ACCESS NL > Dual careers in the Netherlands

Dual careers in the Netherlands

Want to work in the Netherlands? Perhaps start a business, find a full-time job or continue your education? For the partners accompanying someone on an assignment to the Netherlands there are many opportunities. The days of the ‘accompanying partner’ or ‘trailing spouse’ are increasingly behind us and dual careers are becoming the norm.

At ACCESS, we know this. Our team of volunteers looking to establish a network, learn/gain skills, build community are a testament to the many ‘spouses’ seeking to become STARS — Successfully Travelled and Relocated Spouses. While some will make the choice to take advantage of the situation – and take a break from their careers to focus on family, or return to their studies, for others some planning, preparation and knowledge about the local market will help.

There are many opportunities for dual career candidates in the Netherlands, and our FAQs focus on a few areas:

Starting a business: the pre-requisites, including applying for a self-employed residence permit (or start-up visa) if that is your case, as well as general considerations for entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. Includes information about and steps to consider when setting up or moving your own business from another country; types of Dutch legal forms (plus taxes associated with each) and information about sources of financial support and consultancy services provided for Dutch entrepreneurs.

Volunteering: overview of opportunities and kinds of work available in the volunteering sphere; as well as considerations such as whether you need certain residence status for doing such work or if you need to pay any taxes in such case.

Working:  includes numerous possibilities and opportunities that you have when searching for a job or internship. We provide information on international vacancies, creation of your CV and where to seek professional advice about the labour market. What you might also find interesting is Dutch employment contracts and your legal rights and obligations arising from them (e.g. rules for dismissal, vacations entitlement, special leave and more). Equally important are the questions and answers to matters relating to  pension plans and entitlements.. We also cover the rules and regulations for unemployed individuals such as types of benefits and eligibility for them. Finally, becoming familiar with Dutch business culture and norms is also valuable. Some answers to these are also found here.

While looking for work our advice would be to become involved in the community. Not only will this extend and expand your local network, it will also provide you with something else to do beyond the ‘house, spouse, kids’ continuum. Make the most of it.