How to Immigrate and Work as a Teacher in The Netherlands?

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

There are two ways to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher. The first one is to apply and pass a teaching program in the Netherlands. The second one is to pass the recognition process. You send your documents and degree to the Dutch officials. They will assess them and determine whether you are eligible to work as a teacher in the Netherlands. This section explains the two ways.

Recognition of foreign teachers’ diplomas in the Netherlands.

If you get your degree from a foreign country and want to work in the Netherlands as a teacher, you must pass the recognition. You have to get your degree recognized by Dutch officials and get the required qualifications to work as a teacher in the Netherlands. If you want to work s a teacher in the Netherlands for the short term. You must register as a temporary or occasional worker.

You need a qualification or teaching certificate for the following job positions:

• adult education sector
• primary school teacher
• primary school subject teacher
• special needs teacher
• special needs subject teacher
• general secondary education teacher
• teacher in secondary vocational education

Eligibility for teachers who want to work in the Netherlands for the good

You must fulfill the following items to become qualified and immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher: 

1. You have got a teacher training program abroad.
2. The level of the program you have passed is equal to or higher than Dutch higher professional education.
3. You have permission to work as a teacher in the country you got your degree.
4. The subject or area you want to teach in the Netherlands is the same as the permission to teach in your home country or the country you got your diploma.
5. The teacher training program you have passed is aligned with the subject, area, or job position you are applying for in the Netherlands.

Eligibility for teachers who want to work in the Netherlands for the short term

These are the eligibility principles required for teachers who want to work in the Netherlands for the short term:

1. You have a valid residence permit in the EU.
2. You got your degree or diploma in an EU member state or Switzerland.
3. The permission to work as a teacher in the country you got is aligned with the authorization you are applying for in the Netherlands.

Attention: if you are not a citizen of an EU member state, you can only have permission to apply for recognition of your professional qualification.

Required documents you need to submit.

You must gather and submit these supporting documents to the Dutch officials:

1. Dutch language fluency certificate. You need a certificate equal to CEFR level B2.

• IELTS, 6-6.5.
• PTE, 59 – 75
• TOEFL, 72–94

You might be exempt from a Dutch language fluency certificate. For instance, if you have studied in a Dutch school or university. There are other cases that except you from a Dutch language fluency certificate.

2. English language fluency certificate. You need a CEFR level B2 for the English language as well.
3. Your teaching license.
4. Your educational certificate.
5. Verification of your degree or diploma.

Application forms. You can find them as follows. Pick the right application form by your conditions:

• Recognition of EU professional teaching qualifications
• Recognition of non-EU professional teaching qualifications
• Temporary or occasional service of EU professional qualifications for teaching professions

The application forms contain the address that you must send your application to it. You should wait until the Dutch officials process your application and decide on it. If they need further supporting documents, they will inform you.

Dutch officials will inform you of the further stages you have to follow. If they agree and grant you the license, they will grant you a license to work as a teacher in the Netherlands.

Study a teaching program in the Netherlands.

The other way to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher is to study a teaching program there. If you pass one of these programs, you can work s a teacher in the Netherlands.

You can find an MA program or a one-year teaching program. It must grant the incense to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher. 

These are some of the programs that let you immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher after passing them:

• “International Teacher Education for Primary Schools (ITEPS)”
• Educational Sciences
• Learning and Innovation (special track International Teacher Education)
• Pedagogical Sciences – Youth at Risk
• Science Education and Communication
• Educational Sciences – Learning in Interaction
• Bachelor in International Teacher Education for Secondary Schools (ITESS)

It’s up to you to find a teaching program in the Netherlands. After you find it, you must find the requirements and fulfill them. This is a sample of the requirements:

• Latest educational degree.
• Language proficiency certificate
• Transcript of the latest educational degree.
• Cover letter.
• Etc.

The one point you should find out is whether the course you want to study lets you teach in the position you want or not.

You have to fulfill the requiems and get admission to the university or education center.

After you get admission from the center, you must apply for a Netherlands student visa.

Apply for a Netherlands student visa

After you get admission to the Dutch university or education center for the teaching program, you must apply for a Netherlands student visa.  EU nationals do not need a visa to study in the Netherlands, but non-EU nationals need a visa.

This is a sample list of the documents you must gather for a Netherlands student visa:

• Application form.
• Passport.
• An acceptance letter from the university or educational institute you will be studying.
• Photo.
• Your study plans. You should state how your course in the Netherlands is related to your previous studies.
• Proof of accommodation in the Netherlands.
• Health insurance for the time of your stay in the Netherlands.
• Registration documents from the university you will be studying at.
• Proof to have enough funds. You need to have enough money to cover your expenses in the Netherlands. At least you need 870 ( 993 dollars) EUR for every month of your stay in the Netherlands. You could prove that through bank statements or scholarship letters.
• A valid passport and copies of previous visas if you have had any.
• Agree to take a TB test in the first three months of arriving in the Netherlands.

After you collect the supporting documents, you must submit them to the Dutch officials.

To learn more about the Netherlands student visa, visit the Visa Library article or watch the video we have prepared on our YouTube channel.

Netherlands visa options immigrate and work as a teacher 

There are different types of Netherlands work visas, as follows:

• Self-employment and start-up
• European Blue Card
• Highly-skilled migrant
• Intra corporate transfer
• Seasonal labor
• Regular paid work

Each one of the above visa options has its requirements and eligibility principles. You should find out which one is appropriate for your conditions and can fulfill the requirements.

A standard work visa is a general visa for a teacher who wants to work in the Netherlands. It lets you work in the Netherlands as a foreign person for the long term. But you must get a job offer from a Dutch employer to qualify. Only the Dutch employer can apply for a work permit, and you must submit some supporting documents together. One of the requirements is to sign an employment contract with a Dutch employer. So it’s a must to find an employer. You can find ways to find a job in the Netherlands as a teacher from the above section.

Netherlands tourist visa

If you are not a national of the EU member states or one of the visa-waived countries who can enter the Netherlands with their passport, you need a visa to enter the country. One of the ways to find a job in the Netherlands is to visit the country and meet the employers in person.

If you need a visa, you can apply for a Netherlands tourist visa. It permits you to enter the country and look for a job and have interviews. But you may not work under a tourist visa at all.

Netherlands student visa

If you want to study one of the teaching courses that permit you to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher, you need a Netherlands student visa. If you are an Eu national, you do not need a visa to study in the Netherlands. But all non-EU nationals need a student visa to study in the Netherlands for the long term.

The first step is to get admission from a Dutch education center that provides this teaching course and get the admission letter. Then, you must gather the supporting documents and apply for a student visa.

You can find more information about the Netherlands student visa in the Visa Library article.

Related jobs to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher

It’s obvious that you will work in a teaching position in the Netherlands. But the center or place you will work is up to various factors:

• The demand for teachers.
• Opportunities.
• You work experience
• Education
• Skills and abilities.
• Etc.

There are various places where you can get to work in the Netherlands as a teacher. This section brings you some of them so you can get family and find more information about them.

These are some of the related positions you can end up working in the Netherlands as a teacher:

• Museum curator
• Corporate Learning and Development
• Private Tutoring
• Student Learning Support
• Child psychologist
• Education Liaison Positions
• Personal trainer
• Academic adviser
• Human resource specialist
• Career guidance counselor.
• Camp director
• School administrator.
• Publisher
• Librarian
• Curriculum designer
• Writer
• Corporate trainer
• Parenting coach.
• Childcare worker
•  Event planner
• Respiratory Therapist
• Youth worker

If you are interested in them, find more information and determine what qualifications and requirements you need to get a job offer in one of them.

Teachers’ salaries in the Netherlands.

Your salary as a teacher in the Netherlands depends on many factors:

• Education
• Work experience
• Qualifications.
• The subject you teach.
• The school or center you work.
• The city you work in.
• Etc.

According to Payscale, the average salary of a teacher in the Netherlands is about €33,583 per year.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary is about €3,453.

Salary Explorer says that the average salary of a teacher in the Netherlands is about 3,890 EUR per month. While the lowest salary is about 2,030 EUR, the highest salary is about 5,960 EUR per month.

The best cities to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher

The job position for a teacher in the Netherlands is up to the chance and requirements in the country. You might be able to get a job in a small city in the north or south of the country. But you’d better know a few things about the Dutch cities to make a better decision.

There are always more opportunities in the larger cities, so it is with the teaching positions in the Netherlands. This is the list of the largest cities in the Netherlands. You can find a position in them better, and there is always a better chance:

• Amsterdam
• Rotterdam
• The Hague
• Utrecht
• Eindhoven
• Tilburg
• Groningen
• Almere
• Breda
• Nijmegen

Being a large city doesn’t always mean it’s a good place to live. You might not like its conditions or the features. This list is the most popular and favored city in the Netherlands. If you prefer a particular city and have your preferences, you’d better do research about them and determine which one is appropriate for your conditions.

1. Amsterdam
2. Utrecht
3. Maastricht
4. Delft
5. Rotterdam
6. The Hague
7. Haarlem
8. Lisse
9. Arnhem
10. Breda

Is the Netherlands good to immigrate and work as a teacher?

The answer depends on your preferences and what you want from your life and career. You should know that getting a teaching position in the Netherlands is not that easy, and you must work hard. But if you enter the country with a teaching position, you can improve your career and might get a position in an international school. The Netherlands is an amazing place to live and enjoy life; many opportunities await you.

The salary or income for teachers is good, and they get enough to have a well-balanced life. Europe is one short train away, and you can get anywhere with your car.

The Netherlands is welcoming expats and skilled workers from around the world. These people need teachers for themselves and their children. Language teachers are welcomed and are needed.

The great nature and tulip season is a different world, and it seems you enter a new country every time.

The warm and friendly culture welcomes people from around the world, and you do not suffer much discrimination or abuse and feel at home.

Are teachers in demand in the Netherlands?

Yes, they need teachers and have been trying to fill the gap for a few years. The situation is serious in large cities like Amsterdam. Schools have difficulty finding teachers to fill the positions.

This is why the Netherlands welcomes foreign teachers. There are various teaching programs that let you work as a teacher after graduation. Some of these courses’ duration is one year in some cases.  But you have to find the program and get admission.

You can also apply for recognition of your teaching certificate and qualifications. If they are approved, then you can work as a teacher.

Let’s sum up…

This page of the Visa Library explained how to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher. You learned how to immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher. The article brought you the list of requirements, the ways you can immigrate and work in the Netherlands as a teacher, and the procedure you have to follow.

It also answers some of the frequently asked questions.

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

Frequently asked questions about immigration and working in the Netherlands as a teacher.