New Justice and Security Laws as of January 1, 2026

The fees for pro-Justice reporters, psychiatrists, and psychologists who prepare behavioral reports in criminal cases will increase. Rates will rise by 9 percent starting in 2026. Additionally, reporters may bill more hours: three extra from 2026 and four from 2027. Due to the current shortage of reporters, delays sometimes occur in the criminal justice chain. With these increases, the ministry is taking a new step to reduce these delays.

From January 1, 2026, the law will change to better combat organized and undermining crime. With the new rules, police and justice can tackle criminals more harshly and quickly. An important innovation is that it becomes punishable to build a hidden compartment in a vehicle to hinder police investigations, for example to transport drugs or money. Penalties for various crimes will also be increased and maximum fines raised. Finally, rules regarding the disqualification of judges will be adjusted so that criminal cases experience fewer delays. This legislative change is part of a larger program with which the cabinet wants to further strengthen the fight against organized crime.

The Copyright Contract Law strengthening will take effect from January 1, 2026. This law ensures that creators and performing artists, such as writers, musicians, and filmmakers, are better protected when they enter into contracts with companies that exploit their work, such as publishers, record companies, and film producers. The law states that agreements about using and earning from a creative work must be in writing if one exploiter wants exclusive rights. If that exploiter then hardly uses the work, the creator can more easily terminate the contract and regain the rights. Creators may organize themselves and negotiate collectively with exploiters about agreements and compensation. Making collective agreements between creators and exploiters is encouraged. For example, filmmakers and producers have already made agreements with the field about compensation for on-demand exploitation. These changes give creators and performing artists more control over their work and ensure they are fairly paid for what they create.

As of January 1, 2026, the statutory interest rate will be reduced from 6% to 4%. Unpaid claims may be increased with statutory interest. Citizens with claims receive statutory interest as compensation. Citizens with debts pay statutory interest as compensation if they do not pay. The statutory interest is also part of the maximum credit compensation that may be charged for borrowing money, overdrafts, and installment purchases. With the decrease in statutory interest, this maximum credit compensation decreases to 12%. The statutory interest is calculated every six months based on the ECB interest rate. The reduction of the ECB interest rate is the reason the statutory interest also decreases by 2 percentage points.

From January 1, 2026, the amounts for maintenance (alimony) will be increased by 4.6%. These amounts are indexed annually by a certain percentage. Alimony is the obligation that various people have to support each other, such as (ex-)spouses, (ex-)registered partners, and parents with children under 21 years old. The law prescribes that the increase in alimony must be equal to the average wage increase in the Netherlands for that year. The Central Bureau of Statistics calculates this average.

Since July 1, 2020, interpreters have received a minimum hourly rate that is indexed annually. The indexing percentage is based on the CBS index figure for collective labor agreements, contractual labor costs, and working hours including special bonuses. As of January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly rate will increase from 62.66 euros to 64.66 euros per hour. This is an increase of 3.197 percent.