Debt collection in the Netherlands works in steps: a reminder, a formal demand, and, if the customer still does not pay, an attachment, proceedings or a bankruptcy petition. Is a Dutch customer not paying your invoice? Below you will find, per step, the page that tells you what to do and what it involves.
An unpaid invoice affects your cash flow, and chasing a customer in another country takes time you would rather spend on your business. We take that work off your hands: we check your claim, choose the step that fits and keep the commercial relationship in view where that is still possible.
Which step fits your situation?
- First steps. What to do when an invoice remains unpaid: overdue invoices and the demand letter under Dutch law.
- Collection costs. Which extrajudicial collection costs you may charge to a business customer: collection costs in the Netherlands.
- The procedure. An overview of the routes, from demand to judgment: legal procedures for debt collection. Collecting from abroad? Read international debt collection.
- Securing your claim. Freezing assets before judgment: prejudgment attachment and attachment of a bank account. If the debtor holds IP address blocks, these can be attached as well: attachment of IP addresses.
- Disputed invoices. If the customer disputes the claim, the matter becomes a civil case: filing a claim with the Dutch court.
- Bankruptcy. When a bankruptcy petition is an option, and what it means for your claim: filing for bankruptcy in the Netherlands and bankruptcy proceedings under Dutch law.
- Rules for collection services. The quality requirements for debt collection services: the Dutch law on quality of debt collection services.
How do we approach an unpaid invoice?
- We check the claim: the contract, the general terms, the invoice and any complaints from the customer.
- We send a demand with a clear deadline. Many customers pay at this stage.
- If payment does not follow, we choose the next step: an attachment, proceedings or a bankruptcy petition, depending on the debtor and the amount.
Related topics are covered under litigation in the Netherlands and Dutch contract law. Would you like us to collect your claim? Contact our debt collection lawyers or send us your question.
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A European order for payment in the Netherlands lets a creditor from another EU Member State recover an uncontested money claim from a Dutch company without a full lawsuit. You apply to the District Court of The Hague on form
The European Small Claims Procedure lets you claim up to €5,000 from a debtor in the Netherlands through a written procedure before the Dutch cantonal judge (kantonrechter). It uses standard EU forms, and a lawyer is not mandatory. This page
To lodge a claim in Dutch bankruptcy, you send the court-appointed trustee (curator) a written statement of the nature and amount of your claim, with copies of the supporting documents. This page is for foreign and Dutch suppliers, finance managers
A bailiff in the Netherlands (gerechtsdeurwaarder) is a public officer who serves summonses and judgments and enforces them by attaching the debtor’s assets, which a debt collection agency cannot do. This page is for foreign and Dutch businesses with unpaid
Statutory interest in the Netherlands on a B2B invoice is the statutory commercial interest (wettelijke handelsrente) of article 6:119a of the Dutch Civil Code. It runs from the day after the payment deadline, without a reminder. This page is for
An international debt collection procedure proceeds through Dutch courts when jurisdiction exists based on establishment, contract performance, or forum selection clauses. The EEX Regulation (Brussels I-bis) determines within the EU which court has competence, after which service through foreign authorities
A Dutch bank account seizure (beslag onder de bank) freezes the balance a bank holds for the debtor. A bailiff imposes it either with an enforceable title such as a judgment (Article 475 Dutch Code of Civil Procedure, DCCP) or,
Prejudgment attachment (“conservatoir beslag”) lets a creditor ask the Dutch preliminary relief judge for leave under Article 700 Rv to freeze a debtor’s assets before any court judgment. In other words, it helps them maintain control over possible recovery assets.
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If a business customer pays an invoice late, Dutch law gives you statutory commercial interest from the day after the agreed payment date (Article 6:119a Dutch Civil Code) and at least €40 in collection costs without a reminder (Article 6:96(4)).
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