Companies in the Netherlands Hiring Foreigners

Employers highly regard the Netherlands for its highly productive and talented workforce. However, there is a significant demand for foreigners due to the open economy in the Netherlands. While still in their home countries, foreign nationals can easily find enterprises in the Netherlands that employ them, but getting hired by these businesses is a different story. Finding employers who hire you with a relocation package is a different story.

The businesses discussed in this article are well-known Dutch businesses with a long operation history. They work in various sectors, including agriculture, retail, and logistics. Gaining employment with these businesses has many benefits, including rising competency levels and increasing compensation above the norm. Some of the positions these companies advertise don't require prior work experience. So, there is something for everyone here.

List of Companies Hiring Foreigners in the Netherlands

Here are 11 of the most prominent Dutch employers of internationals in the Netherlands so you can find the perfect job for you.

Booking.com

Booking.com has assisted travelers in finding, comparing, and booking lodging in 228 different countries and territories despite having its headquarters in Amsterdam. The website's seamless operation depends on an international customer service team and IT experts at the Amsterdam office. The website connects travelers with lodging options, airlines, and car rental companies if they haven't used them. The company must be doing very well because it has grown from a one-man startup to a global website with 43 languages. 180 positions are currently available in the Netherlands, many of which demand multilingualism.

ASML

ASML develops and produces lithography equipment used in the production of computer chips. ASML is a leading supplier of machinery used to create semiconductor chips and is headquartered in Veldhoven, a city near Eindhoven's technical hub. In Veldhoven and Delft, further north, the firm employs a staggering 13,000 employees from 102 different nations. Due to the significant number of international personnel working for ASML, the firm also offers relocation aid, which includes temporary accommodation, furniture moving services, and a relocation budget to fund the move. The design and engineering industries account for most of ASML's 211 available positions in the Netherlands.

TomTom

One of the market's early adopters of satellite navigation was the Dutch multinational TomTom in 2004. Since then, the business has grown to offer mapping and real-time traffic data for autonomous vehicles. TomTom has 37 positions available right now in Amsterdam and Eindhoven. As a result of the company's urgent demand for programmers, TomTom routinely hires interns from outside the company who have recently graduated from college.

Gemalto

With its headquarters in Amsterdam, Gemalto is the largest SIM card producer in the world and a pioneer in other smart card technologies, such as contactless bank cards, e-passports, and near-field communications. Using your OV Chipkaart to board a train in the Netherlands constitutes using Gemalto technology. Although Gemalto is not actively recruiting in the Netherlands, it frequently employs grads, interns, and tech professionals of all shades.

Liberty Global

Liberty Global is a multinational telecommunications company with operations in six different countries. It holds a small stake in Vodafone, Ziggo, a mobile and broadband provider with four million customers in the Netherlands. At the company in and around Amsterdam, more than 50 positions, ranging from network engineers to business analysts, are currently open. The company is constantly looking for new talent. In addition, Liberty Global was ranked seventh on a 2017 LinkedIn survey of the top employers in the UK.

Unilever

Unilever, which owns over 400 brands of food, drink, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and personal care items, is a global powerhouse and the ninth most valuable European company. Additionally, it has its headquarters in Rotterdam and hires several hundred new employees each month, some of which are based in the Netherlands. The organization is now recruiting in Rotterdam for marketing, human resources, and research & development positions.

Shell

Royal Dutch Shell is the sole owner of Shell, one of the largest oil companies in the world and a cornerstone of Houston, the US oil capital. Even in this age and environmental sensitivity, the company has continued to hire across the globe and is currently advertising 40 jobs in the Netherlands, many of which are located in The Hague. As a result of the company's expansion into sustainable energy and biofuels, many job opportunities are available. The energy corporation regularly adds to its staff of more than 11,000 people headquartered in the Netherlands, including legal experts, geophysicists, and advisors on carbon policy.

Uber

Silicon Valley-based technology is the misery of yellow cab drivers everywhere. Around the world, Uber operates in around 800 major cities, and the Netherlands is no exception. However, the company's EMEA headquarters have been there since 2017, employing drivers and student bike couriers to deliver food in Amsterdam. Uber is now hiring 77 individuals in the Dutch capital, including sales managers, accountants, product designers, and app programmers. Many of these positions need proficient French, German, and Polish speakers, so those who speak a second language are also in luck.

AkzoNobel

The leader in paint and coatings, AkzoNobel, is another Dutch corporation with a presence on a global scale. You've used AkzoNobel products if you've ever used Dulux paint to paint your house, Sikkens to repaint your car, or Interpon to powder coat your gorgeous alloy wheels. The international firm also produces industrial chemicals, salt, and chlorination agents. For foreigners looking for work in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Sassenheim, and Ammerzoden, AkzoNobel offers many job opportunities. Like Gemalto, the company employs interns; right now, it needs researchers, data scientists, and safety professionals.

Undutchables

A multilingual job board called Undutchables has openings in executive management, client service, sales, marketing, logistics, IT, and finance. The business has employed foreign nationals in over 1700 positions since 2015—the organization posts advertisements in publications of all sizes for its open positions. The desire to increase the proportion of talented foreign workers in their workforces is something that they all share.

How to Apply for Open Positions in the Netherlands

All candidates for positions at the companies above that employ foreign nationals must submit online applications via the businesses' websites. With the exception of one or two, most of them do their hiring instead of outsourcing it to outside firms. After adequately completing application forms on the corporate website and uploading any necessary documents, it is advised that each applicant send a message to the human resource officer for the company or companies applied to confirm receipt of the application submitted. To ensure that all submitted documents were received, we urge you to call the HR officer's phone number if one is given.

The Hiring Process for Companies in the Netherlands

Each applicant who applies should hear back confirming receipt of their application for a position that has been advertised. These organizations get a lot of applications, but they can't respond to everyone. However, only those accepted for further consideration are notified via a follow-up email about the employment process's next stage. In most cases, an online interview comes next, and if all goes well, hard copies of the previously supplied documents will be required.

The written offers of employment are subsequently communicated to the chosen candidates. In the Netherlands, most companies do not assist successful applicants with applying for a single work visa, but companies like Jumbo do. The processing of successful applicants' applications by businesses in the Netherlands typically takes three to six months. Successful candidates get a response more rapidly. However, it takes time because a lot of paperwork needs to be filed before people show up to fill open positions in the organization.

Getting a Work Permit and Visa to the Netherlands

An applicant must apply to the subcategory of work visa that best matches the work they will be undertaking when they arrive in the Netherlands. There are several different types of work visas available for the country. The applicant must apply for a regular pay work visa in the Netherlands if the position does not require any prior experience.

It takes 5 weeks to complete and obtain a work permit if all required paperwork is submitted on time and is filled out accurately. An additional two weeks are needed for the approval of a work visa. Both documents should be available for pickup in seven weeks when applicants can leave for the Netherlands. Family members of the primary applicant must also obtain residency permits and visas to travel.

Final Thoughts

Dutch commercial entities ensure that the Dutch employment agency examines the vacant positions, and hiring foreign workers is subject to a rigorous process. Candidates from all over the world can apply for these positions on each company's online application portal. For the first three months, or until the employee has established a base in the new country, some Dutch companies offer relocation packages to aid new hires in adjusting more quickly by covering costs like housing, travel, and living expenses.

If a relocation package is unavailable, the principal applicant must show that they have the financial means to sustain themselves before their request for a work visa to enter the country is approved. Further supporting documentation is needed for a work permit and visa to be approved. Candidates should be aware that they may receive job offers from Dutch employers only to have their applications for work permits and visas refused. This happens when a candidate files a work visa application in the wrong category or with insufficient supporting evidence.