Transition Payment Calculator 2026 (Transitievergoeding)
Work out the statutory severance (transitievergoeding) your employer owes when your contract ends. Enter four figures and you have the number in about a minute - including holiday allowance, fixed bonuses and the 2026 statutory cap.
Last reviewed 12 August 2026
Your pay
Before tax, excluding holiday allowance.
8% is standard in the Netherlands.
Your service
Length of service is what the payment scales with, so these dates matter more than the salary.
Include earlier temporary contracts with the same employer if the gaps were under six months.
Enter your salary and both dates to see your transition payment. Nothing you type is sent anywhere - the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
Based on the statutory formula in article 7:673 of the Dutch Civil Code, using the 2026 maximum of €102,000.
What the transition payment actually is
The transitievergoeding is the statutory severance an employer owes when it ends an employment contract. It is not discretionary and it is not a goodwill gesture - it is a legal entitlement under article 7:673 of the Dutch Civil Code, and it arises from the very first day of employment.
Since the WAB reform took effect on 1 January 2020 the formula has been deliberately simple: one third of a gross monthly salary for each full year of service, pro rata for anything left over. There is no longer a higher rate for long service or for older employees.
What counts as your “monthly salary”
This is where most self-calculations go wrong, and always in the employer’s favour. The reference salary is not the number on your payslip. It includes:
- your gross monthly salary;
- holiday allowance - normally 8%, which alone adds roughly 8% to the final figure;
- a fixed 13th month or guaranteed annual bonus;
- structural overtime and shift allowances, where they were a regular feature of your pay rather than incidental.
The 2026 maximum
A statutory ceiling applies. For 2026 it is €102,000 gross, up from €98,000 in 2025 - the figure is re-indexed every January in line with contractual wage development. If your gross annual salary exceeds that amount, the ceiling is instead one gross annual salary, so higher earners are not capped at the flat figure.
When it is owed - and when it is not
You are entitled to the payment where:
- your employer terminates the contract;
- your employer does not renew a fixed-term contract when it expires;
- the contract ends, or you resign, because of seriously culpable conduct by the employer.
You are generally not entitled where:
- you resign of your own accord, without the employer being at fault;
- the termination is the result of seriously culpable conduct on your part;
- you have reached state pension age.
The three-month deadline
Why the statutory figure is usually the floor, not the deal
In practice most employment relationships in the Netherlands end by settlement agreement rather than by formal dismissal, because an employer that cannot make out a dismissal ground at the subdistrict court would rather negotiate than lose. That negotiating position has a price, and it sits on top of the statutory payment.
A settlement typically also has to deal with your notice period, whether you keep any bonus or unvested entitlements, the wording of the reason for termination (which affects your unemployment benefit), any non-compete clause, and a contribution to your legal costs. Signing an agreement at exactly the statutory figure usually means those points were never put on the table. Our guide to settlement agreements on FindLawyer.nl sets out what to look for before signing.
Common questions
How is the transition payment calculated in 2026?
One third of a gross monthly salary for every full year of service, with any remaining part-year calculated pro rata. Entitlement starts on the first day of employment, so even a few months of service produces a payment. The gross monthly salary used includes holiday allowance and fixed annual components such as a 13th month.
What is the maximum transition payment in 2026?
The statutory maximum for 2026 is €102,000 gross, raised from €98,000 in 2025 by the annual indexation. If your gross annual salary is higher than that figure, the maximum is instead one gross annual salary.
Do I get a transition payment if I resign?
Normally no. The payment is owed when the employer ends the contract, does not renew a fixed-term contract, or where the employment ends because of seriously culpable conduct by the employer. If you resign of your own accord you generally have no entitlement, which is exactly why resigning in response to pressure can be an expensive mistake.
Is the transition payment the same as a settlement payment?
No. The transition payment is the statutory floor. A settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst) is a negotiated exit, and the amount is whatever the parties agree - commonly the transition payment plus a factor for the weakness of the employer's dismissal case, notice period, legal costs and outplacement. Signing a settlement at exactly the statutory figure means you negotiated nothing.
Is the transition payment taxed?
Yes. It is treated as income from employment and taxed accordingly, so the net amount you receive is materially lower than the gross figure. The old averaging schemes have been abolished, so the whole amount falls in the year it is paid.
Do earlier temporary contracts count towards my service?
Usually yes. Successive contracts with the same employer are added together where the gap between them was six months or less. Periods worked through an agency before being taken on directly can also count in some circumstances, which often adds years that people do not realise they have.
How long do I have to claim the transition payment?
Three months from the day your employment ends. This is a strict forfeiture period rather than an ordinary limitation period, so a claim filed late is simply gone. It is the single most common way people lose an otherwise valid entitlement.
Been offered a settlement agreement?
Do not sign it on the strength of the number alone. FindLawyer reviews the agreement, tells you honestly whether the offer is defensible, and selects a suitable independent employment lawyer who works in English if it is worth challenging. The first 15-minute matching call is free.
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.