Non-EU migrant worker

If you are from a country that is not in the EU and you want to work in the Netherlands, you need some additional documents. This step-by-step guide will help you on your way. 

This is your step-by-step guide 

Phase 1: Before you come to the Netherlands 

Make proper preparations before you move to the Netherlands. 

1. Check if you are allowed to work 
   If you are not from the EU or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you usually need to have a work permit. If you want to work in the Netherlands for only a short time, your employer must apply to UWV for a work permit. If you want to work for more than three months, you or your employer must apply to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) for a permit that allows you to live and work in the Netherlands. This is called a single permit (GVVA). 

2. Find steady work 
   Find work at a dependable employer or through a licensed employment agency. Ask if the employer has experience of hiring employees from outside the EU. Some employers are recognised sponsors. This status can help to speed up the application process. Check that the company is registered with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK). Read more on the page on finding work. 

3. Find somewhere to live 
   For example, ask your employer if it provides help with housing. Check whether the home has an SNF certificate or AKF certificate, as this means the home is safe and clean. 

4. Read about working in the Netherlands 
   Check the page on work for information about rights, wages and arrangements relating to work. 

5. If you have children 
   If you will be coming to the Netherlands with your children, check whether they will have to be in education. In the Netherlands, children can start school at the age of 4. School is compulsory from the age of 5. 

Phase 2: When you arrive in the Netherlands 

Once you are in the Netherlands, there are several important matters you need to arrange. 

1. Register with your municipality or at an RNI desk 
   If you want to live in the Netherlands for more than four months, you must register with the municipality in which you want to live. If you will be staying for less than four months, or if you come here to work but continue to live abroad, you need to register at an RNI desk. You can read more about this on the page on registering. Once you have registered, you will be given a citizen service number (BSN). You need this BSN for your work, for contacting government authorities and to open a bank account, for example. 

2. Apply for a DigiD  
   Everyone who has a Dutch citizen service number (BSN) can apply for a DigiD in the DigiD app or at www.digid.nl. DigiD stands for digital identity. You use your DigiD to prove who you are when you arrange something online. 

3. Take out health insurance 
   Everyone working in the Netherlands must  take out health insurance within four months of starting work. This covers medical costs, such as the cost of a visit to your GP or hospital.  

4. Open a bank account 
   Employers usually pay wages into a Dutch bank account. To open a bank account, you usually need your BSN and identity document. 

5. Check your contract of employment 
   Carefully read what your contract says about wages, contracted hours, holiday pay and housing.  

6. Claim allowances 
   See if you have a right to allowances, such as healthcare benefit, childcare allowance or housing benefit. 

7. Register your children with a school or childcare facility 
   If you have a child aged between 5 and 18, school is compulsory. If you need childcare for young children or for older children after school, register them for childcare. 

8. Ask for help 
   If anything is unclear, visit a Work in NL information point and ask for help. The people there can answer all your questions about living and working in the Netherlands. 

Phase 3: While you are in the Netherlands 

When you work in the Netherlands, the following matters are important: 

1. Tax and allowances 
   You pay tax on your income. You might be able to get allowances, such as healthcare benefit or housing benefit.  

2. Learn Dutch and participate 
   Learning Dutch will make your work and life easier. In many municipalities, you can get free language lessons or practise Dutch for free at a Taalhuis in the library. You might also be able to get Dutch lessons through your work. 

3. Safe and fair work 
   You have the right to a safe workplace and fair wages. If something is wrong and you need legal assistance, ask Het Juridisch Loket or your union for help. You can also report problems to the Netherlands Labour Authority. 

4. When your work permit expires 
   If your employer wants to extend your contract, your employer can apply for either a new work permit or a single permit that combines a residence permit and work permit (GVVA). If you had a work permit before, you can now apply for a single permit (GVVA). If you already have a GVVA, your employer can apply to renew it. Do not wait too long, because you are not allowed to work without a permit. 

5. Permanent residence permit 
   If you want a permanent residence permit, you usually need to have had a valid Dutch residence permit for at least five years in a row. If you have a permanent residence permit, you can stay in the Netherlands for an extended period of time and no end date applies. Make sure you always renew your residence permit on time. You or your employer can apply to renew your permit three months before it expires. For more information, visit the IND's website. 

6. If you become homeless 
   There are many organisations that are dedicated to helping homeless people. You can visit a Work in NL information point and ask questions about housing, work or help that is available in your situation. 

7. If your contract is terminated 
   If your contract is terminated, ask Het Juridisch Loket for advice. Your employer might have terminated your contract when it was not allowed to, or you might still have a right to wages. If your residence permit ends, this does not always mean that your contract will end too. 
   
   You might have a right to unemployment benefit (WW). Do not wait too long before claiming it, and ask for help in time. 

8. Report changes 
   If your personal details change, you need to tell your municipality and your employer and health insurer, for example. If your income changes, tell Belastingdienst or Dienst Toeslagen so that their information on you is still correct. 

Phase 4: If you leave the Netherlands 

If you decide to move back to your home country or move to another country, you need to do the following. 

1. Tell your municipality that you are leaving 
   Tell the municipality where you are registered that you are leaving so that the government knows you no longer live in the Netherlands. If you registered at an RNI desk, use the MyRNI app to tell the government you are leaving the Netherlands. 

2. Cancel your health insurance 
   You must stop your health insurance if you do not live or work in the Netherlands any more. 

3. Check your tax situation and allowances 
   Check if you are still getting allowances. Report changes to Belastingdienst in time so that you can avoid having to pay money back. 

4. Deregister your children from schools and childcare facilities 
   If your family will be leaving with you, tell your children's school and/or childcare facility that you are moving. They can then deregister your children. 

5. Pension and rights you have built up 
   You will keep the pension you have built up in the Netherlands. Contact your pension fund for information about what will happen to your money.