Work permit in the Netherlands

By Abi CarterUpdated on Apr 25, 2025

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Every non-EU citizen who wants to work in the Netherlands needs to have a valid work permit. Depending on your circumstances, you may have a combined residence and work permit, such as a single permit, or otherwise you may need a separate work permit. Usually, your employer will apply for the work permit on your behalf.

Do I need a Dutch work permit?

If you have Dutch citizenship or citizenship of another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, then you are free to work in the Netherlands without a work permit.

Anyone else, in general, may only work in the Netherlands if their employer has received a work permit for them.

There are some exceptions to this rule. You may work in the Netherlands without a work permit if:

Your residence permit contains the note “permitted to work” (arbeid is vrij toegestaan).
You have a residence permit for self-employment.
You have a start-up visa.
You have a highly-skilled migrant permit.
You live outside the Netherlands and you are coming to the country to do a specific task over a short period of time, for instance attending meetings or repairing equipment.

You can find some information about some of these exceptions at the bottom of this page.

Types of work permits in the Netherlands

There are two types of work permit in the Netherlands:

Tewerkstellingsvergunning - TWV (work permit)
Gecombineerde vergunning voor verblijf en arbeid - GVVA (combined residence and work permit).

TWV

An employer will need to apply for a work permit (TWV) if they hire an employee from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland. The foreign employee cannot apply for a TWV themselves.

The TWV might be issued in one of the following scenarios:

If you already live in the Netherlands on a residence permit (but, for instance, you are not allowed to work on your residence permit - this is often the case if you have a residence permit to study).
If you are coming to work in the Netherlands for a maximum of 90 days (in which case the TWV could be combined with a short-stay visa).
If you are coming to the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, but will not reside here.
If you are waiting for a decision on your application for asylum.

Outside of these scenarios, for instance if someone is coming to the Netherlands for longer than 90 days and will live in the country, they will most likely be issued with a GVVA.

GVVA

The GVVA (also known as the Single Permit) is a combined residence and work permit for employees coming to the Netherlands from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland for more than 90 days. Your employer will apply for a GVVA on your behalf, or you can apply yourself.

Some people who wish to work in the Netherlands cannot receive a GVVA, including students who wish to work, asylum seekers, seasonal workers, employees transferred within a multinational group, and employees who come for a maximum of three months. These individuals must request a TWV work permit separately from the UWV.

You can find out more about the Single Permit on our residence permit in the Netherlands page.

What is the difference?

The UWV uses the same criteria for applications for both TWV and GVVA permits. Which permit is required depends on the circumstances of the applicant and how long they will stay in the Netherlands.

Requirements for granting a work permit

In principle, employers in the Netherlands can only hire someone from outside the EU/EEA if they are able to prove that they cannot find a suitable candidate from within the EU/EEA. That means that the vacancy has been open for at least five weeks, or three months if it is a more niche vacancy.

Less stringent requirements apply if the work permit is being requested for:

Students who want to work fewer than 16 hours per week alongside their studies
Interns
Trainees
Artists
Asylum seekers
Spiritual leaders or workers

Situations in which a work permit is unnecessary

There are other situations in which non-EU expats may work in the Netherlands that do not involve applying for one of the previous work permits.

Having had an EU/Dutch work permit previously

A Dutch employer does not need to apply for a work permit for a non-EU citizen if they have worked in the Netherlands on the basis of a Dutch residence permit for the purpose of work for five years (three years for Turkish citizens).

Working whilst studying in the Netherlands

For non-European students who need a residence permit to study, the following labour endorsement appears on the back of the permit: TWV vereist voor arbeid van bijkomende aard, andere arbeid niet toegestaan (work permit required for additional work, other work not permitted).

This means if students wish to work, they need to apply for a TWV work permit (from the UWV) and then may work a maximum of 16 hours per week during the academic year or full-time during the summer months (June, July and August).

A work permit is not required for doing an internship (stage) as part of your education. The internship agreement, however, must be signed between the employer, the intern and the educational institution.

Note: students who are citizens of any EU/EEA country or Switzerland have no working restrictions.

Voluntary work in the Netherlands

Are you an international student or scientific researcher from outside of the European Union and you want to do voluntary work in the Netherlands? You don't need a work permit (TWV) to do so; instead, a Volunteer Declaration (Vrijwilligersverklaring) is sufficient. This declaration is valid for three years. Organisations, such as NGOs, can apply for the Volunteer Declaration via the UWV.

You do not need a Volunteer Declaration if:

You are a scientific researcher who holds a residence permit under the directive for scientific research (2005/71/EC).
You are in your orientation year.

Working holiday visa in the Netherlands

Nationals of Canada, Australia and New Zealand aged between 18 and 30 can apply for the one-year Working Holiday Scheme (Aus/NZ) or Working Holiday Program (Canada) in their own country and do not need a work permit when they arrive in the Netherlands. The only requirement for a working holiday visa is to be able to financially support oneself in the Netherlands and to find a job within the first six weeks.