Several new pieces of legislation come into effect on July 1, the minimum wage will go up and you might lose all that unclaimed holiday. Here’s what you need to know:

The minimum wage for an adult will go up by just over €16 to €1,701 gross per month – or €78.51 per day.

Holiday entitlement built up over 2020 and not yet used up will be cancelled from July 1 – unless your employer has failed to warn you to use up the days in time.

Social housing rents won’t go up in July and remain frozen to June 2022 as a gesture to people who have found themselves in financial problems because of coronavirus. Non-rent controlled rents can rise by no more than 2.4%.

In Amsterdam and some other towns, people renting out their homes via online agencies such as Airbnb and Booking.com will have to register first with their local authority.

Value-added tax will now be charged on online purchases from outside the EU and costing less than €22. And that also means that if the webshop does not charge btw at source, you will have to pay it when the package arrives in the Netherlands, adding a €4 handling charge if you pay online.

Small plastic bottles of soft drinks and water will cost 15 cents more, thanks to the introduction of a deposit system.

New legislation on the sale of alcohol restricts the amount of discount which retailers can offer on beer, wine and spirits to 25%. Adults who buy alcohol for minor also face fines.

Telephone cold callers can only ring people who have expressly said they will accept sales calls, and must use a recognisable phone number.

ABN Amro clients who withdraw more than €12,000 a year in cash from an atm in a year will face fees from now on. Rabobank is considering a similar move.

Travellers will be able to move more freely within Europe using the QR code based EU travel certificate. The certificate registers if you have been vaccinated, recently recovered from the virus or have had a negative test.

And if campaigners have their way, July 1 will also be a public holiday to mark the end of slavery in the Netherlands and its colonies. The practice was abolished on July 1, 1863. You can sign the petition to support the campaign here.