Work permit

If you want to work in the Netherlands, your employer might need a work permit. This depends on the country you come from. 

Work permit in the Netherlands 

Are you a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Then you can work here without a work permit. If you are from outside the EU your employer usually has to apply for a permit before you can start work. A residence permit is also often required.  

When you need a work permit 

Read information in Dutch or English on which permit you need in order to work in the Netherlands. 

• If you are from the EU (for example, Poland or Romania) you do not need a permit. 
• If you are from outside the EU you usually need a permit. 

Do you work in another country within the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and are you coming to work in the Netherlands temporarily and will you continue to be employed by your foreign employer? In that case, you are on a posting. This means you are a posted worker. Read more about postings. 

Working without a work permit 

Working in the Netherlands without the required work permit is not allowed. We call this illegal labour. This is monitored by the Netherlands Labour Authority. If your employer does not follow the rules, it may be fined. If you want to report this, you can report illegal labour anonymously to the Dutch Labour Authority. This can also be done in your own language.