Trading hours

The Dutch Trading Hours Act (Winkeltijdenwet) states that shops in the Netherlands may be open on working days and on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. This Act also applies to the market and street trade (itinerant trade). Shops must be closed on Sundays and the following public holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. On Good Friday, 4 May (Remembrance Day) and 24 December, shops must be closed from 7 p.m. onwards.

Exemption from the Trading Hours Act

If you want to open your shop outside the statutory opening hours, you need an exemption from the Trading Hours Act. You can obtain this exemption from your local municipality.

There are various types of exemption:

• Due to religious considerations, you want your shop to be open on Sundays instead of, for instance, Fridays.
• You want your shop to be open on a Sunday to mark a special occasion, for example, to celebrate an anniversary.
• You want your shop to be open after 10 p.m. (late-night trading).

Exceptions

Some shops may open on Sundays and public holidays (e.g. video shops and shops in hospitals and museums). The municipal authorities can determine that shops may also be open between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. They can set a maximum of 12 Sundays a year on which the shops are open. They may also decide that shops may be open on more Sundays, for example, in connection with tourism.