Netherlands targets January 2027 for pay transparency, with salary ranges required in job adverts

Minister Vijlbrief has answered parliamentary questions on bill 36949, which implements the EU pay transparency directive in the Netherlands. The government missed the EU transposition deadline of 7 June 2026 and now targets entry into force on 1 January 2027. Under the bill, employers must state pay or a pay range in job adverts before any negotiation begins, and are barred from asking candidates about their current or previous salary. Employers with 150 or more staff must report on 2027 pay data by 7 June 2028; those with 100 to 149 staff follow from 2031.

Why this matters. For anyone applying to Dutch employers, the negotiation changes shape. You would see a number before you apply, and the question that anchors most salary negotiations downwards — what are you on now? — becomes unlawful to ask. That matters most to people whose current pay reflects a different country’s market, which includes a large share of remote and internationally mobile workers moving into Dutch roles.

The Netherlands is one of several member states running late. The directive’s deadline was June 2026, and national implementations arriving through 2027 mean candidates will see pay ranges appear unevenly across European job markets rather than all at once.

What to watch. Whether 1 January 2027 holds. It is a target rather than a commitment, and the bill still has to pass both chambers.