NL

Work & Travel

It's important that you know the following rules for working and travelling beside your study in the Netherlands.

Working in the Netherlands

Are you allowed to work in the Netherlands as a foreign student? Which rules apply to you depends on your nationality:

  • Part-time job
    EU/EEA and Swiss can work in the Netherlands without a work permit. There is no limit to the amount of hours you are allowed to work, but EU students who receive Dutch student financing (studiefinanciering) should check with DUO what the maximum is that they are permitted to earn in a year.
    For tax purposes you will need a Citizen Service Number (BSN). To get a BSN you must be registered as a resident at the City Hall.

    Working on a self-employed basis
    To work as an entrepeneur you need to register at the chamber of commerce, in Dutch Kamer van Koophandel.

  • Part-time job
    Students from outside the EU/EEA with a VVR permit for study can only work in the Netherlands if the employer obtains a work permit (TWV) at the UWV Werkbedrijf for them. Once your employer has a valid work permit for you, you are only allowed to work full-time during the summer OR during the year in a small job (maximum 16 hours a week). You will also need a BSN number.

    Your employer must apply for your work permit at the UWV. It generally takes about five weeks before a decision is taken. You are not allowed to start working before a work permit has been granted.

    You can send the employer this link of the UWV website about 'werkvergunningen'.

    Voluntary work
    Non-EEA Students with a valid residence permit do not need a work permit for voluntary work. The organisation who offers the voluntary work needs to apply for a so-called Volunteer Declaration (Vrijwilligersverklaring).

    Working on a self-employed basis
    Non-EU/EEA students are allowed to become self-employed without needing a work permit, for an unlimited amount of hours, in addition to their studies and part-time job (with a maximum of 16 hours a week). Please note that non-EU/EEA students still need a work permit for a part-time job and have to continue to comply with the conditions for your residence permit.
    To work as an entrepeneur you need to register at the chamber of commerce, in Dutch Kamer van Koophandel.

    Income tax
    You are required to pay tax over your total Dutch income for the year. Scholarships may also be counted as income and added to the total. For more information on income tax, you can check with your employer or directly with the Dutch Tax Office.

    Internships
    You do not need a work permit for internships which are part of your study in the Netherlands. In this case there must be an official internship agreement between the student, the school and the employer.

    Regular inspections!
    Labour Inspection, the IND and the UWV are actively checking if companies and students adhere to all the rules. If you are working without a work permit and/or you are working more hours than you are allowed, the employer risks being fined € 12.000 per student and you risk losing your residence permit!

Health insurance

All foreign students with a Dutch job are obliged by law to take out a public Dutch health insurance, called 'basisverzekering'. This insurance costs approximately 100 euro/month for the basic package. It is possible to apply for health care allowance.

A registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce to work on a self-employed basis does not automatically mean that you need to have the a public Dutch health insurance.

It is important to contact the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) to request for an investigation of your insurance situation under the Wlz scheme.

Read more about health insurances.

Official regulations

Nuffic offers comprehensive information for foreign students who wish to work while studying.

Travel with a Dutch residence permit

With a valid Dutch residence card for study you can travel within the other Schengen countries for maximum of 90 days continuously. You must always take your valid passport and valid residence card with you if you travel outside of the Netherlands! Your residence card must be valid on the day that you re-enter the Netherlands.

Please note that if you remain outside the Netherlands for more than six months during one year for other purposes than study, the IND will cancel your residence permit because your main residence has changed. If you do an internship or other study activities in another country for more than six months, please contact HKU about this.

If you want to travel to a non-Schengen country you might need a visa for that country. You need to contact the embassy of that country in the Netherlands before your trip to inform whether you need to apply for a visa and if so how to apply for the visa at the embassy.

You can find the contact details of foreign embassies in the Netherlands on the website of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.