Work and Stay in the Netherlands After Graduation (2026 Rules)

Yes, you can work in the Netherlands during and after your studies. As a non-EU student you may work up to 16 hours a week (or full-time in June to August) with an employer-obtained work permit, and after graduation you can apply for the orientation year, a 1-year permit to look for work with free access to the labour market.

If you then find a qualifying job, a lower salary threshold for recent graduates makes the highly skilled migrant permit easier to reach. Here are the official IND rules valid in 2026.

Working while you study

Your student residence permit allows work only under conditions. Your residence card states that a work permit (TWV) is required for additional work.

Part-time work helps with living costs, but it will not pay non-EU tuition, and the IND still expects at least 50% of your credits each year. Budget with cost of studying in the Netherlands.

Before your first job

You need a BSN (citizen service number) to work, open a bank account or take out health insurance. You receive it when you register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) at your municipality, which you must do as soon as possible if you stay longer than 4 months. Without a BSN an employer cannot put you on the payroll, so register in your first weeks, even if you do not plan to work straight away.

The orientation year (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden)

The orientation year permit lets recent graduates stay for 1 year to look for work or start a business. During it you may work freely, do an internship, or work as self-employed, without a TWV. Your residence document states that work is freely permitted.

Who qualifies

• Graduates of an accredited Dutch bachelor's or master's, a post-master's of at least 10 months, or certain other recognised programs.
• Graduates of an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master.
• Researchers who did scientific research in the Netherlands on a research or research-based highly skilled migrant permit.
• Graduates of a master's, doctorate or post-master's at a designated top-200 foreign institution, who also need an English test (such as IELTS 6.0) or an exemption.
• The qualifying study or research must be completed within the 3 years before you apply, and you cannot have had an orientation year for the same program before.

Key facts

In some cases you may start working while the application is pending, for example with a Dutch diploma, once you have a residence endorsement sticker in your passport. Timing tip: the 3-year window means you do not have to apply the day you graduate, but each month you wait is a month less to use your reduced salary threshold.

From job-seeker to worker: permits after the orientation year

When you find a job or start a business, you switch to a work-based permit. The most common route for graduates is the highly skilled migrant permit, where the employer must pay a minimum gross monthly salary.

The reduced highly skilled migrant criterion of €3,122 applies if you apply during your orientation year, if you held an orientation year and apply within 3 years of graduation, or if you never held one but meet its requirements and apply within 3 years of graduation. The amounts change every 1 January.

How the highly skilled migrant permit works

• Your employer applies, online or by post, and must be an IND recognised sponsor. You can check employers in the IND public register.
• The salary must meet the criterion for your situation and be in line with the market rate.
• The permit is valid for as long as your contract, up to 5 years.
• The IND must decide within 90 days, though shorter periods can apply.
• The fee is €423.
• If you lose your job, you have up to 3 months to find a new one before the IND may revoke the permit.

Start-up and self-employment

If you want to build an innovative company, the start-up permit lasts at most 1 year and requires a signed contract with an experienced facilitator, plus proof that you can support yourself. The fee is €423. After that you can apply for a self-employed permit if you meet its requirements.

Staying to study further

Many graduates of a Dutch bachelor's continue to a Dutch master's. The IND allows you to change institution as long as the new one is also a recognised sponsor. A study permit is issued for at most 5 years and covers any preparatory year, such as a pre-master, so plan bridging years carefully and ask your new university how it handles your permit.

For a PhD, Dutch universities usually recruit through vacancies. TU Eindhoven, for example, describes PhD places as paid 4-year positions and its EngD as a 2-year paid design program, and Wageningen admits PhD candidates via vacancies or self-funded proposals with a WUR promotor.

The road to permanent residence

According to the IND, a permanent residence permit requires at least 5 consecutive years on a valid Dutch residence permit with your main residence in the Netherlands, a current permit for a non-temporary purpose, the civic integration exam at least at level A2 (or an exemption), and meeting the income requirements.

Both the student permit and the orientation year are temporary residence permits (type I). The IND page does not say how student years count towards the 5 years, so check the IND's explanation of temporary and non-temporary purposes before you rely on them, and start learning Dutch early.

Timeline: from final year to a work permit

1. 1

   Final year: build experience

   Use your program's internship (no TWV needed) and any part-time work within the 16-hour limit.

2. 2

   Before graduation: prepare your documents

   Collect your diploma statement and transcripts. Foreign degree holders need a Nuffic evaluation for the orientation year.

3. 3

   After graduation: apply for the orientation year

   Apply within 3 years of completing your program. If you are in the Netherlands with the required permit and registration you may apply online; from abroad you need an MVV.

4. 4

   During the orientation year: job search

   Work freely in any job while you look for a position that meets the €3,122 reduced salary criterion (2026).

5. 5

   Job offer: switch permit

   Your employer, as a recognised sponsor, applies for your highly skilled migrant permit, or you apply for a start-up or self-employed permit.

Practical tips to land a job

• Use internships in your program; they need no TWV and are a common way into Dutch employers.
• Check that employers you target can hire highly skilled migrants; the IND keeps a public register of recognised sponsors for work.
• Learn basic Dutch during your studies; many jobs outside international companies use it.
• Ask the IND or your university's international office about timing your orientation year application around the end of your student permit.
• Keep your diploma and transcripts ready; foreign degrees need a Nuffic evaluation for the orientation year.

For the full journey, start with the complete Netherlands study guide and the Netherlands student visa guide, weigh the pros and cons, and track deadlines for free on FindUniPath.