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Legal changes in the Netherlands as of 1 July 2025: What international entrepreneurs need to know

As of July 1, 2025, new laws and regulations have come into effect in the Netherlands that impact businesses. These legal changes are relevant for both Dutch and international entrepreneurs operating in the Dutch market. The most significant updates concern business financing, employment law, and real estate and leasing. Make sure your business is fully prepared for these regulatory changes.

Positive reference letters: binding obligation or courtesy gesture?

A positive reference letter is more than a formality when specific agreements have been made. By law, an employer is only required to include objective facts, such as the employee’s role and duration of employment. Additional positive remarks are only mandatory if explicitly agreed upon, for example, in a settlement agreement.

New European Anti-Money Laundering rules will have major impact in the Netherlands

New European anti-money laundering regulations tighten internal obligations and governance:
In addition to a broader scope, the requirements themselves are becoming more stringent. The AMLR mandates that institutions must have a comprehensive and up-to-date AML/CFT compliance framework in place, including documented internal procedures, risk assessments, and control mechanisms.

Integrating ESG in the Blue Economy and Emerging Risks in Maritime Transport

The blue economy promotes sustainable ocean use for economic growth while protecting ecosystems.
As it expands, integrating ESG principles is vital—especially for maritime and insurance sectors, where it’s a legal and strategic priority.
Key focus areas include workforce training in green technologies and ensuring safe, fair, and supportive working conditions, aligning with ESG goals and boosting employee retention.

Temporary Agency Work via Platforms: Even Private Households Can Be Considered Hirers

Organisations that hire flexible workers through digital platforms – such as platform companies, staffing agencies, HR professionals and clients – need to stay alert. The ruling in the Helpling case shows that these platforms don’t automatically fall outside of employment law. Even when working with freelancers or self-employed workers, there’s still a chance they may be classified as employees or temporary workers.

Temporary agency work should not become a loophole to avoid permanent contracts

The question of whether a temporary worker can work for thirteen years with the same client company without ever being offered a permanent contract is currently before the Dutch Supreme Court. This is the first time that the highest court in the Netherlands has addressed the limits of long-term outsourcing in the context of the European Temporary Agency Work Directive. On March 21, 2025, Advocate General De Bock provided her opinion, stating that the argument of a ‘flexible workforce’ is not sufficient to justify thirteen years of temporary work. According to her, this constitutes an abuse of the temporary staffing arrangement. She strongly criticized the court that previously ruled that long-term outsourcing was acceptable.

AML – How to Effectively Implement Transaction Monitoring?

A financial institution should actively monitor its customers’ payment traffic through transaction monitoring with the aim of identifying unusual activity (including unusually large transactions, transactions to/from high-risk countries, or deviations from a customer’s expected payment behaviour etc.). But transaction monitoring is also essential for lenders, factoring companies and crowdfunding platforms, where payments are usually made via bank transfers or direct debits, to comply with Wwft rules. Read more about this in our latest article.

Navigating the Waters of Director’s Personal Liability and Its Inheritance: A Legal Perspective

Personal liability for a company’s debts can now be inherited. A director’s personal liability for a company’s outstanding debts does not simply disappear on death. Instead, this responsibility is transferred to the director’s heir(s).
Strategic decision-making, transparency and the need for comprehensive legal and financial preparation are of great importance to anyone involved in or connected to the business sphere. Understanding these dynamics and preparing for their implications is crucial for both protection and forward planning.

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