The WW is claimed from UWV, and it pays to start close to your last working day
Unemployment benefit in the Netherlands is called the WW. UWV, the national employee insurance agency, decides on it, and you normally claim online with a DigiD, the government’s secure login. Whether you qualify depends largely on your work history. Some municipal desks and neighbourhood teams explain your options or help you fill in the form, although they do not pay the benefit themselves.
How it works
Claim unemployment benefit after losing your job.
If you lose your job, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit, usually if you have worked and paid contributions for long enough. Apply as soon as possible, because a late claim can cost you days of payment. You usually need your ID, your employment contract or dismissal letter, a certificate of employment from your employer and your bank details; work in other EU countries can count towards your entitlement. In many countries you must also register as a jobseeker. The benefit office decides whether you qualify and how much you receive.
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At a glance
UWV decides, local desks explain
These offices do not pay the benefit; they help you understand your rights and the steps of a claim. Some hold walk-in sessions, others work by appointment or online request.
Guides
Related services
For Dutch citizens renewing a passport and for residents without a passport from their own country: who can apply and what to prepare.
Get a hand with applying for or activating DigiD, and with the online forms, messages and allowances that depend on it.
See who can apply for income support, what a municipality takes into account and where to get advice if the application is difficult.
For Dutch citizens who need a new or replacement ID card: who can apply, what to bring and how collection works.
For holders of a Dutch licence: how renewal works online or at the counter, how to replace a lost licence and where to collect it.
For newcomers and returning residents: what registering at the town hall means, who it applies to and what to prepare before your appointment.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga
Most offices in Berlin, Bremen, and Aachen
Most offices in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Łódź, and Opole
Most offices in Aalst, Antwerp, and Arlon
Most offices in Akranes, Akureyri, and Egilsstaðir
Where to next
Desks that advise on unemployment benefit after job loss, with notes on how each one arranges visits.
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