Dutch CV format and cover letter: what employers in the Netherlands expect

One or two A4 pages. The University of Amsterdam’s career advice is ideally one page and two at the most, without half pages; Leiden University sets a maximum of two, and EURES describes the Dutch norm the same way. Academic CVs with publications are the exception.

Use reverse chronological order, newest first. EURES gives the classic Dutch order as personal details, education, work experience, then hobbies and voluntary work. That order suits graduates. Once you have several years of relevant work, put experience before education: it is what the recruiter is scanning for.

• Personal details: name, place of residence, phone, a professional email and, if you keep it up to date, LinkedIn.
• Profile: about three lines written for this job.
• Work experience, newest first, each role with context and at least one result.
• Education, with exact dates and, for recent graduates, your specialisation and thesis title.
• Skills and languages, each with a level.
• Voluntary work and interests, briefly.

Less than you might think. The University of Amsterdam says to include at minimum your name and place of residence, and that your citizen service number (BSN) and bank account are not relevant. Leave them off: they add nothing for a recruiter and are exactly what an identity thief wants.

The profile is short. TU Delft calls it optional but valued by many employers and says three lines is enough; the University of Amsterdam suggests about three sentences that are personal, concrete and specific. Leiden University’s example of what not to write is “I’m a law student and looking for a challenging job”. Name what you do, your strongest proof, and what you are aiming for.

If you need a permit, or already hold one, add a line to your details such as “Dutch residence permit, free to work” or “Eligible for the highly skilled migrant route”. It saves the recruiter a guess. Which permit fits you is a separate question.

A photo is optional. The University of Amsterdam notes that photos are common in the Netherlands but not appreciated everywhere; if you use one, choose a professional-looking picture in which you are smiling. A cropped holiday snap does more harm than no photo.

Date of birth, nationality and marital status are your choice, and nothing requires them. Age discrimination in hiring is prohibited, and it is a live issue: the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights received 175 reports and 42 requests for a ruling on age discrimination in 2025, and it flags coded wording in vacancies such as asking for “starters”. If you are over 45, leave the date of birth off, show the last 10 to 15 years in detail and summarise older roles in one line.

The Netherlands has no specific law on recruitment and selection. What it has is the NVP Sollicitatiecode, the HR profession’s code of conduct for fair recruitment, updated in September 2025, which also makes salary information in vacancies the norm. If a process feels unclear, you can ask which steps follow and when you will hear back.

A Dutch recruiter may not know your former employer or what your job title meant there. Give each role one line of context before the bullets: what the organisation does, its size and where it is. Then two to four bullets that start with a verb and end with a result.

Keep the tone factual. Dutch readers are direct and tend to distrust inflated language, so “managed a €2 million procurement budget” works better than “exceptional strategic procurement leader”. EURES’s advice for Dutch CVs is to be as specific as possible and include only the appropriate information.

If your degree is from abroad, you can ask IDW for a credential evaluation, which states the comparable Dutch level. It costs €148.83 and is usually optional, but some employers ask for it. For regulated professions such as nurse, teacher or (para)medic, check with the competent authority first. Once you have the evaluation, add it next to the degree: “MSc Civil Engineering, University of Lagos (IDW: comparable to Dutch university master’s level)”.

With levels, and honestly. TU Delft advises specifying your level for each skill, and for languages that means speaking, reading and listening. Use the CEFR scale from A1 to C2; Europass has a free self-assessment grid you can check yourself against.

Put your Dutch on the CV even if it is basic, with evidence: “Dutch B1 (State Exam NT2 programme I, 2026)” or “Dutch A2, evening course, B1 exam planned for March”. The official State Exam NT2 has programme I at B1 and programme II at B2, the level for Dutch-speaking workplaces and higher education. A line like that tells the employer you are moving towards Dutch, not away from it. Our guide to English-speaking jobs in the Netherlands covers where English is enough.

Many larger employers screen applications with an applicant tracking system. Keep one column, standard headings and the exact tool names from the posting. The ATS checklist covers the rest.

Not as attachments. EURES says references and copies of certificates need not be attached; you take them to the interview. Write “References available on request” or name them only if the posting asks.

Prepare two. TU Delft notes it is customary to give two references, preferably one from your university and one from an employer, and to tell them in advance. For experienced candidates, two managers who supervised your work directly are stronger than one academic.

The cover letter is usually called a motivation letter (motivatiebrief), and the name says what it is for. EURES describes the norm: in Dutch unless the posting says otherwise, typed on one sheet of A4, short and concise but to the point and professional. ACCESS NL, a non-profit for internationals, adds that a well-made letter is sometimes more important than impressive grades.

• Opening: the role you are applying for and your main reason, in two or three sentences. If you spoke to someone at the company, say so.
• Why you: the posting’s two or three key tasks and one piece of proof for each, drawn from your experience.
• Why them: one concrete reason for this company, such as a product, a project or a way of working, not a compliment that fits every employer.
• Close: that you would welcome a conversation, with your phone number.

Write in the language of the posting. An English posting expects an English letter, and a Dutch letter you cannot follow up in the interview sets the wrong expectation. For a full template, see the cover letter template.

Recruiters scan fast: the University of Amsterdam estimates 10 to 20 seconds for a first read, which is why the profile and your most recent role carry most of the weight. If you are invited, expect the conversation to centre on motivation. EURES notes that Dutch interviewers appreciate candidates who can name their strengths and their less strong qualities, each with an example.

Prepare one example per strength and one honest weakness with what you do about it. The STAR method examples show how to structure them in about 90 seconds each.