Working in The Netherlands
Jobs for Students
Many international students choose to work alongside their studies.
Rotterdam is a very international city. Many multinational companies with partners around the world are situated in this city, so although not knowing the Dutch language might make your job search harder, there are still many options available in English and other foreign languages.
Taking into consideration the fact that many international students are following a full-time study, the university recommends part-time or weekend jobs.
Common student jobs:
Catering :
Work different events, dinners and festivals, very flexible, you choose which days to work and how many hours a week you want to do:
V&W Mise en Place Delivery:
Very flexible hours, weekly payments, minimum requirements, some companies will give you the bike too. Thuisbezorgd Uber eats International clothing stores:
More stable contracts/ benefits, instore discounts, get to work with a fixed team.
City tours of Rotterdam:
Flexible, get to meet new people/ speak your own language, you can be creative/ make the job more fun, all you need is to learn about the city and be outgoing. Sightseeing Rotterdam Rotterdam Tours Other websites where you can search for jobs:
Working as a non-EU student:
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a valid residence permit are allowed to work up to a maximum of 16 hours per week throughout the year, or full-time during the months June, July and August.
Your employer will need to apply for a work permit before hiring you.
Internships: Non-EU/EEA students are allowed to do internships, as long as the internship is a part of your study and relevant to what you are studying.
Freelancing:
The Dutch government has allowed non-EU/EEA students to become self-employed students. This allows you to perform side-jobs as freelancers with an unlimited amount of hours. Simply put, if you perform certain tasks, for several employers, you need to register yourself at the chamber of commerce (KVK) and have a personal VAT number.
More information on this here:
Non-EU financing:
If you need additional financial help during your studies, you can apply for a scholarship. Scholarships are provided by private institutions and not the university itself, it is common that you apply for a scholarship whilst in your home country and before you apply for your study VISA.
For scholarships, check this link:
Working as an EU student:
Students from EU countries are allowed to work in the Netherlands and do internships without restrictions.
Your employer does not need to apply for a work permit.
EU students working at least 56 hours a month or 14 hours a week may be eligible for student finance.
Student finance is available in 3 ways:
Student travel product:
This allows you to travel for free with the public transport during the week and at a discounted rate during the weekend.
Student grant:
This is a supplementary grant, it will depend on your parent's income, to apply you must show proof of your parent's incomes in the previous years, it can be up to €400 per month.
These are grants given to you by the government, if you graduate from the Netherlands within 10 years these grants will become `'gifts`' and do not need to be paid back.
Tuition loan:
This is a loan and it is meant to help you pay your tuition fees, it amounts to the total of your tuition per year and is given out monthly. This loan you must always pay back after graduation.
For more information check:
Requirements for both EU and Non-EU working students:
It is important to note that before you start working you must have the following:
- BSN Number
This will check that you are registered in the Netherlands, and will arrange your taxes, pensions and other factors you might have to pay.
** Please keep your original registration letter with the BSN number, many companies ask for the original when signing the contract.
- Worker's Insurance
Make sure you have changed your student insurance to a workers insurance before you start working.
Companies like AON let you change between student and worker's insurance without having to make new contracts.
- Dutch bank account
Direct bank transactions are usually how companies prefer to pay you, so having a bank account in the `Netherlands is the best option.