How many hours can I work as an international student in the Netherlands, and what is the orientation year permit?

If you hold a Dutch student residence permit, you can usually work either up to 16 hours a week during the year or full-time during June, July and August, and you must choose one option. Your employer generally needs a work permit (TWV).

Student Work Rules

Orientation Year Permit (Zoekjaar)

• Eligible graduates can apply for it to stay in the Netherlands for up to one year to look for work or start a business.
• You may qualify after completing an eligible degree at a Dutch higher education institution, and some graduates of eligible foreign universities and certain research programmes can also qualify.
• Once you land a suitable job, a different residence permit, for example the highly skilled migrant route, may be open to you if you meet its requirements.
• It is not an automatic route to permanent residence.

My Advice

Plan your part-time work around the choice between the weekly cap and the summer option. Rules can change, so confirm both the work limits and orientation year eligibility on the official Dutch immigration pages before the 2027 or 2028 intake.