Maternity leave in the Netherlands.
She picks the start.

Maternity leave in the Netherlands is at least 16 weeks in all. It starts between six and four weeks before the due date, on a day she chooses.

The rules below come from business.gov.nl and rijksoverheid.nl, read on the day shown.

Get started for FREE! then £4.99 per card

Published 2 October 2026 · Updated 2 October 2026

When can her leave start

The planner gives the window, from the due date.

Worked out on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

The statutory floor. Many contracts give more.

The rule	Netherlands	In more detail
Maternity leave	At least 16 weeks in all	Pregnancy leave before the birth and maternity leave after, at least ten weeks of it after.
When it can start	Between 6 and 4 weeks before the due date	She chooses the day, no later than 4 weeks before.
Partner leave	1 working week, plus up to 5 more weeks	The first week on full pay within 4 weeks of the birth, the rest paid by UWV.
Notice to resign	1 month, unless agreed otherwise	A longer period has to be in the contract.
Paid holiday a year	20 days on a 5 day week	Four times the hours worked in a week.

Maternity leave: https://business.gov.nl/regulations/leave-schemes/, read 2026-10-07

When it can start: https://business.gov.nl/regulations/leave-schemes/, read 2026-10-07

Partner leave: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/themas/familie-zorg-en-gezondheid/zwangerschap-en-geboorte/geboorteverlof, read 2026-10-07

Notice to resign: https://business.gov.nl/regulations/notice-period/, read 2026-10-07

Paid holiday a year: https://business.gov.nl/regulations/holiday-entitlement/, read 2026-10-07

Pregnancy leave starts no earlier than six weeks and no later than four weeks before the due date. She decides where in that window.

So the team may not know her last day until a month or two before.

Ask once, early, and write it down.

A partner gets one working week of birth leave on full pay, and can add up to five more weeks.

Somebody resigning gives one month's notice unless the contract says otherwise.

Set it up the week before, so nobody is chasing signatures on the day.

01
Add their last day.
The card opens on it and not before, so it is a surprise.
02
Send the link round.
The team, the floor, anybody they worked with. Each person writes their own note.
03
They keep it.
Every note stays with them while they are away, and after.