Please find below information for EU citizens, non-EU citizens, knowledge -migrants, European Blue Card, students and information on working holiday visa.

EU citizens

People from another EU country (except for the new EU country's, see below!)do not need a work permit to be able to work in the Netherlands. This includes people from a European Economic Area country.

EU/EER countries are: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Greece, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Cyprus, Malta (allowed to work) 

New EU countries since 2004 are: Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Czech and Slovakia. (allowed to work since 1 May 2007) 

New EU countries since 2007 are: Bulgaria, Romania (work permit needed, see below)

As an EU/EER national you do not need a residence document to stay in the Netherlands. Even if you do not need a residence document it may be useful to have one, as other authorities may request it. For instance, you can use it to open a bank account in the Netherlands.
You apply for a residence document at the (im)migration window or the Department of Civil Affairs in your municipality.

Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania

Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania are not able to work in the Netherlands free of restrictions. In most cases, an employer still needs to ask the Dutch employment Authorities (UWV WERKbedrijf Bureau) for a tewerkstellingsvergunning (right to work) for such a candidate. This is a complex procedure, since the employer needs to prove that there is no other European citizen with work permit sufficiently qualified for the vacancy. For more information, see below "Non EU-citizens". You will be free to work on the labour market after you have lawfully worked in the Netherlands for a year or more.

For the latest information, please go the IND website  (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Office) www.ind.nl or the European Union website  http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en  The IND website gives a lot of information, as well as forms that can be downloaded and directly sent to either the foreign police or the IND. You can also contact the IND at 0900-1234561 (10 cents per minute). From abroad dial:  +31 20 8893045. E-mail: voorlichting@ind.minjus.nl. Information on working in the Netherlands can also be found on https://www.werk.nl/portal/page/portal/werk_nl/werknemer/working_in_the_netherlands_wn. 


Non EU-citizens 

There are really only two ways for a non-EU citizen to get a work permit:

The first way is to apply directly to companies yourself.  You cannot use a recruitment agency like Undutchables because we are not the formal employer. As well, most companies are looking for people who can begin work immediately.  Applying for a work permit may take up to 6 months and companies just do not have the time to do that.

If, however, you do apply to companies on your own and they would like to hire you, then they will start the permit process for you to get a "Tewerkstellingsvergunning".  This is not as easy as it sounds. The company has to prove that it is in their best interest to hire you above all other Dutch and EU candidates.  They also have to prove that the job has been advertised for at least six weeks and that they have interviewed Dutch and EU candidates, yet you were the best person for the job.

If you obtain a work permit through a company, please bear in mind that this work permit is bound to the company. If you stop working for  that company, the permit will no longer be valid.

The second way of getting a work permit is if you have a Dutch or EU partner.  Your partner must be living and working in the Netherlands and be willing to sponsor you. That essentially means that they agree to be financially responsible for you while you are looking for a job or if you happen to lose one.  The two of you must prove that you are in a relationship and that you live together.  If the relationship should end or one of you should move out, the permit will no longer be valid.

For more information, please take a look at www.workpermit.nl. For the latest information from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Office  please go the IND website  www.ind.nl or  the European Union website  http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en  The IND website gives a lot of information, as well as forms that can be downloaded and directly sent to either the foreign police or the IND. You can also contact the IND at 0900-1234561 (10 cents per minute). From abroad dial:  +31 20 8893045. E-mail: voorlichting@ind.minjus.nl.  

Please note that Undutchables is not in a position to give you any documentation or sponsorship, which will enable you to get a work permit.


Policy for highly skilled migrants

A highly skilled migrant is a migrant coming to the Netherlands for the purpose of employment, earning a minimum gross income of 51,239 euro, or 37,575 euro if the highly skilled migrant is under the age of 30. The income criterion will not apply if the person involved takes up employment with an educational or research institute, or is a postgraduate student or university lecturer under the age of 30.

From 19-12-2007 graduates who finished their studies in the Netherlands can also obtain a work permit as a "kennismigrant". Their minimum yearly wage should be 26,931 euro to qualify for this rule.

Employers wishing to employ a highly skilled migrant are no longer required to have a work permit. The government shall make every effort to deal with these applications as soon as possible, but within two weeks at the latest. (Considering our experience with the IND, in practice this might take quite a bit longer!)

An important condition for admission as a highly skilled migrant is that the employer has concluded an agreement with the IND. As from the 1 of March 2005 Undutchables has such an agreement.

In short, if Undutchables is able to find you a suitable job position which complies with these regulations AND if the company is willing to wait until the permit is granted, we can begin the procedure. The knowledge migrant is responsible for the application costs with MVV 188,- euro (when it is the first application) and without MVV 750,- euro.

Good news: partners and children from the knowledge migrants will also be allowed to work without a work permit, if they are included in the application (and if the application is approved upon!).

European Blue Card

As from 19 June 2011 the Netherlands has a new purpose of stay: the European Blue Card. The European Blue Card is a separate purpose of stay in addition to the existing National Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. The EU Blue Card Council Directive is intended for highly skilled foreign nationals who do not have EU, EEA or Swiss nationality, and who wish to work in one of the member states of the EU. The Directive is also meant to make it easier to settle in another EU member state. A residence permit will always be required in that other member state, however. To obtain this residence permit the employee must comply with the conditions applicable in that member state.

The conditions for residence in the Netherlands as an EU Blue Card holder are stricter than those for residence as a Highly Skilled Migrant. The employee must have a contract for highly qualified employment for at least one year, earning at least EUR 60,000 gross (in 2011). The employee must have completed a course of higher education lasting at least three years. The employee must prove this by having his diploma assessed by Nuffic. For a regulated profession, a competent authority will take decisions about the admission to that profession.

Advantages: One of the advantages of the EU Blue Card is that it is easier for an EU Blue Card holder and his family members to settle in another EU member state at a later date. After eighteen months foreign nationals who have an EU Blue Card are exempted from the provisional residence permit (MVV) requirement, if they want to work in another EU member State. In this second member state the employee must submit an application for a residence permit as a holder of an EU Blue Card. Each member state may implement the directive in slightly different ways. If someone holds a Blue Card in the Netherlands, this does not mean that the requirements are also met in other member states.

Students

Whether you need a work permit as a student to work in the Netherlands depends on your nationality.

Citizens of the following countries do not need a work permit and there are no restrictions to the amount of hours you can work:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

Citizens of other countries  need a work permit, which is free of charge. In addition, Dutch law restricts the numbers of hours you may work in the Netherlands. You must make a choice between:

• (Fulltime) seasonal work in the months of June, July and August or
• Part-time work throughout the year, but no more than 10 hours a week.

You cannot do both. In Dutch a work permit is called a Tewerkstellingsvergunning, often abbreviated to TWV. Your employer or employment agency must apply for your work permit, you cannot do this yourself, at the UWVwerkbedrijf Bureau Tewerkstellingsvergunningen, tel (079)750 29 03.

It is important that you realise that, as a foreign student, it is almost impossible to work while you are studying in The Netherlands. Besides the work permit, other formalities have to be taken care of. Do not expect to be given a work permit easily. Budget your stay in The Netherlands accordingly.

After graduation at a university or "hogeschool" in the Netherlands, foreign students do have the possibility to extend their stay for a period of one year to search for a job.

In order to make use of this so called "search period", you need to apply for a change in the purpose of stay endorsed on your residence permit. The new residence permit with the purpose "verblijf gedurende zoekjaar afgestudeerde" (seeking work after graduation) is meant to look for a job as a so called "highly skilled migrant", but you are also allowed to look for a job as a regular "labour migrant" (see work permit for non-EU) .

During the one year "search period", you are not allowed to ask for any state benefits. In order to pay your own way while searching for a job that allows you to stay in the Netherlands, you may work freely. No work permit is required.
After the one year "search period", you must have found a job as a highly skilled migrant or labour migrant. Otherwise you will have to leave the country. Once you have found such a job you again will need to apply for a change in the purpose of your stay.

Working Holiday Scheme

The working holiday scheme enables Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 to work in the Netherlands for up to one year.

You can arrange your working holiday scheme with the Dutch Embassy in your country. If you fit the regulations of the scheme, you will receive a temporary residence permit. With this permit you will also be allowed to work in the Netherlands for up to one year. You will still have to register with the foreign police in the Netherlands (within three days of your arrival) to certify the permit.