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NL Worker Compass
Tools · 2026

Holiday allowance calculator

Calculate gross vakantiegeld for the months you actually worked.

Last verified: 4 October 2026Official Dutch sources

Tools

2026 · EUR

Choose your CAO

Look for the CAO name in your employment contract or ask your employer. A sector or job title alone does not establish which agreement applies.

A selection helps you explore conditions. It does not establish that an agreement legally applies to your employment. Rijksoverheid

Your CAO choice is remembered on this device. Salary entries are not saved.

Use the general calculator with your own contract figures. Automatic CAO rules are not available for this selection.

Enter your own details to see an outcome. No amounts or surcharges have been entered in advance.

Methodology

The short answer

Vakantiegeld is a cash holiday allowance. Vakantiedagen or verlofuren are paid leave. Keeping these separate helps you understand both a job offer and the reservations shown on an agency payslip.

The general minimum holiday allowance is 8% of the relevant gross wage. It is also calculated on the full value of overtime, including an applicable overtime premium. There are specific exceptions, including some CAO arrangements and written agreements for pay above three times the minimum. The calculator is a transparent gross estimate using your chosen percentage.

Maintain two separate balances

Holiday allowance is money accrued for later payment; annual leave is time away from work with pay. A reservation line can therefore refer to different things. Ask payroll which balance is shown, when money is paid and how time off is requested. Do not assume a higher weekly transfer means all leave has been correctly dealt with.

Plan leave before contract end

Request a breakdown of leave by accrual year and statutory or extra category. Keep leave requests and responses, particularly if workload or illness prevented time off. At the end of employment, compare the final statement with unused leave, accrued allowance and wages still due.

What to do next

  1. Check the accrual period, percentage and whether the advertised wage already includes the allowance.
  2. Check when it is paid; payment is at least yearly, commonly in May or June, but the contract or CAO sets the arrangement.
  3. Read your paid-leave balance separately and check the settlement when employment ends.
A practical example

€2,800 gross per month × 6 months × 8% gives €1,344 gross holiday allowance in this simplified example. It is not the net amount that will arrive in your account.

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Questions people ask

Is the result gross or net?

Gross. Withholding on the actual holiday-allowance payment can differ from ordinary monthly withholding, so the bank transfer can be lower.

Why does the tool ask how many months I worked?

Accrual should match the period and wage basis being estimated. A partial year should not automatically use 12 months.

Can I use a percentage other than 8%?

Use the percentage that legitimately applies to your contract and situation. The common 8% rule is not a substitute for checking a special arrangement.

Are holiday allowance and unused leave the same payment?

No. Holiday allowance is a money entitlement; unused paid-leave hours are a separate balance that can matter in final settlement.

What if holiday allowance is already paid with every wage?

Check the payslip breakdown before adding it again. Comparing an inclusive figure with an exclusive one can double-count the allowance.

Sources

Last verified: 4 October 2026. Sources are in Dutch or English.