Are you a student in Leiden? Discover how to build your career in the Netherlands
Leiden is a great city for students. The university city has a lively character with different student associations, many university buildings and student accommodation throughout the city. Many international students choose Leiden as their new home, and we like to support them.
As Leiden International Centre we can give you information on working in the Netherlands during and after your studies. We do so through this website, but also our newsletter and our helpdesk. If you have questions about other topics, such as housing, study visa, or students' social networks, please contact your higher education institution!
Higher Education Institutions
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Leiden University
Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading international research universities. It has seven faculties in the arts, sciences and social sciences, spread over locations in Leiden and The Hague.
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Webster Leiden Campus
Webster Leiden offers English-taught Bachelors, Masters and certificate programs. Students come from over 60+ nationalities around the world.
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Hogeschool Leiden
The Leiden University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool) offers Bachelor´s and Master´s programmes, minors and courses for post-graduates. The University provides healthcare, social work, economics, technology, and education courses.
Your career in the Netherlands - When planning to continue your career in the Netherlands, the first steps are set already during your studies.
A good start is to get familiar with the Dutch job market. Nuffic is the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. They often produce useful reports on international students and graduates, also in relation to the job market. To learn more about the Dutch job market you can also have a look at what is the current offer for internationals on various job boards, and read our tips for job seekers!
If you are a Non-EU student, you might want to start learning about thezoekjaar permit, which allows you to stay in the Netherlands for a year after your graduation.
Finally, many Dutch residents start working when they are 16, and keep working side jobs (bijbaantje in Dutch) during their university years. Alongside internships and participation in the student life through the various student associations, this makes so that on average Dutch graduates approach the job market with already quite some experience.
As an international, you can also start working while studying – with some precautions.
EU Students
As an EU student you have the right to work in the Netherlands. This means you can work as an employee as well as a self-employed person. You will have to pay taxes in the Netherlands and carry out a Dutch healthcare insurance.
Non-EU Students
As a Non-EU student you are in the Netherlands on the basis of a Student residence permit. This permit is valid only for residence and it brings some restrictions when it comes to working
- Working (part time) as an employee: To work as an employee, your employer must give you a work permit. If this is arranged, then you can work either up to 16 hours a week, or full-time during the months of June, July, and August.
- Working as a self-employed person: While you are on your student residence permit you are allowed to work as a self-employed person without a work permit and without limitation regarding your hours. The only condition for this is to register at the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KvK), pay taxes, and carry out a Dutch healthcare insurance.
- Traineeship and internship: If a traineeship or internship is part of your study programme, then you can work without a work permit. You find more information on internships on our Internship page.
The legalisation of your diploma
If you have obtained a diploma in the Netherlands and are planning to work or study abroad, you often have to legalise your Dutch education certificates. This includes diplomas and a list of grades. If you have to legalise your diploma you have to apply to DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Oderwijs) and finalise the legalisation at your local district court.
To find out more about the procedure visit the DUO website
Student Wellbeing
Being a student, and an international student in particular, comes with a lot of challenges. Taking care of your wellbeing is important to navigate these formative years. This is why the Municipality of Leiden along with its partners have built a platform to assess your wellbeing and give you resources to overcome the problems that might be affecting you. Visit Young In Leiden to access the self-test and find help.
Go to Young In Leiden
