How to use recruitment agencies in NL

Recruitment agencies are one route into the Dutch job market, not a replacement for direct applications or networking. The important distinction is who would employ you. Some agencies introduce you to an employer that hires you directly. Others employ you themselves and place you with a client. That difference changes the contract, who pays your wages and which organisation matters for work-permit or sponsorship checks.

Know the roles you are targeting and what work authorisation you have or need before you approach agencies. A recruiter can help match you to an employer, but it cannot make a permit requirement disappear. If your route requires a recognised sponsor, identify the organisation that would actually employ you and check that legal entity in the IND public register rather than assuming an agency or client can sponsor because it works internationally.

The agency name alone does not answer this. Ask before you rely on a vacancy or introduction.

• The agency introduces you and the employer hires you

  The intermediary introduces you to an employer. If the employer hires you, your employment contract is with that employer.

• The agency employs you and places you with a client

  The agency employs and pays you while you work at a client company under its supervision. Check the agency agreement and who is responsible for the permit route before you accept.

1. 1

   Find out who would actually employ you

   Dutch rules distinguish between employment mediation, where an intermediary introduces you to an employer, and agency work, where the intermediary employs you and places you with a client. Websites may use broader labels such as recruitment, staffing or secondment, so ask who would sign your contract and pay your wages.

   Do this: Ask one direct question before you register: if I get this job, who would be my legal employer?

   Common mistake: Do not assume words such as recruiter, staffing or secondment tell you the contract model. Check who the employer would be.

   Official source

   Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie · Employment mediation versus supplying workers under the Waadi
2. 2

   Choose agencies that match your role, language and region

   The Netherlands has general and specialised employment, recruitment and secondment agencies. Start with agencies that work in your role family or sector, then check their current vacancies, languages and locations before you register.

   Do this: Open the Recruitment filter, shortlist relevant agencies, then check each agency's own site before registering.

   Browse recruitment agencies

   Processing time

   A focused shortlist is usually more useful than registering everywhere at once.

   Common mistake: A directory listing is not an endorsement and does not mean an agency currently has a vacancy that fits your profile.

   Official source

   EURES · Employment, recruitment and secondment agencies as Dutch job-search channels
3. 3

   Make your profile easy to match

   Tell the recruiter what you are looking for: role, seniority, sector, location, language level, availability and work authorisation. Keep your CV and LinkedIn consistent, and send a portfolio when the role needs one.

   Do this: Prepare one short introduction and make sure your CV, LinkedIn and work-status details agree.

   Documents needed

   • Your current CV
   • Your LinkedIn profile
   • Your work-authorisation or residence-status details
   • A portfolio or work examples where relevant

   Processing time

   Prepare this before the first recruiter call so the conversation can focus on fit rather than missing basics.

   Common mistake: Do not leave work authorisation vague if it affects which employers can hire you.

   Official source

   Work in NL · What a CV contains and how employers use it
4. 4

   Check the actual employer in the IND register

   If your residence route requires a recognised sponsor, first identify who would employ you. In a direct placement that may be the client company; in an agency employment model it may be the agency. Check that legal entity in the IND public register.

   Do this: Before relying on sponsorship, get the employer's legal name and check it in the IND public register.

   Documents needed

   • The employer's legal name
   • Your current residence permit, if you already have one

   Processing time

   Do this before an offer becomes the first time sponsorship is discussed.

   Common mistake: International recruitment experience is not the same thing as recognised-sponsor status.

   Official source

   IND · Public register of recognised sponsors for work
5. 5

   Read the agency contract before you accept

   If the agency would be your employer, ask for the employment agency agreement. Check wages, working hours, which collective labour agreement applies and whether it contains a temporary employment clause. That clause can affect when the assignment and contract end.

   Do this: Read the agreement before signing and ask about anything you do not understand.

   Documents needed

   • The proposed employment agency agreement
   • Any collective labour agreement the contract refers to

   Processing time

   Before you accept the offer or sign an agency agreement.

   Common mistake: Do not assume an agency employment agreement works like a direct employment contract. Different rules can apply.

   Official source

   Work in NL · Employment agency agreements, temporary employment clauses and CAOs
6. 6

   Do not pay for employment mediation

   Under Article 3 of the Waadi, an intermediary may not demand payment or another consideration from the job seeker for employment mediation. Keep that rule separate from any other service an agency may offer.

   Do this: If you are asked to pay to be matched to a job, ask exactly what the fee is for and do not agree to pay for employment mediation.

   Documents needed

   • Any written fee schedule or service agreement the agency gives you

   Cost

   Employment mediation itself should not be charged to the job seeker under Article 3 of the Waadi.

   Processing time

   Before you pay or agree to a fee.

   Common mistake: Do not assume every paid service sold by a recruitment business is employment mediation. Ask for the service and price to be stated separately.

   Official source

   Overheid.nl · Waadi Article 3: no payment from the job seeker for employment mediation

• A current CV targeted at the role family you want
• Your LinkedIn profile
• A short statement of your work authorisation or residence status
• Examples of your work or a portfolio where the role calls for them
• A short list of target roles, sectors and locations

• For employment mediation, Article 3 of the Waadi says an intermediary may not require payment or another consideration from the job seeker. If an agency offers another paid service, ask for that service and its price to be stated separately.

Registering or applying through an agency can be quick, but matching has no statutory timeline. Agencies work from the vacancies and client assignments they actually have, so keep direct applications, employer research and networking moving in parallel.

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

• Treating every recruiter as interchangeable instead of checking the sectors, roles, languages and contract models the agency actually handles.
• Not asking who would be your legal employer, which can leave you comparing the wrong contract or checking the wrong organisation for permit requirements.
• Assuming an agency that works with internationals can automatically sponsor your residence or work route. Check the actual employing entity and the route that applies to you.
• Paying a fee for being matched to a job, or not asking what a separate paid service actually covers.
• Stopping your own search while you wait for a recruiter. Agencies are one channel, and their usefulness depends on the vacancies they have at that moment.

• Browse the Recruitment filter in the Organisations directory and open the agencies that match your role, language and region.
• Check each agency's own vacancies and service model before you register or send personal documents.
• Keep your direct applications and networking moving alongside the agency route.
• If an introduction becomes an offer, check who employs you, your work-authorisation route and the contract before you accept.