Court fees 2026: Current rates and legal fees explained

In almost every court case in the Netherlands, you have to pay court fees. These are the costs you pay to the court so that your case is registered, handled and a judgment is rendered. You do not pay this amount to your opponent, but to the court itself.

All amounts on this page are as of Jan. 1, 2026. Rates are officially increased by 2.94% compared to 2025. So you have a current and realistic picture of the costs.

What exactly is court fee?

Imagine court fees as the court's administrative costs. The judge reads your file, prepares the hearing and writes the ruling. To do this, the court incurs hours and costs. That is why the government charges a contribution in the form of court fees.

Note that court fees are separate from other costs you may have, such as:

• Your attorney's fees
• The cost of the bailiff delivering the subpoena
• Costs for experts or witnesses

A nice advantage: you do not pay VAT on court fees. So there is no extra percentage on top of the amount the court charges.

The rules of thumb

• Who starts, pays: usually the party who starts the case pays the court fee first
• Company or individual: companies such as a bv or nv pay more than individuals
• Low income: if you have a low income, you can often litigate at a lower rate
• Winner often gets back: if you win the case, the other side usually has to reimburse your court fee

You do not pay the same amount of court fees in every case. The amount depends on the type of court, the amount of your claim and who you are under the law: individual, business owner or legal entity.

Who pays the court fee?

Who gets the bill depends on the type of proceedings and your role in the case.

• Cantonal court (up to and including €25,000): Only the plaintiff, the one who starts the case, pays court fees. The defendant does not pay court fees, even if he or she defends.
• Civil court (above €25,000): both plaintiff and defendant pay court fees as soon as they appear in the proceedings, for example by issuing a summons or filing a statement of reply.
• Administrative law: the person who disagrees with a government decision and appeals pays the court fee.

Court fees in subdistrict cases

The district judge handles relatively smaller and low-stakes civil cases, such as:

• Collection cases over unpaid invoices
• Labor disputes
• Rental issues
• Consumer Affairs
• Receivables up to and including €25,000

Most collection cases fall under the subdistrict court. You don't need a lawyer here. Legal guidance through Credifin is wise, though, so you don't make mistakes in the summons or trial.

Court fees in civil cases over €25,000

If it involves a higher claim or a more complex case, you often end up in the civil chamber of the court. There, too, you pay court fees. The amount of the court fee then depends on:

• The value of the item or claim
• Whether you are a natural person, e.g. individual or sole proprietor
• Whether you are a legal entity, such as a bv, nv, foundation or association

In civil cases above €25,000, a lawyer is required. The costs here are often higher than in the district court.

Difference between civil law and subdistrict law

Civil law is the collective term for all rules between citizens and organizations. Think of contracts, rent, labor and liability. Subdistrict law is part of that civil law and focuses on smaller and low-threshold cases in the subdistrict court.

Briefly:

• Civil law is the broad area of law for disputes between parties
• Canton law is the civil jurisprudence of the cantonal court for cases up to and including € 25,000 and a number of specific topics

To know what amount you will pay in court fees, you must first determine which group you fall into:

• Natural person: you as a human being, even if you are a sole proprietor or self-employed person
• Legal entity: a company such as a bv, nv, foundation or association
• Impecunious: someone with low income and little savings who qualifies for the low rate

The amounts below apply as of January 1 2026 and are rounded to whole euros.

1. The district judge (monetary claims, rent, work).

In the subdistrict court, only the party starting the case pays court fees. Most collection cases, rent disputes and employment cases go to the subdistrict court. The opposing party (the defendant) does not have to pay court fees in these cases.

* Low income: you fall into the insolvent category and qualify for the low rate.

2. Civil court (large cases over €25,000).

For large claims or complicated damage claims, you come to the civil chamber of the court. Here a lawyer is required. Both plaintiff and defendant pay court fees once they participate in the proceedings.

3. Rates court 2026 (appeal).

Do you disagree with a ruling? Then you can appeal to the court of appeals. The rates and scales at the court differ from the court. The low income rate here is also higher.

4. Administrative law and tax cases 2026.

Do you have a conflict with the municipality, province or tax authority and are appealing a decision? Then you pay court fees in administrative law.

You see that for high claims, companies pay significantly more court fees than individuals. Therefore, it is important to calculate carefully in advance whether proceedings are worthwhile and what chance you have of recovering your costs.

Not everyone can easily pay the court fee. Therefore, it is important to know exactly when to pay and what will happen if you don't do it on time.

When do you have to pay?

Once you officially start a case, you have to pay court fees. You will then receive a bill from the court and have 4 weeks to pay.

The point at which those 4 weeks start varies by type of procedure.

In summons cases, the time limit runs differently than in petitions. On rechtspraak.nl you can find the exact rules per procedure.

• In case of a subpoena: the term starts on the day after the first court hearing
• For a petition: the deadline starts as soon as you file the petition with the court
• For appeals: the deadline starts as soon as you officially indicate that you are appealing

The four-week period

Once the court has registered your case, you will receive the bill for court fees. You must pay it within four weeks.

Important to know:

• If you pay late, judge stops your case immediately
• You don't get a ruling on your case
• You usually still have to pay the court fee

The courts are strict about this. This is one of the most common mistakes made. Therefore, at Credifin, we keep a sharp eye on the deadlines so that you don't incur unnecessary costs.

What if you withdraw the case?

Sometimes the other party is so shocked by the subpoena that they pay up after all. You can then withdraw the case. If you do this in time, before the judge really gets down to business, you sometimes pay less or even no court fees. We also actively monitor this for you.

Waiver through special assistance

Do you have a low income? Then you can sometimes apply to your municipality for special assistance for court fees. The municipality looks at:

• Your income
• Your ability
• Your monthly expenses

If you meet the requirements, the municipality may reimburse part or sometimes all of the court fee.

How can you pay?

Payment can usually be made through:

• Pin payment at court
• Bank Transfer

No VAT on court fees

You don't pay VAT on court fees. So there is no extra percentage on top of it. That makes it just a little easier to estimate your total costs correctly.

Who ultimately pays the court fee?

In the Netherlands, the main rule is simple: the loser pays the litigation costs. That usually includes the court fee.

You win the case

If you win the case (for the most part), the court may issue a court cost order. This means that the opposing party must reimburse your court fees. In practice, you then recover the paid court fees through the opposing party.

You are partly right

If you are only partially right, the judge may decide to split the litigation costs. Sometimes you then both bear part of the court fee, or each party continues to bear their own costs.

You lose the case

If you lose the case, you don't get your own court fee back. Often, you also have to pay the opposing party's court fees, in part. It is therefore important to assess in advance how strong your case is. We will help you with an honest assessment.

Court fees and your collection process

Court fees are a hefty investment. That's why at Credifin we always look first at whether amicable collection without a court is possible. This saves time, costs and stress.

Does a legal step become necessary anyway? Then we'll look at it together:

• The amount of your claim, including interest, collection costs and any bailiff's fees
• The expected court fee in 2026 for your type of case
• Chances that your client will eventually pay, even after a judgment

You must first advance the court fee yourself in most cases. If we win the case, we try to recover it from the debtor through the courts. If the judge rejects your claim, you usually lose the court fee.

We calculate the costs and risks for you as precisely as possible in advance, so there are never any surprises.