No, an internship allowance isn't mandatory by law at the moment, and there's no statutory minimum or maximum [1][2]. A collective agreement can prescribe an allowance, though, and many study programmes require one [2]. On 3 July 2026 the Dutch government announced that the right to an internship allowance will be written into law for internships in secondary vocational education, universities of applied sciences and research universities, without a minimum amount [3]. If someone in fact does ordinary work, it isn't an internship but an employment contract with a right to at least the minimum wage [1]. Position as of 11 October 2026.
What applies now?
- An intern has no right to the statutory minimum wage and the employer doesn't have to pay an internship allowance. The employer decides whether to pay one and how much [1][4]
- In an internship learning is central: there's a learning plan with learning goals and guidance. According to the Dutch government, the intern may not replace a regular employee [1][4]
- If the aim of the placement isn't learning but working, the intern is entitled to the minimum wage. The Dutch Labour Authority can investigate and impose a fine for internship abuse [1][4]
- Agreements with an intern belong in an internship agreement; if an employer offers an employment contract, the intern becomes an employee with the rights and duties of an employee [2]
How often do students receive an allowance?
In March 2025 the Dutch government reported the following figures: 42% of secondary vocational students received an internship allowance on the reference date in March 2024; in universities of applied sciences an estimated 75% received one; in research universities it was 65% of students with a compulsory internship and 91% of students with an optional internship [5]. In 2024, almost 17% of the collective agreements examined contained agreements on an internship allowance (10% in 2023). Where an amount was stated, it ranged from € 150 to € 750 a month, with € 400 the most common [5]. These are 2024 figures.
What does the government want to change?
According to the Dutch government on 3 July 2026, students in secondary vocational education, universities of applied sciences and research universities who do an internship as part of their programme will get a right to an internship allowance. Short internships and internships abroad are excluded. No minimum amount will be written into the law; sectors and host companies make their own agreements, but the government wants to keep open the option of setting a minimum amount later. In universities of applied sciences and research universities an internship agreement also becomes mandatory. The bill is expected to go to internet consultation in early 2027 [3]. It isn't in force yet and may still change.
Internship or working-student role: what's the difference for you?
An internship is meant for learning and is set out in an internship agreement. A working student has an employment contract and so a right to at least the minimum wage [1]; see our article on the minimum wage for working students for the amounts as of 1 July 2026. For work that keeps recurring at a company, an internship isn't the intended form according to the Dutch government, because an intern may not replace a regular employee [1]. For structural work, VOIDS prefers a working-student role over an internship.
What can you do as a student?
- Before you start, ask for an internship agreement with learning goals, supervisors, the amount of the allowance and the hours
- Check whether a collective agreement in the sector prescribes an allowance and whether your study programme requires one
- If you notice you mainly do ordinary work without learning goals or guidance, there may be an employment contract; you can report this to the Dutch Labour Authority [1]
What can you do as an employer?
- Decide whether the work has a learning goal or is structural; in the second case an employment contract fits [1][2]
- Put agreements in an internship agreement and decide on the allowance. The government's business portal lists factors such as the level of education, work experience and study year [2]
- Take the government's intention into account: an allowance is expected to become a statutory right [3]
Sources
- Rijksoverheid: Heb ik recht op het minimumloon als ik stage loop?, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Ondernemersplein (Rijksoverheid): Checklist werken met een stagiair of stagiaire, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid (2026): Kabinet wil stagevergoeding verplichten, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: Stagevergoeding, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid (2025): Stijgende lijn stagevergoedingen voor studenten, accessed 11 October 2026.
Transparency: VOIDS connects working students with organisations and therefore has an interest in this topic. We back up facts with sources and connect research and trends to our own experience from practice.
