In this guide
If you are under 21 and have a job in the Netherlands, your legal minimum hourly wage goes up on 1 January 2027. The government decree was published in the Staatsblad on 24 September 2026 (2026, 279), so the change is final. It matters for international students and young expats with side jobs in shops, restaurants, delivery or call centres.
In the Netherlands, workers under 21 get a percentage of the adult minimum wage. The Staatsblad sets the new percentages:
| Age | Now | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 80% | 87.5% |
| 19 | 60% | 75% |
| 18 | 50% | 62.5% |
| 17 | 39.5% | 50% |
| 16 | 34.5% | 40% |
| 15 | 30% | 30% |
The separate, lower scale for students in work-based vocational training (bbl) disappears. From 2027, bbl students aged 18 to 20 get the same minimum as others their age. The adult minimum wage is €14.99 gross per hour since 1 July 2026 (Rijksoverheid). The adult amount for 1 January 2027 has not been published yet. The youth rates are a percentage of that amount, so the final figures follow once it is known.
What does this mean for you?
Using today’s adult rate of €14.99, the minimum at 18 goes from €7.50 to about €9.37 an hour. At 19 it goes from €8.99 to about €11.24, and at 20 from €11.99 to about €13.12. Work 12 hours a week at 18 and that is roughly €22 a week more before tax, or about €1,165 a year.
Your employer has to pay at least the rate for your age. A collective labour agreement (cao) cannot go below it.
What can you do now?
- Check your pay slip (loonstrook) in January and February: the hourly wage should match your age. Our pay slip guide explains each line.
- Read the student expat guide for work rules, student finance and housing costs.
- Make sure your salary goes to a Dutch IBAN that suits you. Compare options in our bank account comparison.