Work Permit for Employees
The employer in Holland must apply to the competent authority, via the public employment services, for an employment permit on behalf of the relevant national. If the employer is granted the employment permit, the worker will be granted a permit for work.
The general practice is that the Dutch client needs to prove they have advertised the position for several months and have been unable to locate a suitable candidate in the local Dutch market or from an EU Member state.
The skills have to be in demand or rare, the individual therefore highly qualified to fulfil that position
New Member States
Nationals of the EU-Member States, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are able to work without restriction within Holland. Special rules apply to the new Member States of the European Union. For a certain transitional period, free movement of workers from these countries is subject to some restrictions.
Job seekers from the new EU member states are not required to complete any formality in order to obtain a work permit, it is up to the employer to apply to the competent authority. For all other nationalities, a work permit must be acquired before working in Holland. Travel insurance is required to accompany your visa application.
Admission Scheme for Highly Educated Persons
Holland has introduced an admission scheme for highly educated persons; individuals who have gained at least a Masters degree. These persons can obtain a residency permit for a maximum of 12 months in order to secure a job as a highly skilled migrant or to start a progressive company.
Alongside the degree, a points system is also applied. The candidate must score at least 35 points from 40. A master’s degree is 25 points, 5 points for a person between 21 and 40 years old and 30 points for a PhD. A further 5 points can be gained if the individual has previously studied or worked within the Netherlands, speaks English or Dutch or has received their diploma within a country recognising the Bologna Declaration.
Croatian Citizens
Citizens from Croatia require a work permit in order to be eligible to work within Holland’s borders. Although temporary exemptions are often granted for sectors in which there is an extreme lack of labour.
Visa Processing Time
It should be noted that, currently, the processing time for Visa applications is a minimum of 10 working days