The Dutch Working Hours Act stipulates that children are, in principle, not allowed to work. They need time for school and their development.
There are some exceptions to this ban, for example for:
- cultural/artistic work
- (social) internship
- a side job or holiday job
A distinction is made between:
- Work performed by children aged up to 12
There is an outright ban on labour. Only cultural or artistic work can be exempted under strict conditions. - Children aged between 13 and 15
They may work to a limited degree, under strict conditions. - Young people aged between 16 and 17
They may work more, but they are subject to rules on working hours and working conditions too.
Cultural/artistic work
For children aged up to 12, an exemption (Dutch) must be requested for cultural/artistic work. This is the only work they are allowed to do, subject to strict conditions.
For children aged 13 to 15, the work they are allowed to do is set out in the Further Regulation on Child Labour (Dutch). This sets out the conditions under which they may carry out light, non-industrial work; including outside the cultural sector.
For young people aged between 16 and 17, an exemption is not required for cultural work. They are allowed to work as long as they comply with the Working Hours Act (Dutch) and the Working Conditions Act).
Read more about this topic on the page Cultural/artistic work by children.
Side job, holiday job and internship
Children and young people aged between 13 and 17 are allowed to do work under very strict rules, if it is a (social) internship, a job on the side or a holiday job. Children under 12 are not allowed to do this kind of work. Read more about this topic Side job, holiday job and internship.
Inspection by the Netherlands Labour Authority
The Dutch Labour Inspectorate not only assesses applications for exemptions, but also monitors compliance with the rules relating to children and young people, as laid down in the Further Regulation on Child Labour (Dutch), the Working Hours Act and the Working Conditions Act.
If during an inspection, an inspector finds that the rules are not being followed, that the work is not being carried out in accordance with the exemption or that incorrect information has been submitted, a fine may be imposed.