How many hours can you work while studying?
How many hours can you work while studying in the Netherlands?
How many hours can you work while studying? The question returns every year when your timetable lands and you decide how many shifts to take on. There is more room than most students expect: the earnings limit on student finance is gone, and the law mainly protects you from excessive days.
Is there a limit how much you can earn?
No. DUO puts it briefly: since 2020 you can earn as much as you like, there is no earnings limit. That applies to MBO, HBO and university students alike, so your grant is not cut after a good month.
What you earn can still affect your allowances, and we return to that below. The only hard limit on hours comes from the Working Hours Act, the Arbeidstijdenwet.
What does the Dutch Working Hours Act allow?
If you are 18 or older, you may work a maximum of 12 hours per shift and 60 hours per week. Over 4 weeks you may average 55 hours per week, and over 16 weeks no more than 48. A working week runs from Monday 00.00 to Sunday 24.00.
So those 60 hours are a peak and not a norm: work a heavy week and you compensate afterwards to stay under the average. The act covers everyone of 18 and older, including interns and agency workers.
What if you have two student jobs?
Then the hours add up. With several jobs, the Working Hours Act applies to all your work combined, not per employer. So tell your employers about each other. Only then can they keep your roster workable.
Are you a student from outside the EU?
If you study here on a residence permit for study purposes and come from outside the EU or the EEA, a hard limit does apply. The work permit your employer requests at UWV allows a maximum of 16 hours per week, or full time in June, July and August. That limit does not apply to Dutch and European students.
Are you 16 or 17? Stricter rules apply
If you are 16 or 17, you may work a maximum of 9 hours per shift and 45 hours per week, with a ceiling of 160 hours per 4 weeks, so an average of 40. One detail many school students miss: school time counts as working time. The hours you spend in class come off that same 40, and your employer is responsible for the total.
You may not work between 23.00 and 06.00, and no on-call shifts or overtime. You are entitled to at least 12 hours of daily rest, and to half an hour of break once you work more than 4.5 hours.
What rests and breaks are you entitled to?
If you are 18 or older, you may not work for at least 11 consecutive hours after a working day. That rest may be shortened to 8 hours once every 7 days, but only if the work genuinely requires it. Each week you are entitled to 36 consecutive hours of rest, or 72 hours per 14 days if you spread it over two weeks.
The break rule is simple. Work longer than 5.5 hours and you are entitled to at least 30 minutes, which you may split into two blocks of fifteen. Work longer than 10 hours and that becomes 45 minutes. A collective labor agreement may deviate, but you always keep a quarter of an hour after 5.5 hours. Do not count on breaks being paid: the act says nothing about payment.
How many working hours are sensible alongside your studies?
The law says what is allowed, your degree says what is feasible. Add up your contact hours and your self study, then see what is left in an average week. Plan ahead for exam weeks too, because that is when you need to scale back without a fuss. A job that does not move with you costs more than it pays.
Recruit a Student has specialized in working students since 1999 and does it the other way round: you pass on your availability and we find work that fits, whether you study in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht or Eindhoven. With branches nationwide, there is almost always a match.
What do your hours mean for your pay and allowances?
Your hourly wage depends on your age. As of 1 July 2026 the statutory minimum hourly wage is €14.99 gross for everyone aged 21 and over. At 20 it is €11.99, at 19 it is €8.99, and at 18 it is €7.50.
Watch out with the payroll tax credit, the loonheffingskorting. It reduces the tax withheld from your pay, but only one employer may apply it at a time. Use it at two at once and you get too much credit, which usually means paying tax back later. Work for several employers one after another in the same year and you may claim it at each.
For healthcare allowance, zorgtoeslag, your annual income as a single person may not exceed €40,857 in 2026, and student finance does not count as income for that test. Keep your payslips, because too much tax is often withheld. You can file a tax return up to 5 years back, so in 2026 you can still file for 2021.
Frequently asked questions about working alongside your studies
How many hours am I allowed to work alongside my studies?
There is no legal maximum that applies specifically to students. The limit comes from the Working Hours Act (Arbeidstijdenwet): if you are 18 or older, you may work a maximum of 12 hour per shift and 60 hours per week, with an average of no more than 48 hours per week over 16 weeks. Within that range, you decide for yourself how many shifts you can handle alongside your studies.
Is there an earnings limit for students?
No, since 2020 you may earn as much as you like without your student finance being reduced. This applies to MBO (vocational education), HBO (universities of applied sciences) and university.
Will my student finance be reduced if I earn a lot?
No, your basic grant and supplementary grant stay the same, no matter how much you earn. So you don't have to track your hours out of fear of an additional assessment from DUO.
What happens if I have two part-time jobs?
Then all your hours are added together. The Working Hours Act applies to all your work combined, not to each employer separately. So let your employers know about each other, so they can keep your schedule in order.
How many hours am I allowed to work if I am 16 or 17?
Stricter rules apply to 16- and 17-year-olds: a maximum of 9 hours per shift and 45 hours per week, with a maximum of 160 hours per 4 weeks (an average of 40 hours per week). School time counts as working time, and you are not allowed to work between 11:00 p.m. and 06:00 a.m.
Does my part-time job affect my healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag)?
Yes, your part-time job can affect your healthcare allowance. In 2026, your annual income as a single person may not exceed €40,857 in order to keep your healthcare allowance. Your student finance does not count as income for this.
What is the minimum hourly wage for students in 2026?
Your hourly wage depends on your age. As of 1 July 2026, the statutory minimum hourly wage is €14,99 gross from age 21, €11,99 gross if you are 20, €8,99 gross if you are 19, and €7,50 if you are 18.
With how many employers may I apply the payroll tax credit (loonheffingskorting)?
You can apply the payroll tax credit (loonheffingskorting) with only one employer at a time. If you apply the credit with two employers at the same time, you receive too much credit and will probably have to pay part of it back later. If you work for different employers one after another, you may apply the credit with each of them. Find out more about loonheffingskorting.
Can I reclaim tax I have overpaid?
Yes, if too much payroll tax has been withheld, you can get it back through your tax return. You can file a return up to 5 years back, so in 2026 you can still do so for 2021.
Are you ready for your next job?
In short: earnings are unlimited, the Working Hours Act draws the line at 12 hours per shift and an average of 48 per week, and under 18 school time counts too.
Do you want a flexible student job?
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