Working abroad with a Dutch diploma

Do you want to use a Dutch diploma to work in a country within the EU or in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland? Look up if your profession is a regulated profession i in the country in question:

1. Open the European Commission database.
2. Under ‘Country of Qualification’, select 'Netherlands'.
3. Under 'Host Country', select the country where you want to work.
4. Under 'Profession', type the profession you want to carry out.
5. Lastly, click on 'Refine Results'.
6. Is your profession listed under ‘In the host country? In that case, it is a regulated profession in that country.
7. Instead, does it say 'This profession is not regulated in the country you want to practice' under 'In the host country'? In that case, the profession probably is not regulated in that country. If you are not sure, contact the national authority.

If you have found that your profession is regulated, take the following 3 steps:

1. Find out which organisation verifies the requirements for this profession

• Under 'In the host country', click on the name of the foreign profession.
• Under 'Page contents', click on 'Competent Authorities'.
• Here you will find which organisation verifies the requirements for this profession. This is the competent authority.

2. Find out how to meet the requirements

Contact the competent authority to ask how you can meet the profession’s requirements. As an example, one requirement may be to get a certificate of good conduct: Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag (VOG). You can also ask about the rules if you are looking for temporary work.

3. Find out if you can apply for a European Professional Card or an AC declaration

In some cases you can apply for a European Professional Card or an AC declaration. This may help you get permission to carry out your profession in those countries.

Your profession is not regulated in the country in which you want to work. In principle, this means you can start working there without needing to get permission (if a work permit is not needed). It may be useful, however, to request a diploma description.

Find out if your profession is regulated in the country in which you want to work:

• Contact the ENIC-NARIC in the country in question and ask how you can find out if your profession is regulated.
• Some countries do not have an ENIC-NARIC. In that case, contact the country’s Ministry of Education.

If the profession is regulated, the ENIC-NARIC or Ministry of Education can inform you on what to do. If the profession is not regulated, this usually means you can start working there without needing to get permission (if a work permit is not needed). It may be useful, however, to request a diploma description.

In case of any problems around the recognition of your diploma for a regulated profession in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, contact Solvit, the European Commission’s complaints office.

Solvit can help you if you think the government in one of those countries is not respecting EU law.

Nuffic is the Assistance Centre for Professional Recognition (AC) in the Netherlands. Each EU country has an assistance centre for professional recognition. As an assistance centre, our task is to give information to people who want to work in a regulated profession in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

If you have any further questions about working abroad with your Dutch diploma, please contact us.