How to find a job in the Netherlands as a refugee

Yes, but not straight away, and not everyone. The rules changed on 12 June 2026, when the EU’s new asylum rules took effect, so what applies depends on when you applied.

• You applied before 12 June 2026: you may work once your application has been under consideration for at least 6 months. The employer must get a work permit (TWV) for you from UWV. There is no longer a limit on the number of weeks you may work per year; the old 24-week rule no longer applies.
• You applied on or after 12 June 2026: the IND decides whether you may work and tells you 3 months after your application. Applicants with a better chance of a residence permit are usually allowed to work. Applicants from a safe country of origin, and people seen as a threat to public order or national security, may not be. The employer still needs a TWV from UWV.

These rules are decided by the IND and UWV, not by this page. Ask your COA location or the Dutch Council for Refugees which rules apply to your case before you accept a job, and do not start work until the employer has the TWV.

Once you have an asylum residence permit, you may work and your employer does not need a work permit. Permit-wise, that makes you as easy to hire as a Dutch citizen, and it is worth saying so on your CV: “Residence permit, free to work”. If you apply to renew your permit, you may keep working while you wait for the decision.

New asylum residence permits are now valid for 3 years, and since 12 June 2026 you can no longer apply for a permanent asylum residence permit. Check ind.nl for what that means for your own situation. For your career, the practical lesson is to build Dutch work experience and Dutch references early: they matter whatever comes next.

Under the Civic Integration Act 2021, in force since 1 January 2022, your municipality runs your integration. It starts with a broad intake, and then the municipality makes a personal integration and participation plan (PIP) with you. You have 3 years to complete it, and for asylum status holders the municipality pays for the course and the first 2 attempts of each exam.

• The B1 route: you learn Dutch to B1 within 3 years while taking part in society through paid or voluntary work. This is the route most connected to employment.
• The education route: for young people preparing for Dutch education.
• The Z-route (self-reliance route): Dutch at A1 for people who cannot do the other routes.
• Alongside the route: the Labour Market and Participation module (MAP) and the participation statement (PVT), which cover work and Dutch society.

Use the plan. Arrive at the intake with a concrete job goal, ask for work placements or volunteering in your field as part of the plan, and treat the MAP as job preparation rather than a box to tick. A plan built around a real employer moves faster than one built around lessons alone.

People covered by the Temporary Protection Directive may work in the Netherlands without a work permit. Your employer does not need to apply for one, but must notify UWV that it employs you.

If you held temporary protection before 5 August 2026, it continues until 4 March 2028, with the same right to live and work here. From 5 August 2026, new applicants who are subject to military conscription must show they have fulfilled their military obligations or are exempt. The government is investigating how people from Ukraine can move to a regular residence permit after the directive ends; check ind.nl, because these rules have changed several times.

Because your status is temporary, prioritise work that builds skills and references you can use wherever you end up living.

For most jobs, ask IDW for a credential evaluation: it states which Dutch level your diploma compares to. It costs €148.83, and processing currently takes about 6 working weeks for the first check and about 10 working weeks for the evaluation. If you had to flee without your papers, IDW will assess whether it can evaluate your education based on the documents you do have.

If your profession is regulated in the Netherlands, such as nurse, teacher or (para)medic, contact the competent authority before applying to IDW. Our qualification recognition guide explains how recognition works across countries.

If you want to study or retrain at your own level, UAF, the foundation for refugee students, supports refugee students and professionals at MBO 3–4, HBO and university level. You need at least 10 years of schooling from your home country and Dutch at B1, or a B1 course under way.

For many jobs, a lot: care, education, public services and customer-facing work all run in Dutch. The B1 route aims for B1, and the State Exam NT2 programme II at B2 is the level for Dutch-speaking workplaces and higher education. Put your level on your CV precisely: “Dutch B1 (inburgering, exams passed 2026)” tells an employer far more than “basic Dutch”.

Some sectors, including technical work and international companies, do hire in English. Our English-speaking jobs guide covers where to look while your Dutch grows.

Use the standard Dutch format — our Dutch CV guide covers length, photo and profile — and then solve the problems specific to your situation.

• Experience from home: translate job titles to the nearest Dutch or English equivalent, then add one line on the employer: sector, size and what it did. A recruiter in Utrecht does not know a ministry in Kabul or a hospital in Aleppo. Keep bullets to results.
• Gaps from flight: write one factual line and move on. “2021–2023: Relocated to the Netherlands; Dutch course, B1 route” is enough. How much of your story you share is your choice. Our career gap guide has more wording.
• Missing certificates: list the qualification with institution and year, and add the IDW evaluation once you have it. Never inflate a qualification you cannot document.
• Dutch experience: put volunteer work and work placements in the experience section with concrete tasks. A reference from a Dutch manager is evidence a recruiter can check with one phone call.

The Dutch Council for Refugees (VluchtelingenWerk Nederland) supports asylum seekers at every stage of the procedure, and after that its social workers help refugees settle and integrate, including with employment coaching and language coaches. In 2025 it supported 44,950 refugees with integration. Its RefugeeHelp website gives information matched to your situation, including for Ukrainians.

UAF helps refugee students and professionals with study, language, job placement guidance and professional development, with the aim of finding work at your own level. And your municipality is your first contact for integration: ask it who handles work and placements in your plan.