New laws and rules for entrepreneurs from 1 July 2025

An overview of new laws and amendments for business owners, zzp'ers, and SMEs.

From 1 July 2025

European Accessibility Act: products and services fully accessible

Do you provide online services? As of 28 June 2025, these must be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. For example, online services such as taking out insurance, booking tickets, or selling products in an online shop.

Websites and apps must be user-friendly for people with impairments to vision, hearing, or mobility starting 28 June. The goal is for everyone to be able to take part in society independently.

Neutral packaging for e-cigarettes and cigars

E-cigarettes (vapes) and cigars must have neutral packaging. From 1 July 2025, packaging will no longer be allowed to feature attractive colours, logos, or text.

Packs of cigarettes and rolling tobacco have had neutral packaging since October 2020. This is one of the measures to make smoking less attractive and reduce the number of smokers.

Minimum wage goes up

Do you employ staff and pay the minimum wage? The legal hourly minimum wage is going up to €14.40 per hour from 1 July 2025 for workers over 20 years old. 

The hourly minimum wage is adjusted every 6 months. Read more about the minimum wage in the Netherlands.

Special mopeds need licence plates

Do you sell special mopeds? From 1 July 2025, special motorised vehicles (bijzondere bromfietsen) must have a licence plate. This way everyone can see that the moped is allowed on the road. A special moped is a light vehicle that travels up to 25 kilometres per hour such as a BSO bus or a kick bike.
Special mopeds already on the road are subject to a transition period. After the registration requirement is introduced, users have 1 year to register with the RDW (in Dutch).

No more pledge bans

Businesses are now allowed to use their outstanding invoices as security for a loan. Agreements prohibiting this, called pledge bans, are no longer valid. This should make it easier to borrow money.

The effective date of the new laws listed below is not yet final. It is likely that they will take effect on 1 July 2025.

Driving heavier sustainable vehicles with a B driving licence

Do you have an electric commercial vehicle for your business? And does it weigh a maximum of 4,250 kilograms? Then you or your employee will also be allowed to drive that vehicle with driving licence B. Currently you may drive an electric company vehicle up to a maximum of 3,500 kilos with a B licence.

This will allow people without a special driving licence to drive a heavier sustainable vehicle. This should increase the use of environmentally friendly means of transportation.

Driving lessons with driving licence B in heavier electric cars

Do you teach driving and only have a B driving licence? Then as of 1 July 2025, you may also teach in heavier electric vehicles. The vehicle may weigh a maximum of 4,250 kilograms. That is currently a maximum of 3,500 kilos. You must have held your B licence for at least 2 years.

New registration system for taxis

As a taxi entrepreneur, you will have to deal with a new registration system for taxi rides: the Central Taxi Transport Database (CDT, in Dutch). With this system, you pass on the trip data to the ILT (Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport). It checks the data and checks whether taxi drivers follow the rules.

The law change is expected to take effect on 1 July 2025. There is a transition period until January 2028 to give taxi companies and drivers time to change to the new system.

The effective date of the new laws below is in August 2025.

Smart devices must be safer

Smart devices connected to the internet will have to follow stricter security regulations. For example, routers, cameras, lamps, and baby monitors. From 1 August 2025, such devices must have strong passwords created by the user. They must also have updates and protect and manage personal data. From August onward, it will be illegal to put insecure products on the market in the European Union. 

Type 2 tachograph required on trucks

All trucks used for international transport must have a type 2 smart tachograph (SMT2) by 19 August 2025. A tachograph records a vehicle's driving and rest periods, speed, and distance travelled.

Trucks with a digital or analogue tachograph already had to switch to the SMT2 before 2025. Now trucks with an SMT1 must also switch to the SMT2 by 19 August. 

The effective date of these new laws is not yet final. It is likely that they will go into effect in the second half of 2025.

Bingo events again allowed at places with alcohol licence

It will again be allowed to organise bingo events in hospitality establishments with an alcohol licence. This was previously not possible due to the rules of the Alcohol Law. That law is likely to change after the summer of 2025. This will allow you to hold bingo events again in cafés and other hospitality establishments.

You must meet these conditions:

1. You organise the bingo event without making a profit
2. The maximum prize per round is €400
3. You must organise it with a Dutch association that has existed for at least 3 years and does not focus on gambling.

Data Act: fair access to data

Your business systems must comply with the European Data Act. This means you will be able to share data from devices, such as machines or vehicles, more easily. For example, for maintenance or improving business processes.

You must also ensure that your customers can share that data with other parties. The law should give you more flexibility in the use of data and increase your customers' freedom of choice.

NIS2 Guideline: protecting against cybersecurity risks

Do you have a business in a key sector? For example, energy, healthcare, or transportation? Then you must follow new rules starting in 2025. The NIS2 Directive went into effect in the EU in October 2024 and should ensure better digital security. You must mitigate risks, report attacks quickly, and use secure systems.

The rules apply to large businesses with at least 50 employees or a high turnover. But smaller businesses may also be covered by the rules. For example, if they provide services or products that are essential to a larger business in that sector. The government checks whether you follow the rules.

CER Directive: protection of critical infrastructure

In addition to the NIS2 directive described above, the government is proposing even stricter rules for businesses in key sectors such as energy, healthcare, and transportation. These businesses must recognise risks in time and take measures to prevent damage.

Consider risks such as sabotage, natural disasters, or fire. You must also report major failures quickly. This way you help to limit the consequences for society and the economy. The rules already took effect in the EU in October 2024 and will apply in the Netherlands from October onward.

How are laws made?

Sometimes a new law or an amendment is announced, and then does not go ahead, or the effective date is postponed. Why do some announced laws come into effect, while others do not?

Roughly speaking, the legislation process works like this. Ministries and the lower house of parliament (Tweede Kamer) prepare laws. Once the lower house of parliament has approved a law, it goes to the upper house (Eerste Kamer). They can only accept or reject the law. If the upper house accepts the proposal, the government publishes the new law in the Staatsblad (Government Gazette).

The effective date of a law can be mentioned in the law itself. Or the law may state that the government will determine the effective date by Royal Decree (Koninklijk Besluit, KB). The KB is published in the Staatsblad.

As the legislative process consists of many steps, it can take a while before a proposed law enters into effect. Changes in the composition of the lower and upper houses of parliament can also affect the progress. If there is a caretaker cabinet in place ('demissionair cabinet'), it will only handle current affairs and not take any major decisions. 

Supervision and enforcement

In the Netherlands, several organisations are responsible for supervising and enforcing laws. 

Supervision

Several supervisory organisations check whether everyone complies with the law. Examples are the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (Financial Markets Authority, AFM), the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, NVWA) and the Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg (Healthcare Inspectorate, IGZ).

Enforcers

Municipalities, police, and the Openbaar Ministerie (public prosecution, OM) enforce laws in several ways. Think of performing checks or providing information and advice.

Sanctions

If a person breaks a law, enforcement organisations can impose sanctions. These vary from a fine to a jail sentence. Which sanction applies depends on the gravity of the offence.