Work permit

Who needs a work permit

International students who do not have an EU/ EEA or Swiss nationality need a work permit if they want to work in the Netherlands. In addition students from Bulgaria and Romania need a work permit.

If you want to do an internship, this is also seen as work, certain rules apply. Visit the Nuffic website for more information..

How do you acquire a work permit

You cannot apply for a work permit yourself. An employer must apply for the work permit, so first you have to find an employer or employment agency willing to do this for you. A work permit is always issued for a specific employer.

Conditions

• You need a residence permit before your employer can apply for a work permit. Note that the application for a residence permit usually takes approximately 2 months. After that it takes about 6 weeks to process your work permit.
• You must have a Burger Service Number, for which you need to register with the city.
• You are allowed to work either full-time in June, July and August OR for a maximum of 10 hours per week throughout the academic year. Note that 10 hours per week is not an average, it is a maximum*.
• The work permit is valid for the same time as your residence permit. When you extend your residence permit, you also have to extend your work permit.
• If you work, regardless of your nationality, you must take out a Dutch Basisverzekering.

More information on working part-time...