How to Find a Job in the Netherlands

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The Netherlands is one of the most developed countries in the world with a strong and stable economy. The minimum salary in the Netherlands is above €1600 per month. These and other reasons make more and more people willing to work in the Netherlands. Millions wish to find a job and settle here. However, a huge competition makes finding a job a really difficult task! So what are the ways for a foreigner from a non-EU country to find a job and move to the Netherlands?

If you want to know everything about the migration through working opportunities – visit the website of the Migration Service of the Netherlands

Highly Skilled Migrant Visa

Basically, if you come from a non-EU country and want to settle in the Netherlands, you can obtain a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa.
Not every employer could provide you with the status of the Highly Skilled Migrant. The main conditions are:

  • You should have an employment contract with a recognized sponsor by the IND. Recognized employers are listed in the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors
  • Your salary should be above given minimums for a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa. In 2020, the minimum monthly gross salary for a highly skilled migrant age 30 or older is € 4,612. For migrants under age 30, the minimum monthly gross salary is € 3,381

Coming to the Netherlands as a Spouse or Partner

However, if you are lucky enough to find a partner in the Netherlands, you can migrate with the Partnership Visa. You can apply for any jobs. If your partner or spouse lives in the Netherlands and has Dutch nationality or a residence permit, you can (under certain conditions) join them in the Netherlands. Visit the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) for more information.

Other Opportunities

If you are not from the EU or you do not have a spouse or partner in the Netherlands – how can you find a job here?

  • Apply for a job and get one! It seems easy and difficult at the same time! You can just start looking for Internet vacancies, apply for them and may eventually find a job. Believe us, there are thousands of people who succeed in this way! However, they are usually good specialists in IT or in another field that is in high demand in the Netherlands. If you are one of them, the best ways to look for a job could be:
    – C    heck the list of the companies from the list for Highly Skilled Migrants. Find the one that suits your background, go to its website, look for vacancies and apply if you see something interesting!
    – LinkedIn! Here you can look for vacancies and profiles of recruiters from the companies you are interested in. Send a message to a recruiter with a short introduction and ask if they might have something suitable for you.
    – Websites with vacancies. Some popular websites in the Netherlands to look for a job in addition to a LinkedIn are Indeed, Nationale Vacaturebank, Monsterboard.     There you can find a lot of vacancies, including ones that qualify Highly Skilled Migrant Visa requirements. In most of the cases, you can understand it from the text of the vacancy: if the salary is above the needed minimum and if the title of the company is from the list of registered sponsors. For those specifically looking for tech roles, exploring remote IT jobs in the Netherlands can be highly beneficial. This platform offers various positions that allow you to work from anywhere, catering to different experience levels.
  • Come to the Netherlands to study and find a job after graduation! If you receive a degree in the Netherlands, you can apply within 3 years after graduation for an Orientation Year Visa. Here you can learn more details about it. An interesting thing about the Orientation Year Visa is that you can apply for it even with a degree from a foreign university. The list of the universities that qualify can be found on the website of the Migration Service. During Orientation Year, you can find any job.  Moreover, you can apply for a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa with a lower income requirement, which makes it easier to find the right job.
  • Create a Network! It is amazing, but more than 70% of all jobs in the Netherlands are found via networks. That means that people get acquainted with specialists who help them to receive a job, recommend them or assist in some other way. But of course, residing outside the Netherlands, it is nearly impossible to create such a network. What you can do is to come to the Netherlands for a particular period of time, meet people, find useful contacts and get the job of your dream through people you have met.
  • Launch a Start-Up! One of the options to spend a whole year in the Netherlands is to get a Start-up Visa. You can read more about it here. If you have an idea of the start-up – you can develop it and move to the Netherlands. During one year you will be working on your start-up, interacting with different people and learning about job opportunities. If your start-up is successful throughout this year, you can apply for a Self-Employment Visa and stay in the country as a self-employed person. And if you think you prefer finding a regular job – you can use your network. If you spend your time here meeting people and creating a good network – that is the key to the dream job! In that case, you do not necessarily have to be an IT-specialist – a good network helps to find a job in the field of marketing, law or any other area – “your” area!

  • Offer your products or services! Do you have products or services that can be useful for people in the Netherlands? You can move to the Netherlands and offer them individuals and  companies. Read the details here

Well, if you still think finding a job in the Netherlands is difficult – you are right! But if you think it is impossible – you are wrong! There are millions of people who try and thousands who succeed! Be among those who succeed! It is real! 

If you have any questions about finding a job in the Netherlands – feel free to email us or call + 31 85 401 89 52

Good luck!