When you plan to welcome an international employee or guest to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, there are various practical matters you need to consider. It may be the case, for example, that the employee or guest requires a residence or work permit before they can start their work at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
The International Office is of course happy to help when it comes to arranging these formalities. As procedures for foreign nationals are quite lengthy, the International Office would like to receive the onboarding at least three months prior to the intended start date. Read more about the immigration process and accommodation options for international staff.
1. You first have to create a position in the personnel information system whenever a new employee or guest joins your team.
2. Once the position has been created, you can register the new employee or guest using the self-service portal:
Note: Add any relevant information under the “notes” section.
3. As soon as a nationality other than Dutch is entered, the International Office will automatically become an actor in the onboarding process. Depending on the nationality, period of stay and activities of the person, the International Office will contact the new employee or guest with information regarding the immigration procedure that is applicable to the situation.
4. If necessary, the International Office will apply for the required permits. Please note that your guest or employee can only start their work activities when the respective authorities have issued the permits. The International Office will then push the onboarding task forwards for further processing. Upon completion of the process, a VUnet-ID will be sent to your guest or employee.
5. The International Office will charge a €350 processing fee for each employee/guest request.
6. International guests, employees, interns and PhD candidates can apply for housing through the international office.
As mentioned previously, the International Office determines on the basis of nationality, period of stay and the nature of the work activities whether a residence and/or work permit is required. In brief, the following conditions are applicable:
No permits are required. EU nationals, Swiss nationals and EER citizens are free to work and reside in the Netherlands.
Short stay of maximum 90 days
Guests and employees who will stay no longer than 90 days in the Netherlands do not require a residence permit. Depending on their nationality, they are either allowed to stay here on their passport or they need to apply for a short stay visa at the Dutch representation in their home country. Unfortunately, a short stay visa needs to be arranged by the foreign national; the International Office cannot assist in this matter. In many cases, a work permit is required as well but, again, exceptions may apply. The International Office will therefore judge the application and provide advice on the matter.
Long stay of more than 90 days
Generally, guests and employees with a non-EU nationality will require a Dutch residence permit. Depending on the nationality, the person may require an entry visa and residence permit or only a residence permit. Usually, the type of permit we have to apply for includes a work permit exemption. The International Office will apply for the required visa and/or residence permit. Read more about the immigration procedures for international staff.
Important: we would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to have guests or employees work without the required permits. VU Amsterdam risks significant fines upon inspection, and we may lose our status as recognised sponsor.
For more information or advice, please contact the international office via immigration@vu.nl or schedule an appointment. For more information about onboarding, please take a look at the onboarding process or contact the HR Service Desk via servicedesk.hrm@vu.nl.
Many students want to do an internship during their studies. A number of rules apply to international interns, just as they do to international employees and guests. A work permit may be required, or an internship agreement may suffice. You may also need a residence permit. What exactly applies depends, among other things, on the nationality and length of stay of the person concerned, but also whether the internship is part of a Dutch or foreign study programme.
The International Office is happy to help arrange these formalities. Because this takes the necessary time, the International Office would like to receive the onboarding task at least three months before the start. Read more about the immigration process and accommodation options for international staff.
1. You first have to create a position in the personnel information system whenever a new employee or guest joins your team.
2. Once the position has been approved, you can now register the new intern using the self- service option:
Important: Add any relevant information under the “notes” section.
3. As soon as a nationality other than Dutch is entered, the International Office will automatically become an actor in the onboarding process. Depending on the nationality, period of stay and activities of the person, the International Office will contact the new intern with information regarding the immigration procedure applicable to the situation.
4. If required, the International Office handles the application for the necessary permits. Only when these have been issued by the competent authority (s), may your intern start working at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The International Office will then push the onboarding task forwards for further processing. Upon completion of the process, a VUnet-ID will be sent to your intern.
5. The International Office will charge a €350 processing fee for each intern request.
6. International guests, employees, interns and PhD candidates can apply for housing through the international office.
Important: we would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to have international interns work without the required permits. VU Amsterdam risks significant fines upon inspection, and we may lose our status as recognised sponsor.
For more information or advice, please contact the immigration officer via immigration@vu.nl or schedule an appointment. For more information about onboarding, please take a look at the onboarding process or contact the HR Service Desk via servicedesk.hrm@vu.nl.
When you want to hire an international student assistant, there are a number of practical things to consider. For example, the student assistant may need a work permit before he or she can start working at VU Amsterdam. The International Office is happy to help arrange these formalities.
Read more information regarding the immigration process for international student assistants.
Important: It takes about 2-3 weeks to submit and review the documents after which it will take the UWV an average of 5 weeks to review the application. Because of this, the International Office would like to receive the onboarding at least three months before the start date.
1. You first have to create a position in the personnel information system whenever a new employee or guest joins your team.
2. Once the position has been approved, you can now register the new student assistant using the self- service option. Start the employment for the internal employee.
Important: Add any relevant information under the “notes” section.
3. As soon as the student assistant has a non-Dutch nationality, the International Office becomes an actor in the onboarding process.
4. If the student assistant comes from outside the European Union, a work permit (TWV) is required. The International Office will approach the student concerned with the relevant information and take care of the application.
5. The UWV strives to make a decision on the application within five weeks. Only when the work permit has been issued by the UWV may the student assistant start working. The International Office will then push the onboarding task forwards for further processing. Upon completion of the process, a VUnet-ID will be sent to your student assistant.
6. The International Office will charge a €350 processing fee for each international student assistant request.
Important: we would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to have international student assistant work without the required work permit (TWV). VU Amsterdam risks significant fines upon inspection, and we may lose our status as a recognised sponsor.
For more information or advice, please contact the immigration officer via immigration@vu.nl or schedule an appointment. For more information about the onboarding process, please contact the HR Service Desk via servicedesk.hrm@vu.nl, or consult our page on starting an employment contract for VU Employees.
International guests, employees, interns and PhD candidates can apply for housing through the international office.
On May 23 2018, the Netherlands has implemented the European Directive (EU) 2016/801. The Directive combines the Study Directive (2004/114/EC) and the Research Directive (2005/71/EG), adds several groups to them and replaces these 2 Directives. The Study Directive and Research Directive will be repealed with effect from 24 May 2018. This means that the new Research Directive is applicable for new incoming researchers and researchers already at VU in possession of a residence permit as a (guest) researcher as of May 23, 2018.
Unfortunately not all member states have already implemented the Directive. Only the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg and Portugal take part. The UK, Ireland, Denmark and Switzerland have excluded themselves.
Intra EU mobility
The rules relating to mobility within the European Union (so-called intra-EU mobility) will be simplified for students and researchers from third countries. Third-country nationals can make use of intra-EU-mobility if they demonstrate that they meet the applicable conditions. There are two types of mobility:
Part-time jobs for students
Up till now, international students with a residence permit for study purposes, were allowed to work a maximum of 10 hours a week or full time during the summer holiday (June, July, August). With the implementation of the new Directive, students are allowed to work a maximum of 16 hours a week, or full time in summer, provided they have a work permit (TWV).
Other practicalities
As said, the new Directive has not yet been implemented in all EU member states. States who do not participate, still follow the ‘old’ rules. Furthermore, it is very important that a researcher wanting to use the intra EU mobility, reports this to the International Office of VU at least one month before departure. The International Office needs to inform IND in time to ensure the outgoing researcher will encounter no difficulties with the immigration authorities in the receiving country. This notification is part of an obligatory EU registration of researchers mobility. The procedure for submitting an application at the International Office for visa / residence and work permits for international employees and guests, does not change. Applications need to be received by the International Office two months prior to the starting date.
In case of questions, please do not hesitate to contact the International Office at immigration@vu.nl.
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