Administrative Law Attorney

Administrative Law Attorney in the Netherlands

Received a decision, a permit refusal or an enforcement order from a Dutch authority? We file the objection, argue the appeal and represent you in court.

The municipality refuses your permit, imposes an order subject to a penalty or claws back your subsidy. Or a regulator fines your company and you believe the decision is wrong. As an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands, we help you challenge government decisions within the short periods that apply.

Clients rate Law & More 9.6 out of 10 on Klantenvertellen, the Dutch review platform (81 reviews, as of October 2026).

This page explains how objection and appeal work under Dutch administrative law and which authorities decide. We assist individuals and companies in English and Dutch.

When do you need an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands?

You need an administrative lawyer when a government body takes a decision that affects your interests and you disagree. Think of decisions by a municipality, a province, a ministry, UWV or regulators such as the ACM.

Clients typically contact us when:

a permit is refused, or a neighbour obtains a permit that harms you;
the municipality threatens enforcement, such as an order subject to a penalty;
your company receives an administrative fine from a regulator;
your licence for a restaurant, bar or event is refused or withdrawn after a Bibob investigation;
a subsidy is set at a lower amount or reclaimed;
your request under the Open Government Act (Woo) is refused or not answered on time;
a government body does not decide on your application within the statutory period.

Which related services can we help you with?

For specific questions within this area of law, these pages go into more detail.

What is a decision and when can you object?

A decision (besluit) is a written ruling by an administrative body with legal effect, such as a permit or a fine (Article 1:3 Awb). Against most decisions you first lodge an objection with the body that took it.

The General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht, Awb) is the backbone of Dutch administrative law. It binds administrative bodies to rules of due care, proper reasoning and proportionality. Specific acts add their own rules, such as the Environment and Planning Act and the Aliens Act 2000.

Only an interested party may object: your interest must be directly affected by the decision (Article 1:2). Ministers, water authorities, UWV, the IND and independent regulators all take decisions you can challenge. The full text of the Awb is available on wetten.overheid.nl.

How long do you have to object?

The objection period is six weeks (Article 6:7 of the General Administrative Law Act). It starts on the day after the decision was announced (Article 6:8).

A late objection is declared inadmissible unless the delay is excusable. Absence or unopened post rarely counts as an excuse. The notice of objection must contain your name and address, the date, a description of the decision and the grounds (Article 6:5). If you cannot complete the grounds in time, file a pro forma objection and add the grounds later.

In the objection procedure you generally have the right to be heard (Article 7:2). The body decides within six weeks after the objection period ends, or twelve weeks if an advisory committee is involved (Article 7:10). That period can be extended by six weeks. If the decision is revoked because it was unlawful, you can claim your legal costs (Article 7:15).

Certain decisions follow a different route. Immigration decisions of the IND, for example, have an objection period of four weeks.

How do appeal and higher appeal work?

Against the decision on objection you can appeal to the district court within six weeks. In most cases a higher appeal is then possible within six weeks to one of three highest administrative courts.

At the district court, the administrative law section handles your case. You file a notice of appeal and pay a court fee. The administrative body sends its case file, and usually a hearing follows. Representation by a lawyer is not compulsory, but the court applies periods and procedural rules strictly. An administrative lawyer in the Netherlands makes sure your grounds are complete and on time. If you win, the court can order the body to pay a contribution to your legal costs.

Highest administrative court	Type of cases
Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State	Most cases, such as environment and planning, enforcement, Woo, Bibob and immigration
Central Appeals Tribunal (Centrale Raad van Beroep)	Social security, such as UWV and municipal benefits, and civil service cases
Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven)	Socio-economic administrative law, such as ACM decisions and certain agricultural and subsidy cases

For some decisions you skip the objection stage. Under the extended preparatory procedure (Section 3.4 Awb), you first submit your views on the draft decision. You then appeal directly to the court.

When do you request preliminary relief?

Objection and appeal do not suspend a decision (Article 6:16 of the General Administrative Law Act). To prevent enforcement in the meantime, you ask the preliminary relief judge for an interim measure (Article 8:81).

Preliminary relief (voorlopige voorziening) is only available if you have also objected or appealed. You must show an urgent interest, for example because penalties are about to accrue or your business must close. A hearing often follows within a few weeks.

How does an administrative lawyer help with permits under the Environment and Planning Act?

The Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) has applied since 1 January 2024. For building, renovating and other activities in the physical environment you apply for an environmental permit (omgevingsvergunning).

The municipal environmental plan (omgevingsplan) replaces the former zoning plans. Most permits follow the regular procedure. The municipality decides within eight weeks, with one possible six-week extension (Article 16.64 of the Environment and Planning Act). Under the extended procedure, the decision period is six months.

Environmental law covers more than building, including nature, heritage and tree felling. Neighbours and local residents can object to a permit granted to someone else. We advise applicants as well as residents who want to challenge a permit. As administrative lawyer in the Netherlands, we assess whether a refusal fits the environmental plan and the rules on deviation.

What can you do against enforcement and administrative fines?

Through enforcement, the government compels compliance with the rules. The main instruments are the order subject to a penalty, the administrative enforcement order and the administrative fine.

Order subject to a penalty (last onder dwangsom): end the violation in time, or forfeit a sum of money (Article 5:31d Awb).
Administrative enforcement order (last onder bestuursdwang): the government ends the violation itself and recovers the costs from you (Articles 5:21 and 5:25 Awb).
Administrative fine (bestuurlijke boete): a punitive sum imposed by an administrative body or regulator (Article 5:40 Awb).

Administrative bodies must in principle enforce once they establish a violation. Every enforcement decision must still be proportionate. As a Dutch administrative law practice, we check whether the violation is established, whether the compliance period is reasonable and whether legalisation is realistic. A mayor can also close premises under Article 13b of the Opium Act if drugs are found.

What if your permit is refused after a Bibob investigation?

Under the Public Administration (Probity Screening) Act (Wet Bibob), an administrative body can refuse or withdraw a permit or subsidy. It can do so if there is a serious risk that it will be used for criminal offences.

The body can ask the National Bureau Bibob (Landelijk Bureau Bibob) for advice. This mainly affects hospitality, operating and event licences and subsidies. Before a refusal you usually get an opportunity to give your views. That stage matters: it is where you can correct inaccurate or outdated facts.

Which other administrative procedures do we handle?

Besides permits and enforcement, an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands assists in several other procedures. Each has its own rules and periods.

Subsidies: a subsidy can be set lower or reclaimed if conditions were not met (Title 4.2 Awb). We assess whether the government has a proper legal basis.
Woo requests: a decision under the Open Government Act is due within four weeks, extendable by two weeks (Article 4.4 Woo).
Compensation for lawful decisions: if a lawful decision causes you damage beyond normal social risk, you can claim compensation (Article 4:126 Awb).
Social security: we handle objections and appeals against UWV and municipal benefit decisions, with higher appeal to the Central Appeals Tribunal.

What can you do if the government does not decide on time?

If an administrative body misses the statutory period, you can send a written notice of default. After two weeks the body forfeits a penalty of up to 1,442 euros (Article 4:17 Awb). You can then also appeal to the court (Article 6:12 Awb).

The penalty for late decisions does not apply to every decision, for example not to Woo requests. In that case the court can still set a deadline and impose a penalty itself. The Dutch judiciary website explains how to file an appeal for failure to decide.

What does the proportionality test mean for your case?

A decision may not have consequences for you that are disproportionate to its purpose (Article 3:4(2) of the General Administrative Law Act). Since a ruling of the Council of State of 2 February 2022, administrative courts review this more intensively.

The court then asks whether a measure is suitable, necessary and balanced. This creates opportunities against heavy measures, such as closing a business or withdrawing a permit. Raise your personal circumstances concretely in the objection stage already.

How does working with Law & More work?

Working with an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands at Law & More follows four phases. In each phase we discuss in advance what we will do and what it will roughly cost.

Intake. In a free introductory meeting we discuss the decision and the periods running. We request the relevant documents.
Advice. We explain your chances and risks, in English or Dutch. If needed, we file a pro forma objection at once to protect the deadline.
Consultation. We talk to the municipality, province or other authority. Sometimes the hearing leads to a new decision without proceedings.
Proceedings. If not, we represent you in appeal before the district court, in preliminary relief and in higher appeal.

What does an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands cost?

At Law & More the hourly rate is 250 to 350 euros excluding VAT for a lawyer. For a partner it is 300 to 400 euros excluding VAT, and we agree the rate in advance.

The introductory meeting is free of charge. A one-off advice meeting without further assistance costs 300 euros including VAT. Legal expenses insurance sometimes covers administrative proceedings, so check your policy. Government-funded legal aid exists through the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand), but Law & More does not work on that basis. Our office is at Marconilaan 13 in Eindhoven, with a visiting location in Amsterdam.

Who handles your case?

Your case is handled by one of our lawyers. In the introductory meeting you hear who that is and how we approach your case. You can read more about their background on our team page.

Which articles help you further?

Frequently asked questions

When should I contact an administrative lawyer in the Netherlands?

Contact an administrative lawyer as soon as you receive a decision you disagree with. The objection period is only six weeks, and arguments not raised in objection are hard to add later. An announced enforcement decision is also the moment to respond.

How long do I have to object to a decision?

You have six weeks, counted from the day after the decision was announced (Articles 6:7 and 6:8 Awb). A late objection is in principle inadmissible. You can file a pro forma objection first and add the grounds later.

Does an objection or appeal suspend the decision?

No. A decision remains in force during objection and appeal. To prevent that, you must ask the preliminary relief judge for an interim measure.

Is a lawyer compulsory in Dutch administrative law?

No, you can conduct objection and appeal yourself. The court does apply periods and procedural rules strictly, and the government is often well advised. A lawyer makes sure your grounds are complete and submitted on time.

What can I do if the government does not decide on time?

Send a written notice of default. After two weeks a penalty of up to 1,442 euros can accrue, and you can appeal to the court. For some decisions, such as Woo requests, the penalty does not apply.

Can I get my legal costs back?

If the decision is revoked in objection because it was unlawful, you can claim reimbursement of your costs. In appeal, the court can order the government to contribute if you win. These contributions are fixed amounts and rarely cover the full fee.

In doubt about your position? Tell us about your situation. We will let you know within one working day what your options are. Contact us, call +31 40 369 06 80 or e-mail info@lawandmore.nl.

This page provides general information and does not replace advice on your specific situation.