, with no notice period at all. Probation clauses are strictly regulated: they must be in writing, they are not permitted at all in contracts of six months or less, and the maximum is one month for contracts under two years and two months for indefinite contracts.
Does notice work differently for a fixed-term contract?
A fixed-term contract of six months or more carries a separate written notification duty (aanzegplicht): the employer must tell you at least one month before the end date whether the contract will be renewed and on what terms. Missing that deadline entitles you to compensation of up to one month's salary. Early termination of a fixed-term contract is only possible if the contract expressly allows it.
Not sure the notice you have been given is valid?
Notice given against the wrong date, a defective probation clause or a one-sided notice period are all worth challenging - and there are short deadlines for doing so. FindLawyer reviews the paperwork and selects a suitable independent employment lawyer who works in English where it is warranted.
No obligation. Any FindLawyer fee is explained before you decide. The lawyer decides whether to accept the matter, confirms their own fees and provides all legal advice.
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