You are here
Work while studying
Whether or not you need a work permit to work in the Netherlands depends on your nationality.
Students from outside the EU/EEA need a work permit
In order to do an internship or work placement in the Netherlands, students from outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) need a work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) in addition to their residence permit. Your employer must apply for this permit for you. You also need a work permit if you want to take paid work alongside your studies. Dutch law restricts the numbers of hours you may work in the Netherlands. Every calendar year, you must make a choice between:
- full-time seasonal work in the months of June, July and August or
- part-time work throughout the year, but no more than 10 hours a week
If you have successfully completed your degree programme , you may apply for a residence permit, valid for five years. To do this, you must have a contract of employment.
Students from the EU/EEA do not need a work permit
Of you are a citizen of the following countries you do not need a work permit and there are no restrictions to the number of hours you may work.
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom
More information on working while studying is available on the Nuffic website: working while studying.
More information on working after graduation is available on the Nuffic website: working after graduation.
Mandatory public healthcare Insurance
From the moment you start to work in the Netherlands, you must have Dutch public healthcare insurance, even if you are an European Union (EU) citizen and are covered by an EU health insurance card. Keep this in mind before starting to look for work, as the cost of public healthcare insurance may be more expensive than the income you receive from your job. However, if your income is below a certain level, which is often the case for students, it is very likely that you are eligible for a compensation for the healthcare insurance. This compensation is called a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag).
Due to the added cost of having to take out public healthcare insurance, it may be more worthwhile for students to apply for a work permit to work full-time during the months of June, July and August instead of part-time throughout the year, as you will then only need public healthcare insurance for those three months and will be able to retain the cheaper student insurance for the remainder of the year.
If you intend to work part-time on and off, make sure you choose an insurance company that allows you to switch easily between private insurance for international students and public healthcare insurance.
More information on insurance is available on our website at: insurance
Burgerservicenummer (BSN)
If you wish to work in the Netherlands you will need a Burgerservicenummer (BSN). A BSN is a personal tax and social security number. Every person residing in the Netherlands must have one. You will automatically receive a BSN when you register with the municipality. There is no way of receiving a BSN without registering with the municipality.
More information on the BSN is available on our website at: registration municipality