Hiring volunteers in the Netherlands: legal basics and our recommended form

Hiring volunteers in the Netherlands: legal basics and our recommended form

No contract is legally required to bring on a volunteer in the Netherlands. This page explains why, and gives you a form to send before the volunteer starts, so you have the right things in writing anyway.

Do volunteers need a contract in the Netherlands?

No. Dutch law does not require a written volunteer agreement or contract (source:  Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO, "Working with volunteers" ). If you do put one in writing, it becomes legally binding, so be careful what you promise in it.
Skipping a formal contract does not mean skipping structure. Two things to watch:
  • The Tax Administration can reclassify a volunteer as an employee. This happens if the volunteer cannot be replaced by anyone else, the fee you pay looks like wages, or the relationship generally looks like employer and employee. If that happens, the volunteer gets employee rights: minimum wage, holiday pay, sick pay.
  • To count as genuine volunteering , the work needs to serve the public interest, and the organisation needs to be a foundation, association, or ANBI. A volunteer also cannot be a paid employee of the same organisation at the same time.

What we recommend instead: a form before the volunteer starts

Send a short form before the start date. It is not a contract, but it gets the essentials in writing: what the volunteer signs up for, and their agreement to the relevant policies. This protects both sides and helps show the relationship is genuine volunteering, not disguised employment.

Sample form

E-Mail Email *
Your email
Bust in Silhouette Full name *
Your answer
Tear-off Calendar Start date *
DD/MM/YYYY
Hourglass Not Done Expected duration
  • Less than 3 months
  • 3 to 6 months
  • More than 6 months
Briefcase Team or department you'll be joining *
(List your organisation's actual teams here)
Alarm Clock How many hours per week will you volunteer? *
Your answer
Technologist How do you plan to volunteer? *
  • In the office
  • 100% remotely
  • Hybrid
Office Building Which days do you plan to be in the office?
Your answer
As a volunteer, you agree to follow our mission/vision and people policies (including, but not limited to, our expense policy) while collaborating with us. *
I understand and agree
Either you or the organisation can end this agreement with reasonable notice. We recommend 1 month's notice, and that you properly transfer your activities to someone else. *
I understand and agree
This is a volunteering position without any remuneration. *
I understand and agree
You can talk informally about your work here. However, both during and after your time with us, you must keep all confidential information about the organisation and its partners private. *
I understand and agree
You need permission from a management team member before publishing anything that could affect the organisation's interests. *
I understand and agree
Finally, please read our Code of Conduct. *
I read, understood, and agree with it
I confirm I am 18 years or older. *
(If you are under 18, please contact People Ops directly before continuing)
Can we keep your email after you're no longer volunteering with us, so we can keep you in the loop about events?
  • Yes
  • No

Good to know

  • Reimbursements are for approved, receipted expenses only, per the expense policy. This is not (and cannot be) a wage.