How to get a job in the Netherlands from the UK (2026)

Which visa do UK citizens need to work in the Netherlands?

Unless you were living in the Netherlands before 1 January 2021 and are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, you need a residence permit for a specific purpose. For work, that usually means one of the routes below. Route names are as the IND uses them. Salary figures are the 2026 amounts, which change every 1 January.

Glo is a CV service, not an immigration adviser. Check your own eligibility on the IND website before you resign or sign anything.

How does the highly skilled migrant scheme work?

The IND says it is the most used of the schemes for people who come to work and live in the Netherlands. You do not apply yourself. Your future employer, which must be recognised by the IND as a sponsor, applies for you, pays the application fee (€423 in 2026) and takes on legal duties to keep records, report changes and select you with due care. The IND aims to decide within two weeks.

The salary test is strict. The threshold is gross per month and excludes holiday allowance, payments in kind and irregular items such as overtime and tips. Fixed allowances, such as a 13th month, count only if they are in the contract and paid monthly. The pay must also match the market rate for that job.

Use this as a job-search filter. The IND publishes a public register of recognised sponsors for work, updated monthly. If an employer is not on it and will not use the European Blue Card, it cannot hire you under this scheme.

Expect change. In 2025 the Dutch government announced plans for stricter rules, including income thresholds expected to rise by more than the usual indexation in 2027 and tighter requirements for recognised sponsors. Business.gov.nl says these proposals have not yet been passed by parliament, and no start date is known.

What is the 30% ruling and what changes in 2027?

The 30% ruling, now officially called the expat scheme, is a tax arrangement and separate from your residence permit. If you qualify, your employer can pay part of your salary tax-free for up to five years to cover the extra costs of moving, or reimburse those costs directly.

To qualify you must be recruited from abroad and have lived more than 150 kilometres from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day. You need specific expertise that is scarce in the Dutch labour market, shown by a minimum salary the Tax Administration sets each year. Your employer must apply within four months of your first working day.

For people who started using the scheme on or after 1 January 2024, the maximum tax-free percentage drops from 30% to 27% on 1 January 2027, and the minimum salary rises by more than indexation from the same date. Ask whether an offer assumes the scheme, and check with a tax adviser before you compare it with a UK salary.

How does hiring work in the Netherlands?

Networks matter. EURES, the European Commission's job mobility service, says more than 60% of Dutch vacancies are filled informally. It also lists LinkedIn as the most used international job site in the country, so treat your profile as a second CV.

For qualified roles the standard application is a CV with a motivation letter, and applications from abroad are generally made in writing. Expect one or two interviewers and two or three rounds, with the emphasis on why you want this job at this company. Recruitment agencies often start with a psychological test or an assessment. Dutch employers usually reply fairly quickly, and EURES suggests phoning if you hear nothing within 14 days.

Speculative applications are very common, and it is normal to phone a company first with prepared questions. Employment agencies, headhunters and secondment firms are widely used, especially for IT and other specialists.

Where are jobs in the Netherlands advertised?

Start with the job sites EURES lists as most used, then filter by employers that can sponsor you.

• werk.nl: the public employment service site run by UWV, mostly in Dutch. Registering with UWV is not compulsory.
• LinkedIn: the most used international job site in the Netherlands.
• Indeed (indeed.nl), Nationale Vacaturebank, Monsterboard, Jobbird and Werkzoeken.nl: general job boards.
• Intermediair: listed by EURES among the main vacancy sites.
• EURES portal: European vacancies, connected to werk.nl.
• Welcome to NL job board: highlighted by Nuffic's Study in NL as showing jobs that also offer a residence permit.
• Employer career pages: check each employer against the IND public register of recognised sponsors.

How do you apply for Dutch jobs from the UK?

First interviews can often be held online, and EURES notes that Dutch employers do run some interviews that way. The Netherlands is one hour ahead of the UK all year, so a 9am Amsterdam slot is 8am in London.

Answer the relocation question before it is asked. In your letter, say when you can move, that you understand the employer must be a recognised sponsor or use the European Blue Card, and that UK nationals do not need an MVV entry visa. Never suggest you could start before a permit is granted.

Be honest about Dutch. Nuffic's Study in NL says that although English is widely spoken, Dutch is still the main language of the country and can be a requirement for employment. Give your level on the A1 to C2 scale and say whether you are taking lessons.

Will your UK qualifications be recognised?

For most private sector jobs, no formal recognition is needed: the employer judges your degree and experience. If an employer wants a comparison, IDW evaluates one foreign diploma per application against the Dutch education system. IDW says this is usually not mandatory, the evaluation is issued in Dutch, and the fee shown when we checked was €148.83.

Regulated professions are different. Before applying for an evaluation, IDW advises checking the European Commission's database of regulated professions and contacting the competent authority for your profession, for example for nursing, paramedical roles or teaching. Healthcare professionals who provide individual care must register in the BIG register.

How long does it take to start a job in the Netherlands?

This is the usual sequence for a professional hired under the highly skilled migrant scheme. The job search itself is normally the longest stage, and your UK notice period and finding housing most often decide the start date.

• Search: target recognised sponsors, apply with a Dutch-format CV and motivation letter, and interview online.
• Offer: confirm the gross monthly salary meets the 2026 threshold for your age, and ask whether the employer will apply for the expat scheme.
• Application: your employer applies to the IND, which aims to decide within two weeks. UK nationals do not need an MVV.
• Decision: if the positive decision letter says so, you may work for up to four months before collecting your residence document. Book biometrics and collection within two weeks of the decision.
• Arrival: if you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, make an appointment to register at your municipality within five days of arriving. Once registered you get a BSN, which you need to work.
• First four months at work: if you qualify, your employer must apply for the expat scheme within four months of your first working day.

Which sectors have documented demand in the Netherlands?

EURES's labour market report for the Netherlands, which draws on the European Labour Authority's shortage analysis, names the occupational groups with the most shortage occupations in 2024 as business and administration associate professionals, building and related trades workers (excluding electricians), and science and engineering professionals.

A shortage listing does not lower the bar for UK applicants. The highly skilled migrant salary thresholds apply whatever the occupation, so check the salary before you invest time in an application.