Every non-EU citizen who wants to work in the Netherlands has to obtain a work permit (TWV), according to the Labour Act for Aliens or (WAV). In general, employers who wish to bring a non-EU employee, are responsible for their work permit application.
The employer should hand in a copy of the work permit application, on behalf of the employee, to the UWV WERKbedrijf, which is responsible to inform IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) about the status of the application.
Every non-EU employee must have a TWV (where applicable) in order to obtain an MVV and / or a residence permit. If an MVV is not required then you can apply for the work permit after entering the Netherlands.
Expats, who are not obliged to apply for a visa, are eligible to visit the Netherlands for business meetings whilst the work permit is being processed (but not approved yet).
Once the application for a Dutch work permit has been submitted, it takes 5 to 14 months, depending on the complexity of each case, for the work permit to be approved.
Non-EU students applying for a work permit will also need to hand in a proof of the residence permit they obtained for study purposes. The work permit will be valid as long as the student remains registered to the university.
For more information regarding the application procedure click here (in Dutch).
