Are working students entitled to time off in exam week? Not automatically. In its guidance on studying alongside work, the Dutch government writes that you may be able to get study leave, and that a collective agreement may contain arrangements on a contribution to the costs or an allowance [1]; it doesn't mention a general statutory right to leave for exams. The most common route is taking holiday days: your employer may only object on serious business grounds or because of a collective holiday [2]. The wisest course is to record the arrangement for exam periods in advance in your contract or a written agreement.
What are your options?
- Study leave or an arrangement in the collective agreement. The Dutch government advises discussing a programme with your employer and writes that you may be able to get study leave or a contribution to the costs; if a collective agreement applies, it may contain arrangements on a contribution to the costs or an allowance [1]. So check your contract and the collective agreement.
- Taking holiday days. The employer must in principle approve your request. It may only object on serious business grounds or because of a collective holiday, must do so in writing within two weeks and must allow you to take leave at another time [2]. You must be able to take your statutory holiday days every year [2], but not necessarily on the day you want.
- Temporarily fewer hours. Under the Flexible Working Act you may ask, in consultation, for a (temporarily) different working time, but you must work for a company with at least 10 employees, have been employed at least 26 weeks and make your request in writing at the latest two months before the desired start date [3]. For an exam week that starts in three weeks, that doesn't work.
- An agreement with your employer. You can agree fewer hours, swapped hours or unpaid leave in consultation; that's an agreement and not a right.
How many holiday days do you build up?
Each year you're entitled to holiday hours equal to four times the number of hours you work per week; this applies to all employees [4]. If you work 16 hours a week, that's 64 hours a year. For a long exam period that may not be enough; so count on agreements about fewer hours or swapping hours. Statutory holiday days you haven't taken expire six months after the calendar year in which you built them up [2].
How do you approach it smartly?
- Discuss exam periods at your job interview, not only when they're coming up
- Pass on your exam timetable as early as possible and ask for an arrangement for the weeks before and after
- Put agreements in writing: how many hours, in which weeks and whether it concerns holiday days, unpaid leave or swapped hours
- Ask whether your employer will also record flexibility for resits
What can you do as an employer?
If you want working students to succeed in both their studies and their job, make exam arrangements in advance: a roster with fewer hours in exam periods, or an agreement on holiday days and swapped hours. What does apply by law: you must in principle approve a request for holiday days and any objection must be made in writing within two weeks [2].
Sources
- Rijksoverheid: Hoe kan ik leren naast mijn werk?, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: Hoe kan ik mijn vakantiedagen opnemen?, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: Wanneer mag ik meer of minder uren werken?, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: Ik heb een nulurencontract. Heb ik recht op vakantiedagen en vakantiegeld? (vakantie-uren: 4 keer de uren per week, vakantiegeld minimaal 8%), accessed 11 October 2026.
