Employer of Record in NL + UK
Dual-jurisdiction employment. One contract, one point of contact, compliant on both sides of the Channel.
Solutions
One of the few HR partners running owned operations in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and the only one built inside the Hague international corridor since 1987.
Post-Brexit, hiring across the Channel means navigating two separate employment law systems with no passporting of rights between them. Dutch employment contracts need different provisions than UK ones. Tax treaties, A1 certificates, and social security coordination add layers of complexity. Most providers specialise in one jurisdiction and subcontract the other, leaving you with two relationships that do not talk to each other.
Octagon runs operational entities in both countries. We are an IND Recognised Sponsor in the Netherlands and an active sponsor licence holder in the United Kingdom, managing PAYE, auto-enrolment, IR35 compliance, and Dutch payroll under a single contract. Whether you are a UK-headquartered company hiring your first NL employee, or splitting a team across both markets, you work with one provider that understands both employment systems natively.
We have supported UK companies entering the Netherlands since 2019, and Dutch companies entering the UK for longer. Our dual-entity footprint across the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with IR35 handled in the UK and Wet VBAR handled in the Netherlands under one contract, is not an add-on. It is how we were built.
Our Services
How we support uk companies expanding to the netherlands
Cross-border compliance
IR35 in the UK, Wet VBAR in the Netherlands, A1 certificates, and social security coordination under treaty provisions.
Recruitment across both markets
Specialist sourcing in aerospace, AI, health tech, and international organisations in both the UK and the Netherlands.
Payroll and HR consultancy
Unified payroll operations and HR support for teams split across the two jurisdictions.
What you get
Key capabilities
01
One contract, two jurisdictions
A single service agreement covering compliant employment in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. No subcontracting, no handoffs, no blame-shifting between providers.
02
IR35 and Wet VBAR readiness
We handle the UK off-payroll working rules (IR35) and the Dutch contractor law (Wet VBAR) under the same operational roof. Contractor populations on both sides of the Channel get assessed, converted where needed, and payrolled compliantly.
03
Social security coordination
Post-Brexit, A1 certificates and tax treaty provisions determine where an employee pays social security. We manage the paperwork, liaise with HMRC and the Belastingdienst, and keep you compliant under the 2021 UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Insights
Related insights
16 Apr 202611 min read
IR35 status determination: a UK hiring guide for 2026
UK end-clients have carried IR35 status-determination risk since April 2021. This guide walks through the SDS process, the limits of CEST, the leading case law, and where an EOR model removes the question entirely.
16 Apr 202612 min read
Employment Rights Bill 2024: what UK employers must change
The Employment Rights Act 2024 is the biggest UK employment-law reform in a generation. Most of the headline changes land in 2026 and 2027, but the contract and policy groundwork has to start now.
16 Apr 202610 min read
NEST vs qualifying workplace pension schemes: UK employer guide
Every UK employer must auto-enrol eligible staff into a qualifying workplace pension. This guide compares NEST against the main commercial alternatives and gives a practical framework for choosing between them.
Expand from the UK to the Netherlands
Tell us about your cross-Channel hiring plan. We will outline the compliance and payroll path for both jurisdictions under a single agreement.