Netherlands guide · verified 2026-07-04
Working While Studying in Netherlands, and Staying After
Working & staying on
Non-EU students can work part-time with an employer-held permit, and the Netherlands' strongest card is the zoekjaar (orientation year), a full year of unrestricted work rights to find a graduate job after finishing, feeding into the Highly Skilled Migrant route.
Work while studying (non-EU)
Conditional16 hrs/week during term, or full-time in June, August
Requires the EMPLOYER to hold a work permit (TWV) for you, there is no separate work permit the student applies for. EU/EEA/Swiss students can work without any permit or hour cap.
Study-related internships
ConditionalGenerally exempt from the TWV requirement
If it's a required/credited part of your programme with a proper agreement in place, confirm specifics with the university's career office and the employer.
Orientation year (zoekjaar)
Optional12 months, full work rights, non-renewable
Apply within 3 years of graduating from a Dutch institution, or from a non-Dutch institution ranked top-200 by at least 2 of 3 major rankings (THE, QS, ShanghaiRanking). Fee €254 (2026).
Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) route
Optional€3,122/month reduced rate (2026) for recent graduates/zoekjaar holders
vs the standard 2026 HSM thresholds of €5,942/month (age 30+) and €4,357/month (under 30). The reduced rate applies if you apply within 3 years of graduating (or are converting from a zoekjaar permit) and have never previously held a zoekjaar permit. All figures are gross/month, revised every 1 January, reconfirm before an offer is finalised.
Work part-time within the cap, with the employer holding the permit
ConditionalLine up part-time work (bars, retail, on-campus roles, working-student positions) within the 16-hour/week term-time cap, or full-time in the summer break. The employer, not the student, must secure the TWV work permit before you start; confirm this is in place rather than assuming an offer letter is sufficient.
Apply for the orientation year right after graduating
OptionalAs soon as you have proof of graduation, apply for the zoekjaar residence permit if you plan to job-hunt in the Netherlands. It gives a full 12 months of unrestricted work rights (no employer permit needed during this period) to find qualified work or start a business. It is one-time and non-renewable, so time the application deliberately rather than treating it as available indefinitely.
When: Within 3 years of your graduation dateCost: €254 (2026)Convert to a Highly Skilled Migrant permit on a qualifying job
OptionalOnce you have a job offer meeting the relevant salary threshold (€3,122/month reduced rate for recent graduates/zoekjaar holders, vs €5,942/month standard age 30+ or €4,357/month standard under-30, all 2026 figures), your employer (as an IND-recognised sponsor) applies for the Highly Skilled Migrant permit. This is the main route toward longer-term settlement, reconfirm the current year's exact salary thresholds directly with the IND before an offer is finalised, since they are indexed annually.
Sources
- Student in the Netherlands, work rights for non-EU students, European Commission (EU Immigration Portal, citing Dutch national rules)
- Residence permit for orientation year (zoekjaar) for highly educated persons, IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service)
- Residence permit for the orientation year as a highly educated migrant seeking employment, Government of the Netherlands (Government.nl)
- Required amounts income requirements (study norm, 2026), IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full Netherlands journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on Netherlands
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.