How to get your diploma evaluated in NL

A credential evaluation (diplomawaardering) compares your foreign diploma with the Dutch education system and states which Dutch level it is comparable to. Nuffic states that it "is not legally binding" and "is therefore not proof that you are allowed to work or study in the Netherlands". The Dutch government has appointed Nuffic and SBB to carry out these evaluations, and they run a single counter for applications called IDW (Informatiecentrum Diplomawaardering). What you actually need may be an evaluation, a legal recognition decision by a professional authority, or an admission decision by an education institution, and these are three different things.

Work out which of the three decisions you need before you pay for anything. IDW states that a credential evaluation "is usually not mandatory, but an employer may ask for it", so many people never need one. If your profession is regulated, IDW tells you to contact the competent authority for that profession first rather than applying for an evaluation. If you want to study, the education institution decides on admission itself and can set extra requirements such as a language test. Your qualification also has to be eligible: it must come from an institution accredited and recognised by the government of that country, and cover more than 1,000 hours of education or training.

Evaluation, professional recognition and admission are separate processes run by different bodies, and only one of them is likely to be what you need.

• A job in a profession that is not regulated

  Your diploma is not the barrier here. Nuffic states that if your profession is not regulated, you are allowed to carry out the profession in the Netherlands, and IDW puts a credential evaluation as "usually not mandatory, but an employer may ask for it". That is separate from whether you are permitted to work at all: Nuffic directs you to check on the government website whether you need a work or residence permit. Apply for an evaluation only if an employer wants an official document. The fee IDW published as at September 2026 is €148.83, and Nuffic states you usually receive the evaluation after at least 10 working weeks from a complete application.

• A regulated profession, for example healthcare or teaching

  Recognition is decided by the competent authority for that profession, not by IDW. Nuffic states you "must request permission to work here", meaning professional recognition. For healthcare professions this is the BIG register, which states that it runs three routes: automatic recognition with direct enrolment for certain EU or Swiss diplomas, recognition of professional qualifications for other EU or Swiss diplomas, and a certificate of competence for diplomas from outside the EU and Switzerland. To teach, Government.nl directs you to apply to DUO for recognition of your qualifications, and states you must have at least completed tertiary level education. A credential evaluation does not substitute for either.

• Admission to a Dutch study programme

  The education institution decides. IDW states that a credential evaluation "does not guarantee your right to admission or exemptions. This has to be decided by the educational institution", and that institutions may set additional requirements such as a language test. NetherlandsWorldwide adds that the institution does not have to accept the outcome, because it is advice and not a decision. Institutions can obtain advice about the level of your diploma free of charge, so ask the admissions office what it needs before you pay the fee yourself.

• An evaluation, but you hold an asylum residence permit

  Nuffic offers a free credential evaluation if you have a residence permit for asylum from the IND and a letter from DUO about civic integration. Nuffic states you usually receive it after at least 6 weeks. If your diploma is lost, you are asked further questions about your study programme and may instead receive an Indicatie Onderwijsniveau, an indication of educational level.

1. 1

   Work out whether you need an evaluation at all

   A credential evaluation is a comparison of your foreign diploma with the Dutch education system, and nothing more. Nuffic states that it is not legally binding and is not proof that you are allowed to work or study in the Netherlands. For work in a profession that is not regulated, Nuffic states you are allowed to carry out the profession here, and IDW states an evaluation is usually not mandatory although an employer may ask for it. Nuffic separately tells you to check on the government website whether you need a work or residence permit, which is a different question from what your diploma is worth.

   Do this: Ask the employer, institution or authority that is assessing you whether they actually require a credential evaluation, and in what form.

   Processing time

   A short conversation, worth having before you pay anything

   Common mistake: People routinely pay for an evaluation nobody asked for. It is advice about level, so it will not by itself get you a job, a registration or a study place, and it says nothing about whether you are permitted to work here.

   Official source

   Nuffic · Working in the Netherlands with a foreign diploma
2. 2

   Check whether your profession is regulated, and go to that authority first

   A regulated profession requires official permission to practise. Nuffic directs you to the European Commission database to check whether your profession is regulated in the Netherlands and to find which organisation, the competent authority, checks the requirements. Government.nl states that citizens of the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland must contact a competent authority for recognition, and that Nuffic can tell you which one. For healthcare professions the authority is the BIG register, which states that it runs automatic recognition with direct enrolment for certain EU or Swiss diplomas, recognition of professional qualifications for other EU or Swiss diplomas, and a certificate of competence for diplomas obtained outside the EU and Switzerland. To teach, Government.nl tells you to contact DUO to apply for recognition and states you must have at least completed tertiary level education.

   Do this: Look up your profession in the European Commission's regulated professions database and, if it is listed, apply to the named competent authority rather than to IDW. The EU recognition procedure described by Government.nl and Nuffic's assistance-centre service apply to citizens of the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland; with a diploma from outside the EU or Switzerland you go to the same authority but by a different route, for healthcare the certificate of competence.

   Cost

   Fees are set by the competent authority for the profession, not by IDW, and vary by procedure

   Processing time

   Decision periods are set by the competent authority and vary by profession

   Common mistake: IDW tells you to contact the competent authority first if your profession is regulated. An IDW statement is not a BIG registration and not a DUO teaching recognition, and buying one does not advance either procedure.

   Official source

   Government.nl · Recognition of professional qualifications for regulated professions
3. 3

   Check that your qualification can be evaluated

   Not every certificate is eligible. NetherlandsWorldwide states that the diploma must have been obtained in mainstream education at an institution that is accredited and recognised by the government of that country, and that the programme must have covered more than 1,000 hours, roughly one school year, of education or training. Nuffic states that it compares diplomas in higher education and almost all diplomas in secondary education, while IDW states that SBB covers programmes comparable to Dutch senior secondary vocational education (MBO) and preparatory vocational secondary education (VMBO).

   Do this: Confirm that your institution was accredited and recognised by its national government and that your programme exceeded 1,000 hours before you start an application.

   Processing time

   Same day

   Common mistake: Short courses, in-company training and qualifications from unaccredited institutions fall outside the scheme, and finding that out after payment wastes both the fee and the waiting time.

   Official source

   Netherlands Worldwide · Evaluation of a foreign qualification for study in the Netherlands
4. 4

   Assemble your documents and any sworn translations

   IDW asks for a colour copy of the diploma or certificate, a colour copy of the list of grades or the complete diploma supplement, and a colour copy of your passport, residence permit or identity card valid for at least 3 more months. If the documents were not issued in Dutch, English, German or French, a sworn translation is required, but IDW states that if your institution itself issues an English version you may submit the original plus that English version instead. IDW also states there is no need to send original, certified or legalised documents by post or email unless it specifically asks you to, so legalisation is not part of the standard upload and only becomes relevant if IDW requests it. Extra documents are required for some countries, and IDW publishes that list per country.

   Do this: Scan every document in colour, arrange sworn translations where needed, and check IDW's country page for extra documents.

   Documents needed

   • Colour copy of the diploma or certificate
   • Colour copy of the list of grades or full diploma supplement
   • Colour copy of passport, residence permit or ID card valid at least 3 more months
   • Sworn translation where the documents are not in Dutch, English, German or French
   • Bachelor's diploma and marks list when applying for a master's evaluation
   • Proof of name change where your ID and diploma names differ
   • Signed permission form if applying on behalf of someone else

   Cost

   Sworn translation fees vary and are set by the translator

   Processing time

   Sworn translation typically adds days to weeks depending on the translator and language

   Common mistake: An incomplete or non-conforming upload is the usual reason a case stalls. IDW requires colour copies, and Nuffic's processing time only starts once the application is complete, so a missing translation or a copy IDW rejects pushes the start of the clock back.

   Official source

   IDW · Credential evaluation to work in the Netherlands
5. 5

   Apply through IDW and pay the fee

   IDW is the single counter operated jointly by Nuffic and SBB, commissioned by the Ministries of Education, Culture and Science and of Social Affairs and Employment. You apply through your account at mijnidw.nl, choosing the route that matches your purpose: to work, to study, or inburgering (civic integration). IDW states that a diploma evaluation costs €148.83, and that you pay through a link sent by email, after which the application goes to the expertise centre. If you hold a residence permit for asylum from the IND and a letter from DUO about civic integration, Nuffic states you can apply for a free credential evaluation.

   Do this: Create an account at mijnidw.nl, submit your application under the correct route, upload the documents and pay through the emailed link.

   Documents needed

   • The full document set assembled in the previous step

   Cost

   €148.83 IDW credential evaluation fee, the amount published by IDW as at September 2026

   Processing time

   About an hour to complete the online application

   Common mistake: Choosing the wrong route means the wrong comparison. An evaluation requested for work answers a different question from one requested for study, and the statement is written accordingly.

   Official source

   IDW · Credential evaluation to study in the Netherlands
6. 6

   Wait for the statement, then use it for what it is

   Nuffic states you usually receive the credential evaluation, provided your application is complete, after at least 10 working weeks, and IDW states processing times are currently longer because of the volume of applications. NetherlandsWorldwide puts a regular evaluation at up to 4 months once IDW has all documents and payment. The comparison follows the Lisbon Recognition Convention, under which a foreign diploma is treated as having the same level as a Dutch diploma unless there are substantial differences. The statement is delivered electronically, and IDW states the electronic signature is legally valid on the electronic document but not valid if you print the credential evaluation. If you cannot supply your diploma at all and you are on the refugee route, Nuffic states you may instead receive an Indicatie Onderwijsniveau, an indication of educational level.

   Do this: Download the signed electronic file from your IDW account and send that file, not a printout, to whoever asked for it.

   Processing time

   At least 10 working weeks from a complete application, and currently longer according to IDW

   Common mistake: Handing over a printed copy destroys the legal validity of the signature. Send the electronic document itself.

   Official source

   Nuffic · Applying for a credential evaluation

• A colour copy of the diploma or certificate to be evaluated
• A colour copy of the list of grades or the complete diploma supplement
• A colour copy of your passport, residence permit or identity card, valid for at least 3 more months
• A sworn translation of the documents if they were not issued in Dutch, English, German or French
• For a master's evaluation, a copy of the bachelor's diploma and its list of marks
• Documents from your previous education if you received credit transfer
• Proof of a change of name if the name on your ID differs from the name on your diploma
• A signed permission form if you are applying on someone else's behalf
• Extra documents specific to the country where you studied, listed by IDW per country
• For the free refugee route: your IND asylum residence permit and the DUO letter about civic integration

• €148.83 credential evaluation fee, the amount IDW published as at September 2026. IDW publishes the current fee on its website.
• Free credential evaluation if you hold an asylum residence permit from the IND and a DUO letter about civic integration, as published by Nuffic at September 2026.
• Sworn translation costs, set by the translator, if your documents are not in Dutch, English, German or French.
• Fees for professional recognition are set by the competent authority for that profession, not by IDW.

Nuffic states that you usually receive your credential evaluation, provided your application is complete, after at least 10 working weeks. IDW states that processing times are currently longer because of the number of applications, and NetherlandsWorldwide states that a regular credential evaluation takes up to 4 months once IDW has all documents and payment. The 10 working weeks only start running once the application is complete, so a missing translation or a copy IDW rejects pushes the whole thing back. The free refugee route usually takes at least 6 weeks.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Paying for an evaluation when nobody has asked for one. IDW states an evaluation is usually not mandatory for work, and Dutch employers in unregulated professions often do not require it.
• Treating the evaluation as recognition. It is advice, not a decision: Nuffic states it is not legally binding and not proof that you are allowed to work or study here.
• Confusing what your diploma is worth with whether you may work here at all. Nuffic tells you to check separately on the government website whether you need a work or residence permit.
• Applying to IDW for a regulated profession. IDW tells you to contact the competent authority first, so healthcare goes to the BIG register and teaching to DUO, and the IDW statement will not get you registered.
• Counting the 10 working weeks from the day you submitted. The clock runs from the moment the application is complete, which is later if IDW has to ask you for a sworn translation or a country-specific document.

• Send the electronic evaluation file, not a printout, to the employer, institution or authority that asked for it.
• If your profession is regulated, start the recognition procedure with the competent authority, for example the BIG register for healthcare or DUO for teaching.
• If you are applying to study, give the admissions office the evaluation and ask what else it requires, such as a language test.
• If your qualification could not be evaluated, ask the employer or institution to assess your work experience and portfolio directly, and check the free refugee route if you hold an asylum residence permit.