Work and Immigrate to Netherlands as a Pilot

Flying has always been one of your dreams. You are determined to become a pilot, and the Netherlands is your option. You have come to the right page. This article brings you whatever you should know to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot.

Table of Contents

What are the requirements to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot?

There are some basic requirements to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot. But the list of requirements and eligibility principles is up to the program you choose and your conditions.

These items are general requirements, so you would better visit the training center or college website and find out the specific requirements by your conditions.

Age

The first requirement is age, and you must be at least 16 years old to begin the training course. For some courses, the required age could be 18.

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Medical certificate

A medical certificate from a verified doctor is needed to ensure you are healthy and fit to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot. The range of exams and tests is different and is up to the training program and the type of pilot you want to become.

These are some of the tests you might have to pass:

General health conditions
ECG
Lung function test.
Blood/urine samples.
Vision test.
Color blindness test.
Hearing test.
Allergies and Asthma
Psychological evaluation.
Body shape/length.

The training center or college informs you where to take the exam.

Educational requirements

The least educational certificate you must have is up to the center or college, but a high school diploma is often needed. The details and more specific requirement is with the center.

English language certificate

English is the language of aviation worldwide. So you need an English language proficiency certificate to become eligible. A level 4 is often sufficient. IELTS and TOEFL are often accepted but see the website and determine the accepted tests.

How to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot?

You have to follow these steps to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot:

Find a training program in the Netherlands.

For the first step, you must find a pilot training program in the Netherlands. It must be appropriate for you and meet your future career goals. Also, you must fulfill the requirements and meet the eligibility principles.

You should make your future career goal clear and determine what you will do. Answering these questions could be a good start:

Are you going to get a Private Pilot License (PPL)?
Do you want to get a Commercial Pilot License (CPL)?
Do you want to work for an airline?
Do you want to get a college degree or not?
Are you going to join the Army or the Dutch Airforce?

If you are unsure and can not decide, the training program officials can help you with this. They guide you on the appropriate program and what options you have with passing this course.

Here are the options you have to pass:

Flight School

You will find 10 flight schools in the Netherlands that offer pilot training courses to students. You must find the details for all of them and determine which is appropriate for you.

You can find the list of them in the below section. Visit their website and find out the requirements and whether they accept international students or not. If yes, what are the requirements, and what are the working conditions?:

Application process
Tuition fee
Language proficiency requirements
Enrollment conditions
Visa requirements
Etc.

Aviation-related college degree program

If you want to combine training with a flight degree, you should consider an aviation-related college degree program. This is a better option for a future career and improves your working conditions. You can choose your job offer from a wider range of options.

For instance, you can choose a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) program and continue your education with training as a pilot.

Airline cadet pilot program

This is for people who want to become airline pilots. Airlines often cover students and provide assistance; they guarantee future employment after completing the course.

After completing your education in such a program, you will get an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

Join the Military

You must join the Royal Netherlands Air Force if you want to become a military pilot. The Dutch government sponsors your program and education, and you have to join the Army and serve for 12 years after you complete the program. Then, you can work in commercial airlines.

The recruitment conditions are tough, and the Army is strict. Also, it is unlikely they will get applicants from foreign countries.

What training stages do you have to complete?

The training stage you have to complete is up to your future goals and the job you want to take. There are six pilot training stages you have to complete. The explanation says what jobs you have to get;

Student Pilot License (SPL).

The first license you have to get is a Student Pilot License (SPL). This is the basic license and allows you to start your training.

Private Pilot License (PPL)

The PPl license lets you fly these planes:

Solo
Passenger
And cargo.

Your flying will be without monetary compensation.

Applicants have to meet the eligibility principles to get the PPL:

Be at least 17 years old.
Must have completed at least 45 h of training.

Commercial Pilot License (CPL)

You need a CPL or Commercial Pilot License to have an income from flying. A CPL lets you to become a paid professional pilot. You must be at least 18 years old to get the CPL.

Also, you must complete 150 hours of training and progress all the tests.

80 hours of dual instruction
70 hours as PIC
20 hours of cross-country flight as PIC
5 hours of flight must be completed at night.
10 hours of instrument flight instruction.

Instrument Rating (IR)

This certificate indicates that you can fly the plane in any weather condition. You just need the right instrument. You can get the IR certificate from the school or get it separately.

Multi-Engine Rating (MER)

As the name indicates, it allows you to fly multi-engine aircraft. This is the ultimate certificate you can get and allows you to work as a pilot in command on scheduled air carriers. It’s a bit hard to achieve that certificate, and you must meet the conditions:

Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

The ATPL certificate is the ultimate level of the Aircraft Pilot Certificate. It permits you to work as a pilot in command on scheduled air carriers. But you must be qualified to get this certificate;

Be at least 21 years old.
Completed a 1.500 flight time.
- 500 hours in multi-pilot operations
- 500 hours as PIC under supervision.
- 200 hours of cross-country flight time
- 75 hours of instrument time
- 100 hours of night flight.

There are more details about the flight time. You have to complete all of them, and the training must be according to the instructions.

What if you complete your training abroad?

If you complete your pilot training program outside of the Netherlands and want to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot, you must get recognition. It is the process the Dutch officials assess your training and education to know if they are equivalent to the Dutch system.

You must contact the Netherlands Directorate of Civil Aviation and send them your documents. They will check your documents and inform you of the process.

Career options to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot

There are various career positions you can work choose from. As explained, the certificate you get must allow you to work in it. Also, the training program you pick must allow you to work in the position you want and provide the related training.

EU countries are strict with aviation rules and regulations. Safety, quality of education, and work are essential to them. So you must work hard to become a qualified pilot and complete your duties well.

Below are some of the positions you can work as a pilot in the Netherlands:

Agricultural pilot (other options).
Medical/ Air ambulance pilots
Flight instructor.
Charter
Air taxi pilot
Cargo pilot.
Corporate or business aviation pilot
Airline pilot

Pilot salary in the Netherlands

Your salary as a pilot in the Netherlands is up to several factors. A pilot beginner can not earn as an experienced pilot who has worked for several years. Also, the position you have is a determining factor.

But, according to Salary Explorer, the average salary of a pilot in the Netherlands is about 8,320 EUR per month. Your salary begins from 4,490 EUR per month, which is the lowest salary, and goes up to 12,600 EUR, which is the highest payment.

However, Glassdoor says that the salary of a pilot in the Netherlands is about €104,148 per year. The average salary is about €94,148 per year.

According to Salary Expert, the average salary of a pilot is about € 96.055.

The mentioned numbers can give you a good estimate of your average salary.

List of flight schools in the Netherlands

This is the list of flight schools in the Netherlands. You should contact them and ask about the requirements and how to get admission to them.

Basic 6 Aviation	Veenendaal,
European Pilot Selection and Training	Utrecht,
SAI Flight Academy	TEUGE,
Rotor and Wings	Lelystad,
Dutch Aviation College	Lelystad,
Martinair Flight Academy	Lelystad,
AIS Flight Academy	Lelystad,
Executive Flight Academy	Eindhoven,
KLM Flight Academy	Eelde,

Immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot cost

It is hard to say how much it costs you to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot. The amount you have to spend is up to several factors:

The flight school
The training program you take
Tuition fee
Cost of living.
Side costs
Etc.

You can expect to spend about €80,000-€100,000 to complete your training.

Also, you need about €900 per month for the cost of living without rent. It takes time to complete the training and get your certificate.

How long does it take to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot?

The answer is up to the certificate you want to get for the duration of your training. For instance, you need 1-2 years to complete and get a Commercial Pilot License (CPL). It could take up to 3 years in some cases; if you fail or have to take extra training courses.

This is while you need to spend more than three years to get the Private Pilot License (PPL). as explained, it’s up to you whether you complete the training on time or need to take your time.

You can find the list of flight schools in the Netherlands in the above section. Visit their website and find the training you want to take. Determine how long it takes to complete, and they have a rough estimate on the website. You can contact them and ask questions about the factors that will prolong the training. Also, you can ask them how you can finish the training earlier or do you have to take extra training.

Can a foreigner immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot?

If you do not live in the Netherlands and want to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot, you must get admission to a Dutch flighting school. You can find the list of them in the above section. Visit their website and see if they accept international students.

If yes, what are the requirements, visa, and working conditions?

If you can get admission and receive a student visa, you can immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot. However, EU nationals do not need a visa to enter the Netherlands. So the admission and visa requirements are mostly for non-EU nationals.

Do you need IELTS to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot?

You need English language proficiency to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot, and the country doesn’t matter. But whether you need IELTS or another English language proficiency certificate is up to the flight school.

Each school has its list of requirements and supporting documents. English proficiency is likely to be one of the items. So you would better work on your skills and improve them, then get a certificate.

Let’s sum up…

You learned how to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a pilot through this page. We brought you the list of requirements, stages you have to follow, and eligibility principles.

If you have questions, write them down in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them.