Acumen International stands with Ukraine and the country's people. Join us

Employ Candidates Compliantly in Netherlands

Get Express Quote
  1. Overview: Netherlands
  2. Global PEO and payroll
  3. Global HR Compliance
  4. Work permit for hiring expats via PEO
  5. Expand without a company set up
  6. Contractor vs. employee: which is better?
  7. Global Payroll Calculator
Other counrtries

Immigration support for hiring expats in the Netherlands via PEO

Global expansion is often linked with foreign hiring. This may require knowing the labor code of a foreign country, in-country incorporation peculiarities or immigration procedure in case of expats hiring.
If you are already hiring or planning to onboard expatriates for your international projects in the Netherlands, there is a range of things that you need to consider:

  • HR compliance
  • How to get a work permit or visa so that foreigners are eligible to work in the Netherlands
  • Timelines to get a permit or visa
  • How to payroll expats after the permits have been received
  • Whether it makes sense to open and keep your own business entity to employ expats directly

A global PEO or Employer of Record solution with immigration support might be a viable alternative to direct hiring of expats on your own company in the Netherlands. This solution gives companies freedom from the need to keep the entity in the country while employing expats in full compliance with Dutch labor legislation. Immigration support is part of a PEO service that precedes the employment. As a PEO service provider, Acumen International can sponsor a work permit and then employ an expat in the Netherlands on the client’s behalf.

Note: having one provider that sponsors a work permit or visa on your behalf and then employs expats in the Netherlands, minimizes risks of visa rejection and takes the hassle associated with immigration procedure off your head.

Attention: we are not an immigration service! We do not provide a work permit and immigration support as a standalone solution to individuals willing to work overseas.

Our ‘work permit and hiring expats through a Global PEO’ solution is designed for employer companies that want to transfer selected expats to the Netherlands or individuals whose employers are ready to finance their immigration and foreign employment in the country. The service is mainly used by companies hiring highly skilled personnel and willing to retain them by offering employee status and providing employee benefits.

Unlike other global Professional Employer Organizations, Acumen International can provide extra benefits in addition to work permit and employment of expats in the Netherlands. This includes medical insurance, housing, office rent, mobile phone and car provision to meet-and-greet, dependents relocation, etc.

Focus on your primary business goals and let us take care of the work permit and immigration in the Netherlands for you. Use our all-in-one solution:

  1. For long-term assignments in the Netherlands, allowing to payroll and manage expats with full legal compliance without a legal entity
  2. As an interim solution before incorporating in the country

Solution for global mobility of expats in the Netherlands

Acumen International will guide you through a grueling immigration procedure and will help you immediately onboard and payroll expats after they have received a work permit or visa. Use our global mobility and PEO solution to staff any international assignments in the Netherlands without the pitfalls and financial risks associated with hiring expatriate personnel there.

With our expertise in expats immigration and employment, we offer a comprehensive solution to ensure that your international employees get their work permits within the standard duration of the immigration service in the Netherlands. Learn more about the timelines requirements for getting a work permit in the Netherlands below.

Estimated time for work permit issuance

Typically, the procedure of work permit issuance in the Netherlands takes from 1 to 4 months until entry to the Netherlands, and a further 1 day before the entire process is completed.


Major steps to get a work permit in Netherlands

  1. Highly Skilled Migrant Entry Residence Permit and MVV Application (TEV)
  2. MVV Entry Visa Collection
  3. Entry to the Netherlands
  4. IND Registration, Residence Permit Collection & BSN Number Issuance

Documents for work permit in Netherlands, main applicant

Name Notes Copies
Residence Permit Application Form Including a signed copy of Antecedents Declaration. Scanned copy will suffice. No need to secure a government issued declaration. One clear copy
Clear Copy of Passport Pages Clear scanned copies of the passport information page (passport should be valid for three months beyond intended date of departure and issued within the last ten years); as well as all endorsed passport pages. One clear copy
Declaration of Criminal History “Antecedents Certificate” Confirmation that there is no previous criminal conviction, signed by any applicants over 12 years old. One clear copy
MVV Visa Application Form One original
Valid Passport One original
Biometric Photograph A biometric photograph will be taken at the appointment – there is no need to bring a separate photograph. One original
Travel Insurance for Netherlands Travel insurance for the first 90 days, covering medical assistance during the stay for a minimum coverage of EUR 30.000. One clear copy
Legalized birth certificate Must state full parentage. Must have been issued and legalized/Apostilled for use in the Netherlands within the 6 months immediately prior to the application and must be translated into Dutch, English, French or German (if not issued in a multilingual format). One legalized original; one translated copy
Proof of Address in the Netherlands Lease contract for residence/ property ownership document, or address registration/consent form. Should be signed by all parties. A copy is usually acceptable but the original may be requested at the discretion of the town hall. One clear copy

If you need to have your expat personnel legally work for you in Netherlands without having to set up your own business entity for that, trust us to assist you with work permit and immigration support, and then employ your expats locally on your behalf.

Contact our team to let us take up your foreign employees’ immigration matters and relieve you of the responsibility of getting work permit by working with our local partners to organize and obtain all the necessary permits, as well as provide you with a detailed update on the progress of the process.

Contact us for more details about how you can get a work permit for your expatriate staff and employ them through Acumen International in Netherlands.

Ready to Get Started?
Get Express Quote