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Cross-border worker — live abroad and work in the Netherlands

NetherlandsWork

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

Get your free results Read the five questions ↓

What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

For people who live in one country but work in another (usually a neighbouring country): they work in the Netherlands, live in another EU/EEA state or Switzerland and hold that nationality, or hold another nationality and live there with a valid residence permit.

See recorded sources

Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

The employer only needs a work permit (TWV) for the worker if the worker lives in the other EU/EEA/Swiss state with a residence permit, or lives there as a non-EU family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen who does not work in the Netherlands; the employer applies to UWV for the TWV.

See recorded sources
  • https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/cross-border-worker
    You sometimes need a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or TWV). A TWV is a work permit for foreign employees. Your employer only needs a TWV for you in these situations: You live in the other member state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland with a residence permit. You live in the other country as a family member of a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland. You yourself have a different nationality, and your family member with an EU, EEA or Swiss nationality does not work in the Netherlands. Your employer applies to the Employee Insurance Agency (in Dutch: Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen or UWV) for the TWV.

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

The defining conditions are residence in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland (for example Belgium or Germany), going home there at least once a week, and registration in the Register of Non-Residents (RNI) for a Citizen Service Number (BSN).

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The source states no occupation, qualification or salary criterion.

What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

Cross-border workers do not need a residence permit. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals can apply for an optional, free cross-border worker residence endorsement sticker; if the employer needs a TWV, the sticker states the holder may only work with a TWV. The official source does not state whether family members may accompany the holder.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Family accompaniment is not addressed by the source.
  • https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/cross-border-worker
    Cross-border workers do not need a residence permit. Do you have the nationality of a country of the EU, EEA or Switzerland? A valid travel document (passport or identity card) is sufficient proof that you are allowed to be in the Netherlands. Do you not have the nationality of a country of the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you can apply for a cross-border worker residence endorsement sticker. This is not mandatory, but sometimes other authorities or organisations ask for proof that you are allowed to be in the Netherlands. This endorsement is a sticker that the IND places in your passport.
  • https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/cross-border-worker
    The cross-border worker residence endorsement sticker is free of charge.
  • https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/cross-border-worker
    Does your employer need a TWV for you? Then it will say on the sticker that you are only allowed to work with a TWV.

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

The cross-border worker residence endorsement sticker is valid for 1 year; if still working in the Netherlands afterwards, a new sticker can be applied for. The official source does not state a longer-term residence direction.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No longer-term residence direction is stated by the source.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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