Work

If your asylum application is pending in the Netherlands for 6 months or more, you may perform paid work under conditions.

If you want to perform paid work in the Netherlands, you need to arrange a number of things. You also have rights. Read here about what you need to arrange and what rights you have.

An employer may treat you badly. For example, if you don't get money or have to work too much. This is called exploitation and is punishable in the Netherlands. If you are working while this is not allowed, you have labour rights and can report exploitation.

If you have applied for asylum in the Netherlands, but do not yet have an asylum residence permit, you may do a work placement if you have to for your education. Read more here.

You may volunteer if you have applied for asylum and have a W-document for 1 year. Read more about how to volunteer here.

If you are still waiting for an asylum residence permit, but would already like to work in the Netherlands, you will find more information on how to find work on this page.

If you don't have an asylum residence permit (yet), but would like to apply for a new job, you can read about how applying for a job in the Netherlands works on this page.

As an employee, you have a number of rights and obligations that you and your employer must abide by. You can read back here what the most important rules are.

If you have earned a diploma outside the Netherlands and want to work or study in a profession that fits with your diploma, you can have your diploma evaluated. This will tell you at what level you can study or work in the Netherlands. You can have 1 diploma evaluated free of charge.

If you have been in the Netherlands for more than 6 months, you will get a personal number. You will need this number to arrange your personal affairs in the Netherlands. Read here how to get such a number.