For non-EU nationals, the orientation year (zoekjaar) visa is an opportunity to search for employment in the Netherlands after completing your studies or research. This visa allows recent graduates and researchers to stay in the country for up to 12 months without the need for a separate work permit, giving you time to secure a job or start a business.

A lesser-known benefit for non-EU students interested in this option is that you may also be eligible to apply for multiple orientation year visas, provided that each application is tied to a new academic achievement. For example, if you complete a bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands and then go on to pursue a master’s – either in the Netherlands or abroad – you can apply for an additional ‘zoekjaar’ visa! By taking advantage of the double orientation year you can effectively extend your time to explore the Dutch job market, giving you two separate 12-month windows after each degree.

Didn’t study in the Netherlands? You might still be eligible for an orientation year permit. How? If your graduate degree is from a designated international educational institution.

You’re allowed to work with no special additional stipulations. This also means that employers don’t have to meet the standard highly skilled migrant salary thresholds. This makes it easier for companies to hire you, and you should inform them about it while applying!

If a company keeps you on after your zoekjaar, you would then fall under the category ‘highly skilled migrants reduced salary criterion’. Even if you decide to change employers, these reduced salary criteria would still apply, making you an attractive potential hire.

Companies often DON’T know about this and it may be the reason they don’t hire you! If you’re a junior jobseeker, it’s important to inform them since it makes you a much more viable hire.

You might be thinking, “Wait, a lower salary? Am I getting screwed here?” but that’s not the case. The minimum salary for highly skilled migrants is set at a medior-senior level. The permit is intended for specialists from outside of the EU, who need to be brought in because the EU doesn’t have enough people with that experience or expertise.

In other words: a Dutch company will be forced by law to pay a higher salary for that non-EU person. 

That means a Dutch company will prefer to hire someone from within the EU over you, unless you bring this sought-after work experience or expertise. 

If you’re a junior with only a few years of work experience, that means it’s difficult to get hired through the highly skilled migrant permit. 

Except that the reduced salary requirement means that companies don’t have to pay you much more than your EU counterparts for the same work! 

So: a reduced salary requirement is in your favor, as this levels your playing field more with EU jobseekers. By making Dutch companies you apply to aware of this, you’re actually helping them see the value in hiring you at a more appropriate salary for your experience! 

Tip 💡 For the latest information, it’s a good idea to consult these two Dutch entities: the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

There are also two main types of work permits:

The residence permit for highly skilled migrants allows people with specialised skills or expertise to live and work in the Netherlands. Only a recognised sponsor can apply for a Dutch residence permit on behalf of a highly skilled migrant.

There are a number of conditions you must meet to obtain this permit. These include:

Sometimes it’s necessary for your employer to be a recognised sponsor in order for them to be able to apply for your permits.

It is mandatory for your company, educational institution, or organisation to be a recognised sponsor if you want to apply for any of these residence purposes for their employees:

On the other hand, recognition is not mandatory (but is still possible) for these residence purposes:

An intra-corporate transferee residence permit is a work and residence permit for managers, specialists, and trainees. If you’ve worked for a company that’s established outside the EU for at least 3 months or if you have a similar permit in another EU country then your employer can apply for the ICT permit for you.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to produce or introduce an innovative product or service under the guidance of a recognised facilitator, the Dutch startup visa may be for you. It’s valid for a maximum of 1 year. To be eligible, there are 5 main conditions which you must satisfy, which you can read more about here.

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Once you’ve gotten a feel for what kind of applications you’ll need to file you’ll probably want to start applying for jobs! Keep in mind that it’s a highly-competitive job market so be prepared to put in extra effort. Especially if you don’t (yet) speak Dutch, your applications have to be stellar to stand out! If you’re an early-career applicant, simply reacting to job vacancies is unlikely to get you far. Look into options such as sending open applications and optimising your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a huge networking tool in the Netherlands, also in the North. 
Once you’re in the Netherlands we recommend you make building your network a priority. The Northern Provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe are more tightly-knit than the bigger cities in the west. Personal introductions to companies go a long way and learning about a job vacancy through word-of-mouth is still very common. For opportunities to meet new people and attend seminars on relevant topics have a look at our events page.