Practical steps to working legally in the Netherlands

If you’ve decided to try working in the Netherlands or have been offered a post that's too good to refuse, you’ll have realised Dutch bureaucracy is some of the toughest in Europe.

If you’ve already found a job and are intending to stay in the county of over three months, your employer will need to apply for your residence permit unless you’re a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. There are several types of residence permit, linked to the skill level and nature of the job you’ve been offered. It might be quicker for your employer to apply for a joint residence/work permit known as the Single Permit, based on legal criteria and your unique skills for the job.

Experienced expat professionals with unique, much-needed skills who’ve been offered a high salary will need an officially recognised sponsor in order to get their residency and work permit. The procedure is faster than the basic residency/work permit described above.
In certain cases, non-EU graduates can apply as highly skilled migrants for a one-year orientation, thus giving them time to assess the Netherlands’ labour market without having to get a work permit.

Once you’re legally in the country, you’ll need to register at your local municipality in order to get a BSN personal ID number. As regards your employment contract, it should be examined carefully before signing, possibly with help from a specialist in employment law. Terms should include your exact role, working hours, salary and other benefits, overtime and bonuses as well as social security and pension contributions. A trial period if any and end of contract terms should also be included. The Dutch tax system is complicated, even without the current row over the changing of the 30 per cent tax-free ruling for expat professionals. If you need to find out the current financial value of your contract, professional help is probably the best way.