The Dutch parliament has voted in favour of sending up to 1,400 troops to Afghanistan to support the NATO International Security Assistance Force there.
The main parties in the centre-right government want more Dutch soldiers to join troops from Britain and Canada to help NATO expand into southern Afghanistan this year.
It will allow some US forces fighting the Taliban to withdraw.
The Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, said the mission is to begin in June and last two years.
The Netherlands already has more than 600 soldiers deployed elsewhere in Afghanistan.
