Partners and Work

Partners with an EU nationality have free access to the Dutch labor market. If your partner is from outside the EU, they can check their residence permit card. If it states "arbeid vrij toegestaan", they have free access to the Dutch labor market. If it states something else, for example "TWV vereist", they can only work in the Netherlands with a work permit.

If your partner requires a work permit his/her employer is responsible for filing a permit application. For most jobs, the employer will have to prove that the same job cannot be filled by an EU/EEA national. This makes it difficult to obtain a work permit. Exemptions are jobs as scientific researcher and jobs as knowledge migrant. This is a list of employers that can arrange work permit exemptions.

In Wageningen a group of job seekers organized themselves to help each other in finding jobs. The name of this initiative is Werkwiel Wageningen. They meet every Tuesday, except holidays, in the canteen of Sport Centre De Vlinder, Hollandseweg 7, from 9.30 to 11.30. There is coffee and tea and a moment of exchanging experiences and tips. Often workshops are organised about writing a resume or a motivation letter, how to present yourself etc. For questions or more information please email Werkwiel. The coordinators are Leida van den Berg, Rosalinde van Kralingen, Jutta Wirth and Gudrun Wiesehahn.

Also check the webpage Student Career Services with lots of career websites and employment agencies.