How to apply for a work permit

What types of work permit are there?

There are 2 main types of work permits in the Netherlands:

• Work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV), issued by the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency, UWV.
• Combined residence and work permit (Gecombineerde Vergunning voor Verblijf en Arbeid, GVVA), issued by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service, IND. This is also often called the single permit.

The type of work permit needed depends, among other things, on your employee’s nationality and how long they will work in the Netherlands. Do you want to hire a foreign employee for more than 3 months and will they be living in the Netherlands? In most cases, they will need a GVVA. Find out more about arranging a single permit.

Note: ‘Employee’ means any person for whom you are applying for a work permit. This can also be an intern or freelancer.

When do you need a TWV?

You must apply for a TWV from UWV if the person you want to employ meets 1 of these conditions:

• They already live in the Netherlands and have a residence permit that does not include the right to work. For example, international students and asylum seekers.
• They will be working in the Netherlands for less than 3 months.
• They will be working in the Netherlands for more than 3 months, but will not officially live here.

Read about the conditions you and your employee need to meet on uwv.nl. This also lists the situations when a TWV is not required.

Apply for a work permit from UWV

You apply for a TWV via UWV’s employer portal. The employee cannot do this themselves. You will need eHerkenning level 3 to log in. Read more about how to arrange a work permit.

You will probably need to supply extra documents along with the application form. These will vary depending on the employee’s situation. There is detailed information about the documents you will need on uwv.nl in Dutch. Click on the category that best matches your employee’s situation.

Do you need help with your application? Contact UWV for advice.

The decision

UWV will usually make a decision within 5 weeks of receiving your application. If the work permit is granted, you will receive it via the UWV employer portal.

What if the application is rejected?

If UWV rejects your application for a work permit, the employee cannot legally work in the Netherlands. You can contact UWV for an explanation. If you still disagree, you can make a formal objection.

Change or renew a work permit

You must submit a new application for a TWV if:

• your employee is going to do work that is different from the work allowed in their current TWV
• the current TWV is about to expire and you want the employee to continue working for you

UWV will check again whether your application meets the conditions.