Tell your employer when your maternity leave starts
Employees get 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 20 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Employed (in loondienst)
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 26 and week 33 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- rijksoverheid.nl
- Last checked
- 20 September 2026
What else to know
Ask your midwife or doctor for the pregnancy statement showing your due date and keep it yourself. Your employer cannot refuse the leave and arranges your benefit through UWV.
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