Student information
Work permit
According to the Labour Law in the Netherlands the companies need to check whether a person is allowed to work in the Netherlands.This check is done based upon nationality.
For Nationals outside EU / EFTA a work permit is needed, but there is one restriction and that is your legal residence. On the back side of the residence permit is mentioned whether you are allowed to work or not. Example: persons who have residence permit for study are only allowed to work besides their study for a limited amount of hours. This is indicated with: "Werk toegestaan, mits van bijkomstige aard".
Application for a work permit
The company or organisation offering a job or thesis research position must apply for the work permit at the Centre for Work and Income (CWI, afdeling Juridische Zaken, Postbus 883, 2700 AW, Zoetermeer).
Some of the necessary support documents will be supplied by yourself and some of them need to be supplied by the employer or university. See "application in 7 steps"
To be able to apply for a work permit a valid residence permit at the moment of application is required. It is not possible to apply for a work permit for a job or thesis research position more than three months before the actual starting date.
Read more about application work permits for employers (in Dutch)
Application in 7 steps
In order to apply for a work permit you need:
- A fully completed application form (by the company)
- A clear photocopy of relevant pages of your passport (by the student)
- A clear photocopy of both sides of your ID card (by the student)
- A clear photocopy of both sides of your student registration card (by the student)
- In the case of a thesis research: A statement from the university verifying that you are registered as a student and a statement that declared the thesis research is part of the study programme. This statement can be obtained at the Student Service Centre (contact SSC).
- A detailed plan for your internship (by the student)
- A photocopy of the company registration of the Dutch Chambers of Commerce (by the company)
Insurance
Dutch law requires all residents to have health insurance and legal liability insurance. If you want to work in the Netherlands you need to take into account that you need to change your health insurance to the new basic health insurance policy. The fees for this insurance are higher than the fees for the standard AON student health insurance. We would like to advise you to check beforehand the expected costs and how much money you can earn.
Read more about Insurance for students outside EU / EFTA
Income
At the moment you start working you will have to pay taxes. The taxes will be deducted from you salary before it is transferred to your bank account. If you're a student it is possible to get a refund of these taxes at the Tax Office (Belastingdienst)
Internships / Thesis research
Students who are registered at a Dutch University and would like to do an internship in the Netherlands are no longer obliged to have a work permit.
In the Netherlands a Thesis research is considered employment. Students from non-EU countries and students from countries that have joined the EU in 2004 require a work permit for thesis research.