Dismissed in the Netherlands? What is legal, what you are owed, and what to do today
What Dutch law allows when you lose your job, and what you are owed when you leave. Also the deadlines that start now and the steps to take before you sign anything.
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Rules from the Civil Code, UWV and Rijksoverheid · Checked 25 September 2026
Short answer
Dismissed in the Netherlands, in short: your employer cannot simply fire you. Ending a permanent contract needs your written agreement, a UWV permit or a court decision, except during probation or a summary dismissal for an urgent reason, and a fixed-term contract can end on its end date. Do not sign anything today. Ask for the reason in writing, note the dates and check what you are owed: notice, a transition payment and holiday pay. To challenge a dismissal in court you usually have 2 months from the end of the contract.
Key facts for 2026
- 2 months after your contract ends to ask the court to undo a dismissal or award fair compensation.
- 3 months after your contract ends to go to court over an unpaid transition payment.
- 14 days to withdraw from a settlement agreement you signed.
- €102,000 is the 2026 maximum statutory transition payment, or one year’s salary if higher.
- 2 years of illness must pass before your employer may give notice, with narrow exceptions.
- 3 months job search period on a highly skilled migrant permit, from the day the contract ends.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
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The routes
Dismissed in the Netherlands: is it legal?
Your employer cannot end a permanent contract without your written consent, unless UWV gave a permit, a court dissolves it, you are in probation or there is an urgent reason (Civil Code, article 7:671, Rijksoverheid). If your contract was ended soon after you asked for birth leave or parental leave, check the dismissal protection that applies before you sign anything.
| How the job ends | What it takes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement agreement | Your signature on a written agreement | 14 days to withdraw; the wording decides your WW |
| Notice after a UWV permit | A permit for business-economic reasons or long illness | Notice period minus the procedure time, at least 1 month |
| Dissolution by the subdistrict court | A court decision, in principle within 8 weeks | The end date is set as if notice was given |
| End of a fixed-term contract | The agreed end date passes | For 6 months or more: told in writing 1 month before |
| Probation period | Either side ends it at once | The reason in writing if you ask |
| Summary dismissal | An urgent reason, told straight away | Pay stops at once; UWV checks your WW |
The routes in Dutch law, 2026. Your CAO can add a dismissal committee in place of UWV.
- UWV route: the time the procedure took is deducted from your notice period, but at least 1 month must remain (Rijksoverheid).
- Fixed-term contracts: for a contract of 6 months or longer, your employer must tell you in writing at the latest 1 month before the end whether it continues (Rijksoverheid).
Today
What should I do on the day I’m dismissed?
Do not sign anything on day 1, and get the reason and the dates on paper first.
- Do not sign: without your written consent your employer needs UWV or the court. Do not sign an agreement you think is not right (Rijksoverheid). If you already signed a settlement agreement, you can withdraw within 14 days (Civil Code, article 7:670b).
- Get the reason in writing: in probation your employer must give it on request, in a summary dismissal straight away, and your reference letter states it if you ask.
- Write down the dates: the day you were told and the last day of your contract. The court deadlines run from the end of the contract.
- Read your contract: the notice period, any non-compete clause and the probation clause.
- Collect your papers: gather the information you need for the WW application before you leave (UWV).
Just dismissed? Talk to an employment lawyer today
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Deadline
How long do I have to challenge a dismissal?
Most requests to the subdistrict court about a dismissal must be filed within 2 months after the day your contract ended (Civil Code, article 7:686a).
“De bevoegdheid om een verzoekschrift bij de kantonrechter in te dienen vervalt: a. twee maanden na de dag waarop de arbeidsovereenkomst is geëindigd …”
Our translation: “The power to file a petition with the subdistrict court lapses: a. two months after the day on which the employment contract ended …” From Civil Code, article 7:686a, paragraph 4, checked 25 September 2026.
- Undo the notice or get fair compensation: the court can annul a notice your employer gave without your consent or a permit, during a dismissal ban, or in breach of a ban on discrimination, or award fair compensation instead.
- Summary dismissal and wrong notice: the same 2 months apply.
- Transition payment: 3 months after the contract ended.
- Step by step: our guide to the 2-month deadline.
Money
What am I owed when I leave?
When your employer ends the contract, you are usually owed a transition payment of 1/3 of a monthly salary per year worked (Rijksoverheid).
- Transition payment: at most €102,000 in 2026, or one year’s salary if higher; not when you resign, unless your employer’s serious misconduct is the reason (Rijksoverheid). Work it out with our severance pay calculator.
- Notice: if the contract is ended to an earlier date than the notice period allows, the wages over the rest of the notice period are owed (Civil Code, article 7:672).
- Holiday pay: the holiday allowance built up and your unused holiday days are paid out (Minimum Wage and Holiday Allowance Act, business.gov.nl). See our holiday allowance guide.
- WW: usually, if you did not become unemployed through your own fault and worked 26 of the 36 weeks before; it starts after your notice period (Rijksoverheid, UWV). Our unemployment benefit guide explains how much WW pays and how long it lasts.
Dismissed, unpaid or asked to sign something?
Tell Finn what happened and any date you were given. We check whether a lawyer is worth it, prepare your case and introduce you to an independent employment lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Urgent cause
What if I’m dismissed on the spot?
An ontslag op staande voet (summary dismissal) ends your contract at once and needs an urgent reason, such as theft, fraud or refusing work without a good reason; you have 2 months to challenge it in court (Rijksoverheid, Civil Code, article 7:686a). Did your employer end your contract on the spot? Our Dutch guide to ontslag op staande voet puts every deadline in one table.
- Straight away: your employer needs no UWV permit, must tell you the reason at once, and may stop your pay.
- WW: UWV investigates whether you were to blame; if you were, you get no WW (UWV).
- Get help fast: your pay stops immediately, so look for legal help as soon as possible. Read more on instant dismissal.
Protected
Can I be dismissed while ill or pregnant?
Your employer cannot give notice during the first 2 years of illness, or during pregnancy and birth leave (Civil Code, article 7:670).
- Pregnancy: the protection covers pregnancy leave, birth leave and the first 6 weeks after it (Rijksoverheid). See our maternity leave guide.
- Illness: see our sick leave guide before you agree to anything.
- Discrimination: a notice given in breach of a ban on discrimination, including treating someone differently because of pregnancy, can be annulled by the court.
Permits
What if I’m on a highly skilled migrant permit?
Your job search period begins on the day your contract ends: up to 3 months, or up to 6 months after 2 years on the permit (IND brochure 3072).
- Never past your permit: the search period cannot be longer than your permit is valid.
- Next steps: our highly skilled migrant visa guide, and objecting to an IND decision if it comes to that.
Dismissed, unpaid or asked to sign something?
Tell Finn what happened and any date you were given. We check whether a lawyer is worth it, prepare your case and introduce you to an independent employment lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Help
Getting help
After a summary dismissal, UWV can tell you which steps you can take, and the Juridisch Loket, your union or your legal expenses insurer can help too (Rijksoverheid). If a deadline is running, read how to find an English-speaking employment lawyer in the Netherlands and what it costs before you reply to your employer.
Keep reading
Related guides
Guides for the days after a dismissal.
The 2-month deadline
How to challenge a dismissal in time.
DismissalInstant dismissal
Urgent cause and your defences.
PaySeverance pay calculator
Your transition payment for 2026.
DismissalSettlement agreement
Sign or negotiate, and the clauses to check.
DismissalNotice periods
How much notice your employer owes you.
PerformancePerformance improvement plan
Put on a PIP first: your rights before any dismissal.
NoticeGarden leave
Sent home during your notice period: pay and rights.
EmploymentEmployment law hub
Every English guide for employees in the Netherlands.
Dismissed, unpaid or asked to sign something?
Tell Finn what happened and any date you were given. We check whether a lawyer is worth it, prepare your case and introduce you to an independent employment lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I am dismissed in the Netherlands?
Do not sign anything straight away. Ask your employer for the reason in writing, write down the date you were told and the last day of your contract, and check your contract for the notice period and any non-compete clause. Then get advice quickly: a court challenge to a dismissal usually has to be filed within 2 months after the contract ends.
Can my Dutch employer end my contract without a reason?
Not on a permanent contract. Your employer needs your written consent, a UWV permit or a court decision to end it. The exceptions are probation, when either side can end the contract immediately, and a summary dismissal, where your employer must tell you the urgent reason straight away. A fixed-term contract can simply end on its end date.
How long do I have to challenge my dismissal?
In most cases 2 months from the day your contract ended. That covers asking the court to undo a notice given without a permit or during a dismissal ban, claiming fair compensation, and challenging a summary dismissal. For an unpaid transition payment you have 3 months. Missing the deadline usually means the right is gone, so act early.
What am I entitled to when I am dismissed in the Netherlands?
Usually your notice period or the wages for it, a transition payment of one third of a monthly salary per year worked, and the holiday allowance and unused holiday days you built up. You may also get WW unemployment benefit if you did not become unemployed through your own fault and you meet the conditions.
Do I get unemployment benefit (WW) after being dismissed?
Usually yes, if you did not become unemployed through your own fault and you worked at least 26 of the 36 weeks before. WW starts after your notice period. After a summary dismissal, UWV first investigates whether you were to blame, and if you were, you get no WW. Collect the information you need from your employer before you leave.
What is a summary dismissal in the Netherlands?
It is ontslag op staande voet: your contract ends at once for an urgent reason, such as theft, fraud or refusing work without a good reason. Your employer needs no UWV permit, must tell you the reason straight away and may stop your pay. If you disagree, get legal help the same day and keep the 2-month deadline in mind.
Can I be dismissed while I am sick or pregnant?
Your employer cannot give notice during the first 2 years of illness, during pregnancy, pregnancy leave, birth leave and the first 6 weeks after it, apart from narrow exceptions. A notice given in breach of these bans can be undone by the court if you ask within 2 months, or you can ask for fair compensation instead.
What happens to my residence permit if I lose my job?
On a highly skilled migrant permit you get a search period from the day your contract ends: up to 3 months, or up to 6 months if you have had the permit for 2 years or longer, but never beyond the end date of your permit. If the IND decides against you later, you can object to that decision.
Dismissed, unpaid or asked to sign something?
Tell Finn what happened and any date you were given. We check whether a lawyer is worth it, prepare your case and introduce you to an independent employment lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
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Official sources, checked 25 September 2026
- Burgerlijk Wetboek Book 7, articles 7:646 to 7:686a on the employment contract (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: when does my employment contract end? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: I am being dismissed. What is my employer’s notice period? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: what is the notification period for a fixed-term contract? (in Dutch)
- UWV: WW benefit after dismissal (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how high is the transition payment? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: do I have a right to a transition payment? (in Dutch)
- Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag, article 17 (in Dutch)
- Business.gov.nl: holiday entitlement
- Rijksoverheid: when do I have a right to WW benefit? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: can my employer dismiss me if I am pregnant? (in Dutch)
- IND brochure 3072: residence permit for work as a highly skilled migrant
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about your dismissal, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.