The Wtta: Stricter rules for temporary employment agencies

The government wants tighter controls on employment agencies and other lenders of staff (called uitleners in Dutch), such as secondment agencies and payroll companies. Too often they do not comply with the rules or things go wrong. So, from 1 January 2027, the new law Wtta will apply.

What is the Wtta?

Wtta stands for Wet toelating terbeschikkingstelling van arbeidskrachten (Provision of Personnel Accreditation Act). The act applies to temping agencies and other businesses that hire out workers. That includes companies based outside the Netherlands that supply workers to a company in the Netherlands, if the workers work in the Netherlands.

These businesses will have to follow strict rules, or they will not be allowed to hire out workers. Read more about the Wtta on the website of the Nederlandse Autoriteit Uitleenmarkt (the Netherlands Authority for the Labour Supply Market, NAU).

There are 2 situations in which the Wtta does not apply: secondment of colleagues within the same business or within a group of companies that always work together. 

When does the Wtta take effect?

The law applies from 1 January 2027, but during the first year, officials will not check if firms follow the rules. From 1 November 2026 to 31 December 2026, you can register your business with the NAU if you want to use the transitional rule. You will then be allowed to keep hiring out staff until the NAU has approved your application. You can send your application for approval from 1 May 2027 to 30 June 2027.

From 1 January 2028, you will only be allowed to supply staff if the NAU has approved your business. Or, if the NAU has not yet checked your business but you registered it in time for the transitional scheme. The NAU will hire inspectors to check whether you comply with the rules for hiring out workers. If you do, you will be given access to the market. You will receive a licence. Your business will also be listed in a public register, so customers can see that you are allowed to hire out workers. From 1 November 2026 to 31 December 2026, staff-leasing agencies can apply for the transitional scheme (in Dutch).

What are the requirements for registration?

There are strict requirements to be included in the NAU register. Businesses must submit a Certificate of conduct for legal entities (VOG RP). This is a document that proves that your business has properly followed the rules in the past. If you have an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship), you must submit a certificate of conduct for yourself as an individual (VOG NP). 

You must also provide an inspection report to prove that you are currently complying with the existing laws and rules. You must submit this together with your application between 1 May and 30 June 2027, or shortly thereafter. For example, you must demonstrate that you are paying your staff the legal minimum wage. Do you second colleagues on permanent contracts to clients? If so, they must receive a salary that is roughly the same as that of employees on permanent contracts with the client. This is called 'Equal pay for equal work'.

Finally, as an employment agency, you must pay a deposit of €100,000. After 4 years of following the rules, you get this amount back. Can you prove that your business has already followed the rules for 4 years? Then you might not have to pay a deposit. For example, if the business has been registered with KVK for 4 years and you can show with a statement of payment behaviour (in Dutch) from the Netherlands Tax Administration that you have always paid the correct amount of tax on time.

When will the rules be enforced?

From 1 January 2028, the Netherlands Labour Authority will start enforcing the WTTA. The authority will check whether businesses that hire out personnel are actually listed in the NAU register. If your business is not in the register, you will be fined.

If your business does not yet have authorisation as of 1 January 2028 and you have not registered for the transitional scheme, you will no longer be allowed to supply workers from that date onwards.

After 1 January 2028, you may only supply workers if you have an authorisation or exemption from the NAU or are covered by the transitional law.

Under the WTTA, businesses that hire temporary employees are only allowed to work with agencies that are listed in the NAU register.

Do you need to register for the transitional scheme?

Registering for the transitional scheme is not always mandatory, but the NAU advises businesses to do so. Whether it is mandatory depends on whether your business holds a valid  Labour Standards Register (Stichting Normering Arbeid, SNA) certification. The SNA certification shows that a business works reliably, honestly, and by the rules, because inspectors check it often.

There are 2 scenarios:

1. You have a valid SNA certification

If you have a valid Labour Standards Register certification, you can be sure that the NAU will accept you. You do not have to register for the transitional scheme and do not need to submit an inspection report. However, you must pay the security deposit and submit a conduct certificate (VOG).

If you lose your SNA certification between 1 January 2027 and 30 June 2027 and have not signed up for the scheme, there is a risk that you will not yet have authorisation on 1 January 2028. In that case, you must stop hiring out workers at once. By signing up for the scheme, you can avoid this risk.

2. Providers without a valid SNA certification

Do you not have a valid SNA quality mark? In that case, the NAU will grant you authorisation only after you submit an inspection report. If you register for the transitional scheme in good time and apply for authorisation in good time, you may continue to provide staff on loan whilst you await the inspection report and the decision on your application.

There is, however, 1 condition. You must prove that you are actively working to obtain an inspection report as quickly as possible. In the meantime, you will be placed on the waiting list and the NAU will enter the following in the register under your company name: ‘Not yet authorised but permitted to supply staff’.

Why is the WTTA needed?

For years, there have been major problems in the temporary employment sector. It happens too often that both employment agencies and the businesses that hire workers from them do not follow the rules. The problems particularly affect migrants who come to the Netherlands to work temporarily. They are often underpaid, work too many hours, or are forced to live in sub-standard accommodation. The government wants to prevent these poor conditions.

Until 2028: Submitting Waadi data to KVK

Do you run a temporary employment agency or do you supply staff to other businesses? If so, you must follow the rules of the Waadi. This law is designed to prevent the exploitation of temporary workers, such as coercion and violence. Your business may be fined if it fails to follow the rules.

KVK is currently still responsible for maintaining Waadi data in the Business Register. To do this, you must fill in certain details on our forms. From 1 January 2028, this information will be transferred to the public WTTA register of the Netherlands Authority for the Labour Supply Market (Nederlandse Autoriteit Uitleenmarkt, NAU). After that date, you will no longer need to submit Waadi data to us. The Waadi check for hirers will also no longer be available on our website from 2028 onward.