Having a job as a student is seemingly as unavoidable as exams and parties. Getting a student job in the Netherlands however is quite tricky, especially if you’re not from an EU country.
This new TU student’s guide to finding work in the Netherlands is here to help.
While not an absolute must, some knowledge of the Dutch language can be very useful in finding a job. There are several ways to get a job, and this article is divided into the various ways: the legal, the illegal, the complicated way and the gray zone. It should be stressed at the outset that working illegally is highly unrecommended and can dramatically shorten your stay in the Netherlands.
The legal way to get a job in Holland is quite straightforward with an EU-passport. Simply get a Burgerservicenummer or BCN (Citizens service number, formerly SoFi-number) from the Belastingdienst (tax authority) and find a job.
Without an EU-passport, the legal way is a long and limited one. Once you’re in possession of a valid residence permit and the BCN, you must find an employer who will apply for a job permit for you. This is something most employers are not eager to do since it requires lengthy and tedious bureaucracy.
Within several weeks after application, you will (maybe) get the unpronounceable tewerkstellingsvergunning (job permit), which will allow you to work for ten hours per week or fourty hours per week in the summer months. Working both fourty hours weekly in the summer and ten hours weekly throughout the year is not allowed, neither is working five hours one week and fifteen the next. This severely limits your flexibility, which is usually the main asset of students on the job market.
The StuD Studentenuitzendbureau (Student Manpower Agency) on the Mekelweg near the Aula is familiar with the bureaucratic procedures and is the employer of choice of many TU students. They offer (temporary) positions of various complexity and qualification levels. Among the jobs offered by the StuD are software developing, exam supervision, cook, waiter, personal assistant and many more. Most of these jobs however would require reasonable level of Dutch. Many positions as student-assistant are also offered via StuD.
Working illegally is discouraged in the Netherlands. Employers are threatened with heavy fines, and if you get caught working illegally you might end up being deported. As a consequence, not many students resort to the illegal option. Finding an employer is highly unlikely although some may have family members in the country who own a business and might need a helping hand. Technically speaking, crime is just another form of illegal work, but even though (foreign) students have been known to grow weed for sale or even engage in prostitution, such extremes are extremely unrecomended.
The complicated way of finding a job might involve even more bureaucracy than the legal way, but it might look good on your CV later on. Theoretically, it’s possible to work for a foreign company and be paid on an overseas account or even your local account. While legal, such employment requires a careful check of the tax regulations. See the website of the Dutch tax authorities for details.
An even more complicated option is to open your own firm, having yourself as employee. This way, you can be your own manpower agency. Registering your firm with the local Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce) would be the first step. But don’t forget to apply for a job permit for yourself! It might be a good idea to consult a lawyer and an accountant before resorting to the complicated way of getting a job.
Finally, there is the grey zone. It’s what the Belastingdienst defines as ‘overige werkzaamheden‘, an untranslatable grammatical construction typical of (continental) Germanic languages. The bleak English equivalent is ‘freelance’, but the term is much broader and includes all (irregular) activities that are not strictly defined as a ‘job’ and that result in incomes.
This covers a range of activities surpassing all mentioned above. For example, a foundation you’re volunteering for may give you travel money. You might translate a document for someone occasionally. A private tutorial once in a while may be defined as ‘overige werkzaamheden‘. If you have an artistic gift that is recognized by society, one of your paintings may be bought and it will also be ‘overige werkzaamheden‘, or if you give a concert every now and then with your band and get paid.
The criterion is that the amounts are not substantial enough to make a living and the incomes are not regular. Otherwise your activities become a business and you will need a more solid legal basis (see the complicated way above). Actually, writing for a university newspaper also falls under the definition of freelance. The Delta English page is looking for new writers. It doesn’t pay much, but this might be your chance to start a career in journalism!
While not an absolute must, some knowledge of the Dutch language can be very useful in finding a job. There are several ways to get a job, and this article is divided into the various ways: the legal, the illegal, the complicated way and the gray zone. It should be stressed at the outset that working illegally is highly unrecommended and can dramatically shorten your stay in the Netherlands.
The legal way to get a job in Holland is quite straightforward with an EU-passport. Simply get a Burgerservicenummer or BCN (Citizens service number, formerly SoFi-number) from the Belastingdienst (tax authority) and find a job.
Without an EU-passport, the legal way is a long and limited one. Once you’re in possession of a valid residence permit and the BCN, you must find an employer who will apply for a job permit for you. This is something most employers are not eager to do since it requires lengthy and tedious bureaucracy.
Within several weeks after application, you will (maybe) get the unpronounceable tewerkstellingsvergunning (job permit), which will allow you to work for ten hours per week or fourty hours per week in the summer months. Working both fourty hours weekly in the summer and ten hours weekly throughout the year is not allowed, neither is working five hours one week and fifteen the next. This severely limits your flexibility, which is usually the main asset of students on the job market.
The StuD Studentenuitzendbureau (Student Manpower Agency) on the Mekelweg near the Aula is familiar with the bureaucratic procedures and is the employer of choice of many TU students. They offer (temporary) positions of various complexity and qualification levels. Among the jobs offered by the StuD are software developing, exam supervision, cook, waiter, personal assistant and many more. Most of these jobs however would require reasonable level of Dutch. Many positions as student-assistant are also offered via StuD.
Working illegally is discouraged in the Netherlands. Employers are threatened with heavy fines, and if you get caught working illegally you might end up being deported. As a consequence, not many students resort to the illegal option. Finding an employer is highly unlikely although some may have family members in the country who own a business and might need a helping hand. Technically speaking, crime is just another form of illegal work, but even though (foreign) students have been known to grow weed for sale or even engage in prostitution, such extremes are extremely unrecomended.
The complicated way of finding a job might involve even more bureaucracy than the legal way, but it might look good on your CV later on. Theoretically, it’s possible to work for a foreign company and be paid on an overseas account or even your local account. While legal, such employment requires a careful check of the tax regulations. See the website of the Dutch tax authorities for details.
An even more complicated option is to open your own firm, having yourself as employee. This way, you can be your own manpower agency. Registering your firm with the local Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce) would be the first step. But don’t forget to apply for a job permit for yourself! It might be a good idea to consult a lawyer and an accountant before resorting to the complicated way of getting a job.
Finally, there is the grey zone. It’s what the Belastingdienst defines as ‘overige werkzaamheden‘, an untranslatable grammatical construction typical of (continental) Germanic languages. The bleak English equivalent is ‘freelance’, but the term is much broader and includes all (irregular) activities that are not strictly defined as a ‘job’ and that result in incomes.
This covers a range of activities surpassing all mentioned above. For example, a foundation you’re volunteering for may give you travel money. You might translate a document for someone occasionally. A private tutorial once in a while may be defined as ‘overige werkzaamheden‘. If you have an artistic gift that is recognized by society, one of your paintings may be bought and it will also be ‘overige werkzaamheden‘, or if you give a concert every now and then with your band and get paid.
The criterion is that the amounts are not substantial enough to make a living and the incomes are not regular. Otherwise your activities become a business and you will need a more solid legal basis (see the complicated way above). Actually, writing for a university newspaper also falls under the definition of freelance. The Delta English page is looking for new writers. It doesn’t pay much, but this might be your chance to start a career in journalism!
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