Finding Your Perfect Part Time Job in The Netherlands: Tips For Students

A guide for international students: Tips, advice and strategies for finding flexible part time work in The Netherlands.

If you are studying in The Netherlands, you already know it is a vibrant place to be. But managing those living costs can be a real challenge. As living costs rise, most international students pay over €1000 a month just for the cost of accommodation, food, transport and other expenses. Getting a part time job is a smart move because it helps you supplement your income, reduce financial stress, gain professional experience, and expand your social circle. As a recent graduate, this is my guide for all international students trying to find a part time job in The Netherlands.

While some local advice might tell you to only ask around, finding a job requires a mix of knowing where to look and who to ask both online and in person. The most common part time jobs for students are in the horeca (hospitality) and retail industries, sometimes the position requires fluency in Dutch!

1. Before You Start: The Must-Knows

Before you start searching for your part time job in The Netherlands, you need to make sure you’re entitled to work. If you don’t make sure you follow the administrative process correctly, you can put yourself at risk of an expensive fine or potentially worse. 

Your Right to Work: EU vs. Non-EU

Your right to work depends completely on if you’re an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, or if you’re from outside of the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

If you come from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you have it easy. You are free to work and there are no restrictions on your hours, and you do not need a work permit.

However, if you are from a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, the rules are different and you need to make sure you have the appropriate work permit to work alongside your studies:

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss students need a work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) to be able to work a part time job. There is a limit on the amount of hours you can work, too. You can work for a maximum of 16 hours a week during the academic year. This rule is in place because Dutch universities expect you to prioritize your studies. Alternatively, you may work a full-time 40 hour week during the summer months, specifically June, July, and August.

Your employer must apply for the work permit on your behalf through the ‘UWV’ (Employee Insurance Agency). You should tell potential employers that the process for the 16-hour permit is not difficult, and there are no charges for them to do it. The permit typically takes about three weeks to be issued. 

This article also explains the laws surrounding different types of visas and employment.

Essential Practicalities: BSN, Insurance, and Tax

All students, regardless of nationality, need to make sure that they are registered and have a burgerservicenummer or BSN, correct insurance and they’re paying the correct taxes. Here’s a quick breakdown of the things every student needs to have to be able to work part time;

• Your burgerservicenummer (BSN): Also known as registration. Every person who is resident in The Netherlands should be registered at the place that they live, and the official ruling is that you should register within 5 days of your arrival at your local gemeente.

The reality is that very few people are able to register within these 5 days due to the delays and waiting times for appointments. If you’re planning to study on Erasmus or another short term exchange program of up to 4 months, you should register via the Register for non-residents or RNI (information here). If you’re unable to register, it means you’re unable to work, apply for health insurance and most importantly, it means you’re illegally resident in The Netherlands.

• Health Insurance: You must have a valid Dutch basic health insurance plan. Many students take out insurance through companies that provide medical insurance plans for students, however this plan isn’t valid insurance if you wish to work.

You can apply for Zorgtoeslag or healthcare benefit. You can apply for this even if you’re a student. Independer and Zorgwijzer are two websites that help to compare health insurance policies and prices. If you don’t have Dutch basic insurance and you work, you will receive a fine. The cost of the fine depends on how long you worked without the correct health insurance, and can be as much as several thousand euros. 

• Tax Documents: Every year, usually in January or February, your employer will give you a document called a jaaropgaaf (annual statement). This is a very important document that you need to keep because you will use it if you want to request services provided by the Tax Authority, including processing your tax return.

It’s important that you also keep copies of your payslips for tax purposes, and if you apply for zorgtoeslag or huurtoeslag that you correctly document your income. If you haven’t paid enough tax, you’ll have to pay this tax back.

• Student Finance for EU/EEA/Swiss/British Students: Students from the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK are entitled to student finance whilst they’re enrolled at university. You must earn a minimum of 50% of the social security norm, or between 24-32 hours per month. You apply for student finance via DUO, and more information on eligibility can be found on their website. 

2. Strategic Part Time Job Hunting: Online Portals and Networks

Once you’ve checked your eligibility to work, completed your registration and have the correct health insurance plan, the next challenge is finding a part time job. Making sure your CV is up to date and has the correct details is the first step. Then it just comes down to writing the cover letters and securing the interviews. But where do you start when it comes to looking for a job, and what types of work are offered?

Online portals are essential for finding positions in high-volume sectors like retail and hospitality, as well as temporary work that offers flexibility. This is some of the advice I have for finding a job, especially if you’re still not confident or comfortable with speaking in Dutch yet.

• Indeed and LinkedIn are two valuable platforms for part time job seekers.

I have found nearly all of my part time student jobs through Indeed, and it is one of the most widely used recruitment advertising platforms. If you’re unsure about how real a job is, don’t be afraid to google the company and check their website for any openings.

Indeed is great for finding retail and horeca work, as well as a platform that many temp and employment agencies use to advertise openings. LinkedIn is also widely used in The Netherlands as a recruitment platform, and internships and student jobs are often posted on the platform too. It’s a great place to build a network and to start looking for a part time job in The Netherlands, especially as many can lead to future full time employment.

• Temp Agencies (Uitzendbureaus): 

Agencies like Tempo-Team, Picnic, Adecco and Randstad all some of the top recruitment agencies in The Netherlands. There are other ones that are more industry specific, however for horeca, delivery and warehouse work these are some of your best options.

The jobs themselves may have more anti-social shift patterns, however these can often suit students if they need a job that works around their class times. These agencies usually are pretty quick with their hiring process as well. If you need a job quickly, these agencies have lots of openings they also need to be filled quickly, making them ideal for students looking for a no-frills attached part time job in The Netherlands.

• If you’ve worked for an international company previously, check if they’re hiring:

In all honesty, this is how I got my job. I had 2 years experience with an international company in my home country, and checked their Dutch website for open vacancies. Whilst my local store wasn’t hiring, another store within a reasonable travel distance was looking for staff and I was invited to be interviewed. I was able to talk about my experience, my training and then I was offered my first part time job in The Netherlands.

International companies like Primark, Decathlon, IKEA, McDonalds and JD Sports (to name a few) are more likely to hire you if you’ve previously worked and been trained by them. If you currently work for an international company and are planning to move to The Netherlands to study, you can also ask if it’s a possibility to be transferred!

• Don’t be afraid to ask around:

Don’t be afraid to ask your classmates, new friends, housemates and pretty much anyone you meet about job opportunities. They may know of openings not advertised online, or be able to recommend you to their own networks and connections. You’re also more likely to find openings that don’t require Dutch, or are used to some of the flexibility that working students need.

It also gives you the opportunity to ask about the type of work, the atmosphere, pay and other information about the position that an advert may not include! Jobs that hire international students and employees are also more likely to hire other international students and employees, so keep that in mind too. 

• Go Local:

Not all vacancies are published and advertised online. A lot of smaller, local cafes (and even some smaller chains!) will place signs in their windows advertising that they’re looking for staff. They may have information on the signs regarding who to contact, or alternatively you can just go in and ask the staff inside the store. If there’s a local café or shop where you find you’ve become a regular, you can also ask there if they have any openings coming up.

Another good place to ask is within the local expat shops or bars and pubs, as they’re more likely to know of non-Dutch speaking vacancies or have connections, networks or resources that may be able to help. Finding a part time job in The Netherlands can sometimes be challenging, and a recommendation never does any harm either.

• Check company websites:

Not every company uses Indeed to advertise, and some use their own hiring portals and platforms that you can only access via their websites. A google search of the company name + “vacancy” or the Dutch translation, “vakantie” should bring up any currently open vacancies you can apply too. Some international companies prefer to hire this way, rather than through portals like Indeed.

It also means you may be more likely to get noticed if you apply directly to the company rather than through a third party. Larger local companies like PostNL and Albert Heijn usually advertise on their websites, rather than via third party recruitment websites.

• Student ambassador and on-campus roles:

Some universities also hire students for student ambassador roles, however they can be in high demand and not all are paid. With on-campus roles, there usually will be updates in the form of emails or a university jobs board either online or in-person.

You can also check the websites, as mentioned above. These jobs can vary between retail and horeca work, but their hours are usually very well suited to students due to their location and as they rely largely on the student body as their workforce. 

• Contact your local embassy or gemeente:

Most gemeente’s work alongside employment agencies to help people find jobs as well, and have lists with available positions that may not be easy to find online. You can also contact your embassy, as often they work with similar organisations to help with job searching.

You can go into your local gemeente in person, or contact them through their website. For queries with your embassy, your best bet is to check their FAQ pages and see if they list any job hunting resources. If they don’t, or if you’re still unsure, you can usually contact them via an email address or contact page. 

• Freelance work or starting your own business:

Finding freelance work as a student without an established portfolio can be one of the most challenging options. If you have a portfolio, it is possible to find work, however you’ll be competing against those who have completed their degrees and have more time that they can commit to projects.

For those who decide to try freelance work, or starting their own business, the most important thing is making sure you’re correctly registered and paying the correct tax to the Dutch government, as you can risk being fined. 

• The time of year also impacts your chances of success:

You’ll also be more likely to have success with finding a job at different times of the year, so use this to your advantage and part of your strategy. Most companies start looking for employees to help with the end-of-year rush from mid-late September, and similarly they start looking for employees for summer anywhere from the end of April to mid-late May.

Be aware that when looking for a job over summer, there’s higher competition for lower paid retail and horeca jobs. This is because anyone aged 16 and over can work, so the older high school students also will be competing against you for the same jobs. 

3. red flags and who to contact.

The best part time jobs for you are those that are flexible and convenient. Most jobs that hire students are aware that they need to have a degree of flexibility. For part time workers, 0 hour contracts are still popular in The Netherlands.

Whilst these are great as they mean you don’t have a set amount of hours you have to work, and if you need to take a week off or cut your hours down it doesn’t create contractual problems, they can also cause problems too if you’re not being given enough hours. These are some of the other red flags to watch out for; 

• Legal working limits:

If you are a non-EU student, be careful if an employer insists you work more than your legal limit. Working over your limit puts your student visa status at risk. Any employer who requires you to work more than you are legally allowed to work is not operating within the law and this is a big red flag.

• Working hours that clash with classes:

Most employers will ask you for your class schedule so they don’t schedule you in during a class clash. It’s up to you as the employee to make sure you inform your employer of any schedule changes or time off you need for exams. If you inform your employer and they still schedule you and expect you to be there for your shift (or find a shift swap or cover), this is another red flag. No employer should expect or ask you to work days when you’re unavailable. 

• Working shifts without proper rest periods:

By law, employers are meant to ensure that each employee gets proper rest periods between their shifts. This doesn’t include your break time on the job, but the time between when you clock out and when you clock in again. What this means is if you have a shift that finishes at 11pm, you can’t be rostered in to start at 5am. 

• Unclear contracts and pay structure:

Your pay and type of contract should be made clear to you before you sign your contract. You also should be given your own copy of your employment contract, either digitally or physically. Other documents like payslips should only be accessible to you or your employer if you need to dispute them.

Make sure to keep a record of your hours worked, and if there are any missing hours or queries about your payslip make sure to contact your manager and the HR department as soon as possible. It’s important to remember that company policy and signed contracts also don’t take precedence over Dutch law, so if a company breaks employment laws it does not matter that you signed a contractual agreement with them. 

• You can be fired for any reason during your probation period:

Your contract should outline how long your probation period is. For some companies, probation is as little as 4 weeks, for others it can be 6 months. During your probation period, it is legal for your employer to let you go for nearly any reason they want too.

Sadly, this can mean if they just don’t think you’re the right vibe, you can be let go. There are some employers that abuse this clause, and there are protected characteristics that an employer can’t dismiss you for during your probation period. Otherwise, unfortunately a firing during your probation is final. 

• Temp workers have different rights to other workers:

If you choose to sign up for temp work, be aware that you won’t be entitled to the same employment rights as part time workers. Make sure you fully understand your rights and responsibilities before you begin temping. You must declare your taxes yourself as well if you work as a temporary worker. 

• Make sure you know your rights in case of dismissal, contract non-renewal or company closure:

If you’re a worker on a permanent contract, you have more rights in case of dismissal even if you only work part time. Employers must have a valid reason for dismissal, and you have a right to argue against dismissal. Many companies will also choose to buy out an employee contract as part of compensation for dismissal. In the case of a contract non-renewal, you are entitled to transition compensation, or severance pay as well as any owed holiday. If you’re facing a lay off due to company closure, the company still has to ‘buy out’ your contract.

If you need further advice regarding any of these issues, you can contact:

• UWV (Employee Insurance Agency):

The UWV is the administrative authority that employers must ask for permission to end a permanent contract due to economic reasons (such as reorganization or bankruptcy) or long-term incapacity to work.

• Tax Authority:

You should contact the Tax Authority if you have questions about your income tax or if you want to request several services (like a tax return) using your annual statement (jaaropgaaf)

• Legal Aid Counter (Juridisch Loket):

If you are dismissed and you think it’s an unfair dismissal or proper procedure hasn’t been followed, you should contact the Legal Aid Counter as soon as possible to protest against the dismissal.

They offer free legal advice and assistance with problems concerning employers, rental contracts, or impending eviction, providing help in various languages. 

• Netherlands Labour Authority (Inspectorate):

This is a special organization in The Netherlands that checks whether businesses are complying with the law, particularly regarding health and safety. You can report issues like not being allowed to take breaks, or not being given the correct protective equipment by phoning the Inspectorate or submitting the information online. Making a report can never be a reason for dismissal.

• Stichting FairWork:

If you have come to The Netherlands from abroad and feel you are a victim of labour exploitation (e.g., not being paid, being forced or threatened, or experiencing other serious abuse), you should contact Stichting FairWork. They provide free, anonymous support.

• Your University’s Career/Student Services:

Universities provide specialized platforms like the Radboud Career Platform and resources like the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) for business support. Student services will also be able to give advice to students who have queries about work, or who aren’t sure which services to use to report problems.

4. Mastering the Balance: Tips for Study and Success

Holding a part time job while in college shows that you are a hard worker and helps you develop crucial skills like time management, communication, and problem-solving. It can also benefit you when it comes to budgeting and managing finance. However juggling a part time job and studying can also be difficult, and you don’t want it to impact your grades.

Prioritising Academics and Setting Boundaries

Dutch universities expect students to prioritise academics.The workload differs significantly per study program. Before you start applying for a part time job, you must find out if a side job is even possible for you. For some courses, you might struggle to find a part time job that allows you to work around your classes. It’s also important to consider the volume of work and study you’re expected to do in your free time, and if working a part time job is going to give you enough time to complete this. 

You need to work out your boundaries and what type of job you want before you start looking. Determine exactly how many free work hours you will have each week, the kind of work environment, what sort of work is expected from you and how this will fit in around your studies. Make sure you choose a job that fits with your schedule. If you have lots of 9am classes, a job with hours that finish in the early hours of the morning isn’t compatible. You also need to make sure you don’t overwork yourself and begin to burn out. 

Make time for your social life. You should notify employers early about any anticipated time off for holidays, school projects, or other important events. If you have exams, make sure you notify your employer and book this time off well in advance. It’s important to have a life outside of studying and work, so don’t be afraid to book the occasional day off so you can spend time with friends, family and loved ones. 

Be honest about your schedule. Communicate that your schedule will likely change during your job interview. Don’t be surprised when you’re told that flexibility is required, as what this usually means is you’re open to swapping shifts or working an additional day every now and then; something that’s relatively normal in both the retail and horeca industries. This flexibility can also be great if you need to swap a shift with a coworker for a day you’ve forgotten to book off or want to earn some extra money by covering a shift if someone has called in sick. 

Pay negotiations aren’t a normal part of student jobs, and whilst some advice says to negotiate pay, the majority of big companies have set rates that follow minimum wage. If you have experience, you may be able to negotiate higher pay after you’ve passed your probation and completed any necessary training. You can ask for things like travel allowance, but when it comes to low paid student jobs, be aware that many employers are used to relatively high turnover and may not be as willing to discuss pay and benefits.

A part time job close to your home or university can help to prevent long commutes if you already have a packed schedule. Others are okay with slightly longer commutes, and the Dutch public transport system is usually fairly efficient. The trains also have wifi, so it’s even possible to do some university work on your way to or from work.

If you are commuting, it’s also important to factor in the cost of the commute too. Some places of work will offer compensation, a bike to work scheme or free travel, whilst others don’t have these benefits. This is also a good question to ask a potential employer about in an interview!

Final Thoughts: studying and a part time job in the netherlands

It isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t have Dutch fluency. Be strategic with where you apply to maximise your chances of success whilst not wasting time you could be studying. Depending on where you’re studying, the competition with English speaking jobs vary. Cities like Amsterdam employ more English speakers, especially in the tourism and hospitality industries whilst in Rotterdam some knowledge of Dutch is more likely to be required. 

There are two important things to prioritise. Firstly, your studies, especially as failing the year can mean a loss of financing or being kicked out of university in some more extreme cases. Secondly, yourself. Your mental health and physical health is incredibly important. Make sure you still have time for you in between working and studying.

The Netherlands is a beautiful country, and as a student it gives so many opportunities to make friends and explore the different cities, national parks and historical sites. Whilst you’re a student it is the perfect time to enjoy them. It’s very possible to work and study, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your social life either. This is also the time to make lifelong friends, connections for the future and to have fun in a new country and learn about a new culture.

I hope this guide provides some help, and please feel free to add any comments if you have any other tips or advice for further job hunting success!