Exemptions from compulsory school attendance in the Netherlands

There are three different types of exemption:

• If you want to apply for an exemption for a number of hours of education for your five-year-old child, you do not need permission. However, you must notify the school’s principal.
• If you want to request a short period of time off school for your child, and you have a good reason for this – a wedding or a funeral, for example – you must notify the principal. The principal will decide whether your child will be given time off. If you want more than 10 days off for your child, you will need permission from the municipality’s school attendance officer.
• If you want to apply for an exemption for your child for all or part of the school year, you should ask the municipality’s school attendance officer for permission.

In some cases, you can apply for an exemption for your child for all or part of the school year. You can apply for this at the municipality. You must do this again for each school year before 1 July. These are some situations in which you can apply for an exemption:

• Your child is seriously ill, has a developmental disorder (such as autism) or a mental health condition (such as depression). To obtain the exemption, you will need a statement from an independent doctor, psychologist or educationalist. Your child’s own doctor is not allowed to issue this statement.
• The school in your neighbourhood does not share your religious beliefs. In this case, you can apply for an exemption on religious grounds. To obtain this exemption, you must submit a statement to your municipality. Your municipality has a special form for this purpose. You must apply for the exemption before your child turns five years old and at least one month before the start of the school year.
• Your child is listed in the Key Register of Persons in the Netherlands, but attends school abroad. You must have proof that your child attends school abroad.
• You have a travelling profession, for example as a circus performer. Your child can then be exempted from enrolment at a school for part of the year.

If you are unable to go on holiday during the school holidays, you can ask the principal for permission to take your child on holiday outside the school holidays. You should ask for permission no later than eight weeks before you go on holiday. You may do this once per school year. Your child may be granted a maximum of 10 days off.
Your child will only be granted permission to go on holiday if:

• this is not in the first two weeks after the summer holidays;
• your work during the school year prevents you from going on holiday during any of the school holidays.

Leerplichtwet 1969

Beleidsregel uitleg ‘specifieke aard van het beroep’ en ‘andere gewichtige omstandigheden’ bedoeld in de Leerplichtwet 1969