You’re finally off on vakantie, but before you close the laptop, there’s one small professional courtesy: the afwezigheidsbericht (out-of-office auto-reply). A clear one covers you; a missing or clumsy one leaves senders stranded. Here is what a good Dutch out-of-office says, and a template to paste.
What it’s called, and the three essentials
Your email’s auto-reply feature is the afwezigheidsassistent; the message itself is your afwezigheidsbericht. As HR guides explain the out-of-office message, a good one makes three things clear:
- The period of your absence (from/to dates).
- Your reachability, whether you’ll read email while away (usually you won’t).
- An alternative contact, a colleague for urgent matters.
As out-of-office advice stresses, naming a vervanger (stand-in) is strongly recommended, so nobody’s left stuck.
A template you can paste
A clean, professional version, per collections of afwezigheidsassistent examples:
Bedankt voor uw bericht. Ik ben van [datum] tot en met [datum] afwezig wegens vakantie en lees mijn e-mail niet. Voor dringende zaken kunt u contact opnemen met [naam collega] via [e-mailadres]. Vanaf [datum] beantwoord ik uw bericht zo snel mogelijk.
Met vriendelijke groet, [naam]
Adjust the aanhef and formality to your workplace, the same register choices as in Geachte vs Beste vs Hallo emails.
For a shorter trip you can trim it right down: “Ik ben tot [datum] afwezig. Voor dringende zaken: [naam], [e-mail].” For a longer absence (parental leave, a sabbatical), add who handles your work ongoing, not just urgent matters, so projects don’t stall. Whatever the length, set the end date one working day after you’re actually back, so you have a morning to catch up before the replies resume.
Small things that read as professional
- Keep it short. Nobody needs your itinerary.
- Give a real alternative contact (and tell that colleague first).
- State when you’ll respond, not vague “soon” if you can give a date.
- Match the language to your audience: Dutch office → Dutch; international team → English or both.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het afwezigheidsbericht | out-of-office message |
| de afwezigheidsassistent | auto-reply feature |
| afwezig | absent / away |
| dringend | urgent |
| de vervanger | the stand-in |
| tot en met | up to and including |
Where it connects
The afwezigheidsbericht is part of professional Dutch communication, alongside the right email salutation, calling in sick with a ziekmelding, defending your weekend, and the flat, direct workplace culture. And it pairs with the other holiday prep, like boarding your pet at a dierenpension.
The bottom line
A Dutch afwezigheidsbericht needs just three things: your absence dates, your reachability, and an alternative contact, kept short and professional. Paste the template, name a vervanger, set the dates, and match the tone (and language) to your workplace. Learn afwezig, dringend and vervanger, set it before you leave, and you can switch off properly knowing nothing’s left dangling.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the work-email Dutch you need, afwezig, vakantie, dringend, vervanger by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can set a professional out-of-office instead of leaving a clumsy auto-reply or none at all.
Frequently asked questions
What should a Dutch out-of-office message include?
Three essentials: the period of your absence (from/to dates), your reachability (whether you’ll read email while away, usually you won’t), and an alternative contact, a colleague’s name and email for urgent matters. Keep it concise and professional. You can add when you’ll respond on return. Naming a stand-in (vervanger) is strongly recommended so senders aren’t left stuck while you’re away.
What is a good Dutch out-of-office template?
A clean professional one: ‘Bedankt voor uw bericht. Ik ben van [datum] tot en met [datum] afwezig wegens vakantie en lees mijn e-mail niet. Voor dringende zaken kunt u contact opnemen met [naam collega] via [e-mailadres]. Vanaf [datum] beantwoord ik uw bericht zo snel mogelijk. Met vriendelijke groet, [naam].’ Adjust the formality (Geachte/Beste) and detail to your workplace.
Do I have to write my out-of-office in Dutch?
It depends on your workplace and contacts. In a Dutch-language office, a Dutch afwezigheidsbericht is expected; in an international or English-speaking environment, English (or both) is fine. If in doubt, a short bilingual version covers everyone. Either way, the structure is the same, dates, reachability, alternative contact, and matching the tone of your normal work emails keeps it professional.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for work email and etiquette?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the work-email Dutch you need, afwezig, vakantie, dringend, vervanger, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can set a professional out-of-office instead of leaving a clumsy auto-reply or none at all.
