Maternity pay in the Netherlands: what you get paid
As an employee in the Netherlands you are paid 100% of your daily wage (dagloon) for all 16 weeks of pregnancy and maternity leave, up to a capped maximum. UWV pays it, usually to your employer, who keeps paying your salary as normal, so most people see no change in what lands in their account. The rules turn on being employed here, not on your nationality or your passport. Self-employed instead? You claim the ZEZ benefit from UWV yourself, and it is capped at the statutory minimum wage rather than your own earnings. Checked 22 September 2026.
Tell your employer when your maternity leave starts
Employees get at least 16 weeks of paid leave in total: pregnancy leave (zwangerschapsverlof) starting between 6 and 4 weeks before your due date, then maternity leave (bevallingsverlof) after the birth. You pick the start date inside that window and tell your employer at least 3 weeks before the leave starts, so at the latest 7 weeks before your due date. Checked against rijksoverheid.nl on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who are employed (in loondienst). Paperbump schedules this usually between week 26 and week 33 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · rijksoverheid.nl
Claim maternity pay as a self-employed parent (ZEZ)
Self-employed people have their own arrangement, Zelfstandige en Zwanger (ZEZ), giving at least 16 weeks of benefit around the birth, or 20 weeks for twins or more. It starts 6 to 4 weeks before your due date and you always keep at least 10 weeks after the birth. Checked against uwv.nl on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who are self-employed (zzp). Paperbump schedules this usually between week 30 and week 34 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · uwv.nl
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