Working
Most of the students that are coming to study in the Netherlands need some money to finance their stay. That is why we want to give you some information about finding jobs in our beautiful country. Almost all Dutch students are working during their study, and most school schedules permit at least one day of working.
Being an international student, there are some rules you have to consider:
Do you need a work permit?
Whether or not you need a work permit to work in the Netherlands depends on your nationality.
Citizens of 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: You do not need a work permit and there are no restrictions to the number of hours you can work.
Citizens of other countries:
You do need a work permit. It is free of charge. 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.
You cannot do both. In Dutch a work permit is called a Tewerkstellingsvergunning, often abbreviated to TWV. Your employer or employment agency must apply for a work permit at the UWV WERKbedrijf (formerly Centre for Work and Income, CWI), tel: 079-750 2903. You cannot do this yourself. A copy of the front and back of your residence permit for study purposes and proof of enrolment must accompany the application for a work permit. It will take the UWV WERKbedrijf 1 to 2 weeks to process the application. Your work permit will be valid for the same time period as your registration at the University. You will therefore need to request a new work permit if you renew your registration at the University.
Mandatory basic healthcare Insurance
From the moment you start to work in the Netherlands, you must have Dutch basic healthcare insurance, even if you are an 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 basic healthcare insurance may be more expensive than the income you receive from your job. In this case you would merely be working to pay your basic healthcare insurance.
Due to the added cost of having to take out basic healthcare insurance, it may be more worthwhile for students who need 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 basic 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 basic healthcare insurance.
Types of health insurance
Private
insurance
If you are younger than 30, or if you are older than 30 but staying in
the Netherlands for less than a year, and you are not employed, private
healthcare agreements for international students will suffice for you. If not,
you must choose a basic healthcare insurance at the start of your studies in
order not to be fined.
Several private insurance companies such as Aon Consulting (see link below) offer similar products covering medical expenses, accidents, luggage, general liability and legal assistance in the event of physical injury.
Basisverzekering
The Dutch basisverzekering, or basic healthcare insurance, is
compulsory for Dutch citizens. International students aged 30 and older who are
planning to stay in the Netherlands for one year or longer are obliged under
Dutch law to take out this basic healthcare insurance. Furthermore, from
the moment you start a (part-time) job, you will have to take out basic
healthcare insurance, even if you are an EU citizen and are covered by an EU
health insurance card.
Dutch basic healthcare insurance is more expensive than private insurance, costing around € 1,100 a year. This might be more expensive than your current insurance. Keep this in mind if you want to seek employment in the Netherlands in addition to studying. The cost of basic healthcare insurance may make working less worthwhile as you would merely be working to pay your insurance.
Burgerservicenummer
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 have to register at the City Hall and you will automatically receive a BSN there.
How to find a job?
There are several employment and recruitment agencies which work with international students, including the ones listed below.
- http://www.adamsrecruitment.com/
- http://www.content.nl/2497/multilinguals.html
- http://www.englishlanguagejobs.com/
- http://www.dutchisnotrequired.nl/web/nl/services/en/pages/index.html
Work at the University restaurants
Many EU/EEA students work part-time at the restaurants and canteens of the University of Amsterdam. The University restaurants are always looking for new, motivated personnel, especially for work in the kitchens or for dishwashing. If you are looking for work, you can phone Sorbon at 020 525 2699 or send an email to pz@sorbon.nl.