COVID-19 – Netherlands in lockdown again

Updated 20 December 2021

The Netherlands are in lockdown again. Renewed measures summarised below:

• No one should receive no more than two visitors aged 13 and over per day. On 24, 25 and 26 December and on 31 December and 1 January the maximum number of visitors aged 13 and over is four per day.
• Visit no more than one other household a day.
• The maximum group size outdoors for people aged 13 and over is two people. There can be more than two people in a group if everyone in the group lives at the same address.
• Educational institutions and out-of-school care (BSO) are closed until at least 9 January 2022. There are some exceptions. On 3 January 2022 the government will decide in what form education will resume from 10 January 2022.
• All hospitality venues are closed, except for delivery and takeaway.
• All non-essential shops are closed, except for click and collect and returns.
• Essential shops, such as supermarkets and chemists, can open until 20.00. Face masks must be worn. The maximum number of shoppers is one per five square metres.
• Certain locations, such as petrol stations, pharmacies, libraries, driving schools, notaries’ offices and lawyers’ offices can open for normal operating hours.
• All locations where non-medical contact-based professions are carried out, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, are closed.
• Cinemas, museums, theatres and concert venues are closed.
• All indoor sports facilities are closed, except for swimming lessons. Outdoor sports facilities can open for all ages between 05.00 and 17.00. People aged 18 and over can engage in sports outdoors, alone or in groups of 2. They must stay 1.5 metres apart. Children and teenagers aged 17 and under can play sports outdoors and can take part in matches and competitions within their own club.
• Events are not permitted, except for funerals (no more than 100 people), weekly markets selling groceries and professional sports matches or competitions (but with no spectators).

Updated 30 November 2021

The Government has imposed stricter measures, tightening up home working expectations and setting out new rules which enter into force from 28 November until at least 19 December 2021. The restrictions are here and summarised below:

• everyone should stay at home as much as possible;
• the rules for working from home have been tightened: ‘Work from home. If this is impossible: stay 1.5 metres apart at work.’;
• between 17.00 and 05.00 locations must be closed and events are not permitted;
• everyone aged 18 and over must stay 1.5 metres away from others;
• essential shops, such as supermarkets and chemists, can stay open until 20.00;
• essential service providers, such as notaries, lawyers, mortgage advisors and medical health professionals, can be open for their normal opening hours;
• amateur sports matches and training are not permitted between 17.00 and 05.00. Professional sports matches and training and professional artistic and cultural activities are permitted, even after 17.00. No spectators or audiences;
• face masks while moving around and 1.5 metre distancing are required at all locations where people have assigned seats, such as restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres. This means fewer people can be admitted to these locations; and
• 1.5-metre distancing and face masks will be required at all locations with a continuous flow of visitors, such as trade fairs. This means fewer people can be admitted to these locations.

Updated 15 November 2021

In light of increased covid rates, the government is now asking everyone to work from home unless impossible to do so. This is “urgent advice” so that there are no consequences if people/employers do not comply, but it is expected that most will comply.

Updated 3 November 2021

From 3 November 2021, the current advice for working from home has been tightened. People should now work from home for at least half of their normal hours. This is, however, nothing more than “urgent advice” from the government.

From 6 November, face masks will be mandatory again at more locations. People must once again wear a face mask in all indoor public spaces where coronavirus entry passes are not required. This includes:

• inside all buildings accessible to the public and in covered areas where coronavirus entry passes are not required, such as supermarkets, shops, libraries, play and gaming venues, amusement parks, etc;
• on public transport, at stations (including shops at stations), on platforms and at bus and tram stops;
• at airports and on aircraft;
• when moving around secondary vocational schools (MBO) and higher education institutions (HBO and universities). You can take your face mask off when seated; and
• where necessary, in the case of contact-based professions. This applies to both the client and the service provider.

Individuals must wear a face mask in these places. If you do not, you risked being fined €95.

From 6 November, coronavirus entry passes will be required at more locations, such as:

• establishments serving food and drinks, both indoors and in outdoor seating areas, except for takeaway;
• casinos;
• cultural locations such as theatres, music venues and cinemas;
• locations where there is a continuous flow of visitors in sectors where coronavirus entry passes are already required. This includes museums and historic buildings;
• events with a continuous flow of visitors who do not have an assigned seat, such as fun fairs and certain sports events;
• events such as festivals and live performances, whether or not visitors have an assigned seat;
• business events, such as trade fairs and conferences;
• for spectators at professional and amateur sports matches and competitions. Spectators under the age of 18 at amateur sports matches and competitions are exempt from this requirement;
• when taking part in organised sports activities from the age of 18. This includes gyms, group lessons, football and swimming. This applies to participants and spectators at all indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including sports canteens and clubhouses; and
• when taking part in artistic and cultural activities from the age of 18, such as music and painting lessons and singing, dance and theatre rehearsals.

Organised activities for children aged under 18 are exempt from the coronavirus entry pass requirement.

You can get a coronavirus entry pass if you are fully vaccinated, have valid proof of recovery or a negative result from a coronavirus test taken less than 24 hours before entry. For people without proof of vaccination or recovery, getting tested for entry will remain free of charge.

These passes are not required for entry to work premises.

Updated 16 August 2021

Working from home is still advised by the government, however, the government plans to abandon the 1.5-metre rule on 20 September and most other measures, such as the urgent advice to work from home may lapse by then too. However, these relaxations are subject to the epidemiological situation. The government will ask the OMT (Outbreak Management Team) for a new opinion to determine whether these relaxations can be implemented. The vaccination coverage will play an important part in these decisions.

Updated 21 July 2021

The Dutch government website has been updated to reflect the new expectation of home working. We understand that all measures will be reviewed during the first Council of Ministers after the recess on 13 August 2021. Ventilation is also being emphasised.

Updated 15 July 2021

• The recently relaxed advice for working at home will be tightened up again. This means that "work at home unless there is no other way" will again become the norm.
• Ventilation is also identified as increasingly important to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Precise plans for this are still being worked out by the cabinet, but the key message will be "throw open the windows". The cabinet also emphasized that it involves "many technical interventions".

Updated 21 June 2021

The Dutch government has announced that the lockdown will be lifted almost in its entirety as of 26 June 2021. The most relevant changes for employers will be:

• The 1.5-metre distancing rule remains the norm everywhere.
• Good hygiene remains important and any person with symptoms should stay home and be tested.
• The recommendation to work from home unless this is not possible will change. Employees who currently work from home can, in consultation with their employer, work up to half of their hours at the office. People must stay 1.5 metres apart in offices at all times, including in lifts and cafeterias. The government is calling on people to travel to work outside peak hours as far as possible.
• There will no longer be a restriction on the number of visitors people can receive at home. The same applies to the number of people who can form a group, for example in a park or restaurant.
• The requirement to wear a face mask will no longer apply, unless you are in a situation where staying 1.5 apart is impossible eg public transport, aeroplanes and other forms of passenger transport, at stations and airports and in secondary schools.
• All events held in public venues, like hospitality venues, cinemas, conference centres and concert halls, are permitted. At location where people have an assigned seat the maximum number of people is equal to the maximum number of seats available with 1.5-metre distancing. At locations where people move around, like shops and museums, the maximum number of visitors is 1 per 5 square metres.
• People travelling abroad from the Netherlands in July and August can get tested for free. These free tests are intended for people who are not yet fully vaccinated and are required to show a negative test result before travelling abroad.

In August, the government will decide how and when the final step of its reopening plan can be taken. This will involve possibly lifting the 1.5 metre rule and the other basic rules.

Updated 16 February 2021

A Dutch court has just ruled that the current night-time curfew is legally unenforceable and must be lifted immediately. We will provide a further update when it is clear what the government will do in response.

Updated 21 January 2021

An extension to the lockdown has been announced - here.

Working from home

In principle, everyone should already work at home. Only people who are essential to the progress of a business process and cannot carry out their work at home are allowed to come in to work. Coming to work to see colleagues or clients is not an option at the moment. Employers must ensure that employees who can work from home actually do so. Employees who are asked to come to work when it is not necessary can discuss this with their employer.

Quarantine obligation

The government is working on a way to make quarantine compulsory. Among other things, preparations are being made to register travellers to the Netherlands and to call people who must undergo quarantine. More information about this will follow.

Curfew

Subject to approval from Parliament, there will be a new curfew from 20:30 in the evening until 04:30 in the morning. Leaving home during curfew hours will only permitted for very limited reasons and individuals must carry a curfew declaration with them. Individuals who have to go out for work purposes must carry an employer's declaration.

Travel restrictions

Further travel restrictions are being introduced. A ban on flights from the UK and a docking ban for ferries from the UK is now in force.

In addition, all travellers from high-risk areas who come to the Netherlands by plane or ship must also be able to show a negative rapid test just before they leave for the Netherlands. This test must be a maximum of four hours old at the time of boarding. This is in addition to the already compulsory negative PCR test that must be taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.  It is expected that in practice the double testing requirement will reduce the number of trips to the Netherlands.

For certain groups of travellers from countries outside the EU, an entry ban has been in place since March. The Cabinet has decided to shorten the list of exceptions to this ban. This means that business travellers, students, highly skilled migrants and professionals from the cultural and creative sector as well as any long-distance short-stay personal visitors will not be granted entry.

These measures will enter into force on Saturday 23 January 2021 at 00:01 hours.

Updated 15 January 2021

Lockdown has been extended until at least 9 February 2021, the situation will remain as it is today which means that most people must work at home (only people who are essential to the progress of a business process and who cannot carry out their work at home are allowed to come to work). 

The Netherlands government is considering whether schools can open and when.

Updated 15 December 2020

Lockdown in the Netherlands has been extended until Tuesday 19 January which mean the following (noting for employers the requirement to work from home and the closure of childcare):

Rules of everyday life

• Stay at home as much as possible. Also during the holidays.
• Work from home. Only go to workplace f you have to.
• People who work in health care are allowed to continue working.
• Outside, a maximum of 2 people may be together (or all people who belong to one household) Children up to and including 12 years do not count.
• Receive a maximum of 2 people at home. Children up to and including 12 years do not count.
• On the 24th, 25th and 26th of December you can receive a maximum of 3 people at home. Children up to and including 12 years do not count.

Rules for shops and nightlife

• Theatres and cinemas are closed.
• Hairdressers, beauticians, nail studios and sex establishments are closed.
• Tattoo shops and nail studios are closed.
• Saunas and casinos are closed.
• Hotels are open for overnight stays.
• Restaurants in hotels are closed.
• Most shops are closed.
• Supermarkets are open. Also the baker, the butcher and other shops for food and drinks are open.
• Drugstores, pharmacies, opticians, audiologists and repair and maintenance shops may also remain open.
• Do-it-yourself shops are open for take away.
• Areas where you can pick up and send parcels may remain open.
• Banks remain open.
• Government organisations remain open.
• Libraries remain open to collect books.

Rules for travel

• Travel by public transport only when necessary.
• Do not book a trip abroad.
• Do not travel abroad.
• People who work in health care are allowed to continue working

Rules for schools and childcare

• Schools will teach remotely until 17 January.
• There are exceptions for vulnerable pupils.
• Practical education may continue at school.
• Lessons for exam students will continue.
• Examinations continue.
• Childcare is closed.
• Extracurricular care is closed. There is emergency care for children of parents with a crucial occupation. For example, if the parents work in a hospital or are teachers.

Rules for sports

• Sporting is allowed alone or together with 1 other person.
• Sports are only allowed outdoors.
• All gyms are closed.
• Matches are forbidden.
• This applies to everyone over the age of 18.
• Children up to the age of 17 are allowed to play outside in larger teams. Or play outside matches with teams from their own club.
• Sports canteens are closed.
• Changing rooms and showers are closed.
• No spectators
• Top athletes in top competitions are allowed to train and play matches.

See our coronavirus (COVID-19) feature for more information generally on the possible legal implications of COVID-19.