The minister of foreign affairs () is a member of the cabinet of the Netherlands and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The officeholder is in charge of the Kingdom's foreign policy and international relations. The current minister, Tom Berendsen, has served since 23 February 2026.
Alongside the minister, a minister without portfolio is usually attached to the ministry to oversee development cooperation and trade promotion. Multiple cabinets have also included a state secretary responisble for specific sub-portfolios, such as European affairs.
List of ministers of foreign affairs CabinetMinisterTerm of officeImageNamePartyStartEndSchimmelpenninckGerrit Schimmelpenninck25 March 184817 May 1848Arnold Adolf Bentinck van Nijenhuis17 May 184821 November 1848De Kempenaer–Donker CurtiusLeonardus Antonius Lightenvelt21 November 18481 November 1849Thorbecke IHerman van Sonsbeeck1 November 184916 October 1852Jacob van Zuylen van Nijevelt16 October 185219 April 1853Van Hall–Donker CurtiusFloris Adriaan van Hall19 April 18531 July 1856Van der BrugghenDaniël Théodore Gevers van Endegeest1 July 185618 March 1858RochussenJan Karel van Goltstein18 March 185823 February 1860Van Hall–Van HeemstraFloris Adriaan van Hall(ad interim)23 February 18604 April 1860Julius van Zuylen van Nijevelt4 April 186014 January 1861Louis Napoleon van der Goes van Dirxland14 January 186114 March 1861Van Zuylen van Nijevelt–Van HeemstraJacob van Zuylen van Nijevelt14 March 186110 November 1861Martin Pascal Hubert Strens (ad interim)10 November 18611 February 1862Thorbecke IIAnthony Jan Lucas Stratenus(ad interim)1 February 186212 March 1862Paul Therèse van der Maesen de Sombreff12 March 18622 January 1864Willem Huyssen van Kattendijke(ad interim)2 January 186415 March 1864Eppo Cremers 15 March 18641 June 1866Fransen van de PutteVan Zuylen van NijeveltJulius van Zuylen van Nijevelt1 June 18664 June 1868Van Bosse–FockJoannes Josephus van Mulken(ad interim)4 June 18688 June 1868Theodorus Marinus Roest van Limburg8 June 186812 December 1870Thorbecke IIIJoannes Josephus van Mulken(ad interim)12 December 187018 January 1871De Vries–Fransen van de PutteLouis Gericke van Herwijnen18 January 187127 August 1874Heemskerk–Van Lynden van SandenburgJoseph van der Does de Willebois27 August 18743 November 1877Kappeyne van de CoppelloWillem van Heeckeren van Kell3 November 187720 August 1879Van Lynden van SandenburgTheo van Lynden van Sandenburg20 August 187915 September 1881Willem Frederik Rochussen15 September 188123 April 1883Jan HeemskerkJoseph van der Does de Willebois23 April 188310 August 1885Marc Willem du Tour van Bellinchave(ad interim)10 August 188514 September 1885Joseph van der Does de Willebois14 September 18851 November 1885Abraham van Karnebeek1 November 188521 April 1888MackayCornelis Hartsen21 April 188821 August 1891Van TienhovenGijsbert van Tienhoven21 August 189121 March 1894Joannes Coenraad Jansen(ad interim)21 March 18949 May 1894RöellJoan Röell9 May 189427 July 1897PiersonWillem de Beaufort27 July 18971 August 1901KuyperRobert Melvil van Lynden1 August 19019 March 1905Abraham George Ellis(ad interim)9 March 190522 April 1905Willem van Weede van Berencamp22 April 19057 August 1905Abraham George Ellis(ad interim)7 August 190517 August 1905De MeesterDirk van Tets van Goudriaan17 August 190512 February 1908Theo HeemskerkRené de Marees van Swinderen12 February 190829 August 1913Cort van der LindenPieter Cort van der Linden(ad interim)29 August 191327 September 1913John Loudon27 September 19139 September 1918Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IHerman van Karnebeek 9 September 19181 April 1927Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IIColijn IDe Geer IFrans Beelaerts van Blokland 1 April 192720 April 1933Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IIICharles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck(ad interim)20 April 193326 May 1933Colijn IIAndries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff 26 May 193324 June 1937Colijn IIIColijn IVHendrikus Colijn(ad interim)24 June 19371 October 1937Jacob Adriaan Patijn 1 October 193710 August 1939Colijn VDe Geer IIEelco van Kleffens 10 August 19391 March 1946Gerbrandy IGerbrandy IIGerbrandy IIISchermerhorn–DreesHerman van Roijen1 March 19463 July 1946Beel IPim van Boetzelaer van Oosterhout3 July 19467 August 1948Drees–Van SchaikDirk Stikker 7 August 19482 September 1952Drees IDrees IIJohan Beyen2 September 195213 October 1956Drees IIIJoseph Luns 13 October 19566 July 1971Beel IIDe QuayMarijnenCalsZijlstraDe JongBiesheuvel INorbert Schmelzer 6 July 197111 May 1973Biesheuvel IIDen UylMax van der Stoel11 May 197319 December 1977Van Agt IChris van der Klaauw19 December 197711 September 1981Van Agt IIMax van der Stoel11 September 198129 May 1982Van Agt IIIDries van Agt29 May 19824 November 1982Lubbers IHans van den Broek 4 November 19823 January 1993Lubbers IILubbers IIIPieter Kooijmans3 January 199322 August 1994Kok IHans van Mierlo22 August 19943 August 1998Kok IIJozias van Aartsen3 August 199822 July 2002Balkenende IJaap de Hoop Scheffer 22 July 20023 December 2003Balkenende IIBen Bot 3 December 200322 February 2007Balkenende IIIBalkenende IVMaxime Verhagen22 February 200714 October 2010Rutte IUri Rosenthal14 October 20105 November 2012Rutte IIFrans Timmermans5 November 201217 October 2014Bert Koenders17 October 201426 October 2017Rutte IIIHalbe Zijlstra26 October 201713 February 2018Sigrid Kaag(ad interim)13 February 20187 March 2018Stef Blok7 March 201825 May 2021Sigrid Kaag25 May 202117 September 2021Tom de Bruijn(ad interim)17 September 202124 September 2021Ben Knapen24 September 202110 January 2022Rutte IVWopke Hoekstra10 January 20221 September 2023Liesje Schreinemacher(ad interim)1 September 20235 September 2023Hanke Bruins Slot5 September 20232 July 2024SchoofCaspar Veldkamp2 July 202422 August 2025Ruben Brekelmans(ad interim)22 August 20255 September 2025David van Weel5 September 202523 February 2026JettenTom Berendsen23 February 2026Incumbent
List of ministers without portfolio CabinetMinisterTerm of officeTitle or roleImageNamePartyStartEndGerbrandy IIEdgar Michiels van Verduynen 1 January 194225 June 1945Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsGerbrandy IIISchermerhorn–DreesHerman van Roijen25 June 19451 March 1946 Beel IEelco van Kleffens1 March 19461 July 1947Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security CouncilDrees IIJoseph Luns2 September 195213 October 1956Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsCalsTheo Bot14 April 19655 April 1967Minister for Aid to Developing CountriesZijlstraDe JongBé Udink5 April 19676 July 1971Biesheuvel IKees Boertien6 July 1971 11 May 1973Minister for Development CooperationBiesheuvel IIDen UylJan Pronk11 May 197319 December 1977Van Agt I Jan de Koning19 December 197711 September 1981Van Agt IIKees van Dijk11 September 1981 4 November 1982Van Agt IIILubbers IEegje Schoo4 November 198214 July 1986Lubbers IIPiet Bukman14 July 19867 November 1989Lubbers IIIJan Pronk 7 November 19893 August 1998Kok IKok IIEveline Herfkens3 August 199822 July 2002Balkenende IIAgnes van Ardenne27 May 200322 February 2007Balkenende IIIBalkenende IVBert Koenders22 February 200723 February 2010Maxime Verhagen23 February 201014 October 2010Rutte IILilianne Ploumen5 November 201226 October 2017Minister for Foreign Trade and Development CooperationRutte IIISigrid Kaag26 October 201710 August 2021Tom de Bruijn10 August 202110 January 2022Rutte IVLiesje Schreinemacher10 January 20224 December 2023Geoffrey van Leeuwen(acting)4 December 2023 15 April 2024Liesje Schreinemacher15 April 20242 July 2024SchoofReinette Klever2 July 20243 June 2025Minister for Foreign Trade and Development AidCaspar Veldkamp(ad interim)3 June 202519 June 2025Jetten Sjoerd Sjoerdsma23 February 2026IncumbentMinister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
List of state secretaries for foreign affairs CabinetState secretaryTerm of officePortfolio Image NameParty Start End Drees–Van Schaik Nico Blom 16 February 1950 2 September 1952 Indonesian Affairs Drees I Drees III Ernst van der Beugel 8 January 1957 22 December 1958 European Affairs De Quay Hans van Houten 24 August 1959 24 July 1963 Marijnen Leo de Block 3 September 1963 14 April 1965 Isaäc Nicolaas Diepenhorst 28 September 1963 14 April 1965 United Nations Affairs and Aid to Developing Countries Cals Leo de Block 14 April 1965 22 November 1966 European Affairs Max van der Stoel 22 July 1965 22 November 1966 United Nations Affairs Zijlstra Leo de Block 22 November 1966 5 April 1967 European and United Nations Affairs De Jong Hans de Koster 12 June 1967 6 July 1971 European Affairs Biesheuvel I Tjerk Westerterp 17 August 1971 7 March 1973 Biesheuvel II Den Uyl Laurens Jan Brinkhorst 11 May 1973 8 September 1977 Pieter Kooijmans 11 May 1973 19 December 1977 United Nations Affairs Van Agt I Durk van der Mei 28 December 1977 11 September 1981 European Affairs Van Agt II Hans van den Broek 11 September 1981 4 November 1982 Van Agt III Lubbers I Wim van Eekelen 5 November 1982 14 July 1986 Lubbers II René van der Linden 14 July 1986 9 September 1988 Berend-Jan van Voorst tot Voorst 27 September 1988 7 November 1989 Lubbers III Piet Dankert 7 November 1989 16 July 1994 Kok I Michiel Patijn 22 August 1994 3 August 1998 Kok II Dick Benschop 3 August 1998 22 July 2002 Balkenende I Agnes van Ardenne 22 July 2002 27 May 2003 Development Cooperation Atzo Nicolaï 22 July 2002 7 July 2006 European Affairs Balkenende II Balkenende IV Frans Timmermans 22 February 2007 23 February 2010 Rutte I Ben Knapen 14 October 2010 5 November 2012 European Affairs and Development Cooperation Schoof Hanneke Boerma 19 June 2025 22 August 2025 Foreign Trade Aukje de Vries 5 September 2025 23 February 2026
References