General care nurse · Netherlands

Work in the Netherlands
as a nurse.

The Dutch register and the Dutch permit sit at two separate desks, and this page shows where they meet. Read the register first, and plan the language requirement before anything else.

Recognition
Regulated
Work permits sourced
3
Official sources
27
Last checked
2026-08-03
  1. PhilippinesYour documents, prepared here
  2. RecognitionRequired to practise here
  3. Right to work3 permits compared
  4. NetherlandsEvery source read since 2026‑08‑03
Build my roadmap →Compare the permits

The short answer

Two questions, and they are not the same question.

◎Licence decision required

Recognition

Regulated · non-EU qualifications are assessed case by case

Who decides: CIBG, which keeps the BIG register — Under the Wet BIG only people in the BIG register may use the title of nurse (verpleegkundige). CIBG states that nurses must first be included in the register before they are allowed to work in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands only requires a recognition decision for professions that appear on the EU regulated-professions list. If your profession is not on that list you may practise it without any recognition procedure at all — what remains is proving your level to an employer, which is what a credential evaluation does.

↗Always required

Work authorisation

Whatever the recognition branch says, you still need the legal right to work in Netherlands. We have sourced 3 routes for a qualification obtained outside the EU and EEA.

  • Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant)
  • EU Blue Card
  • Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons (zoekjaar)

Qualified inside the EU or EEA? Free movement replaces this branch entirely — pick your country below and the answer changes accordingly.

Work authorisation

Every permit we can source,
side by side.

Open the full roadmap →

Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant)

The IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst), acting only on an application submitted by an employer the IND has recognised as a sponsor (erkend referent)

Checklist
Salary floor
EUR 5,942 a month (2026 figure)The IND publishes three gross monthly tiers, valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and excluding the 8% holiday allowance: €5,942 for a migrant aged 30 or older, €4,357 for one younger than 30, and a reduced criterion of €3,122 for someone who completed a higher-education degree within roughly the last three years or is moving on from a residence permit for orientation year. The IND states these amounts change every year on 1 January; confirm the figure in force on the date of your application with the IND or your sponsor before relying on it.
Qualification
No degree or credential-evaluation requirement is published for this route: eligibility rests on the salary the recognised sponsor pays you, which the IND also requires to be in line with the market rate. If you are going to work in individual healthcare in a profession listed in articles 3 and 36a of the Individual Healthcare Professions Act (Wet BIG), the IND requires you to be registered in the BIG register.
IND decision
Up to 90 days, the IND's stated decision period
Application
€423
Everything about Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant) →
The procedure, step by step4 steps · 2 possible outcomes
  1. Secure a job offer from an employer, research institution or organisation already entered in the IND's public register of recognised sponsors. An offer from an employer outside that register cannot be used for this route, other than the Turkish-nationality exception above.
  2. Agree an employment contract at or above the salary tier that applies to your age and situation, paid monthly into your own bank account and stated in the contract.Vacation allowance, payment in kind and irregular pay elements such as overtime do not count towards the threshold.
  3. Your recognised sponsor submits the application to the IND, online or by post, and pays the fee.
  4. If you need an entry visa (mvv), collect it at the Dutch mission responsible for your place of residence before travelling. Once in the Netherlands, collect your residence permit after the IND has decided.

Possible outcomes

  • A residence permit for the duration of your employment contract, up to a maximum of five years.
  • Refusal, where the salary tier, the recognised-sponsor requirement or the other conditions are not met. Negative decisions carry appeal rights.

EU Blue Card

The IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst)

Checklist
Salary floor
EUR 5,942 a month (2026 figure)The IND's standard gross monthly floor, valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and excluding the 8% holiday allowance. A reduced floor of €4,754 applies to a graduate of a higher-education degree, provided the sponsor applies within three years of the graduation or doctoral defence date. The IND states these amounts change every year on 1 January; confirm the figure in force on the date of your application before relying on it.
Qualification
A higher-education diploma from a course of study lasting at least three years, appropriate to the job, evaluated by Nuffic if issued outside the Netherlands — or, in its place, at least five years of relevant work experience at the level of a higher-education diploma. The IND publishes a shorter three-year experience window for a defined list of occupations; ask the IND or your employer whether your case falls on that list before relying on it. If you are going to work in individual healthcare in a profession listed in articles 3 and 36a of the Individual Healthcare Professions Act (Wet BIG), the IND requires you to be registered in the BIG register.
IND decision, employer recognised as sponsor
30 days
IND decision, employer not recognised as sponsor
90 days
Application
€423
Everything about EU Blue Card →
The procedure, step by step4 steps · 2 possible outcomes
  1. Secure an offer for highly qualified work, and establish whether you meet the qualification requirement through your diploma or through your work experience.
  2. If your diploma was issued outside the Netherlands, apply to IDW for a credential evaluation so you can show what it corresponds to in the Dutch system — the IND requires this evaluation before it will accept a foreign diploma.
  3. Agree a salary at or above the threshold that applies to your case, paid monthly into your own bank account.
  4. The IND recommends that your employer submit the application; you may also apply yourself at the Dutch mission responsible for your place of residence if you are abroad.

Possible outcomes

  • A residence permit valid until three months after your employment contract ends, for a maximum of five years.
  • Refusal, where the qualification, work-experience or salary condition is not met.

Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons (zoekjaar)

The IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) — you apply yourself; no employer or sponsor is involved

Checklist
Qualification
Completion, within roughly the last three years, of an accredited bachelor's or master's degree at a Dutch institution, a Dutch post-master's course of at least one academic year, or a master's, doctoral or post-master's course at a foreign institution that ranks in the top 200 of at least two of three named league tables (Times Higher Education, QS, ShanghaiRanking), by overall or by-subject ranking. An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's degree also qualifies.
IND decision
Up to 90 days
Orientation year permit
1 year
Application
€254
Everything about Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons (zoekjaar) →
The procedure, step by step3 steps · 2 possible outcomes
  1. Confirm that your specific degree, institution and graduation date meet the ranking and recency conditions before assuming a foreign degree qualifies — the IND does not accept every foreign university.
  2. Have any foreign diploma evaluated: the IND states that all foreign diplomas have to be evaluated by Nuffic before they can be accepted, with an exception for diplomas accredited in the Flemish (Belgium) education register.
  3. Apply to the IND yourself — online if you already hold a valid Dutch residence permit, otherwise by post — and pay the fee.

Possible outcomes

  • A one-year residence permit with unrestricted access to the Dutch labour market: you may work, do an internship or start a business without your employer needing a work permit.
  • Refusal, where the degree, institution-ranking or timing condition is not met.

Recognition procedure

What the authority asks of you.

Ordered the way the procedure runs, from an origin outside the EU and EEA. Pick your own country of qualification below and the planner reorders it for you.

1

Prepare your documents

  1. Request certified copies of your diploma and transcript of records from the Philippine institution that issued them.
  2. The Apostille Convention has been in force for the Philippines since 14 May 2019, and the competent authority is the Department of Foreign Affairs. Higher-education documents reach it through the Commission on Higher Education, which issues the CAV — the Certification, Authentication and Verification that covers academic documents.
  3. Since 16 March 2026 a CHED eCAV is apostilled electronically and nothing else: the DFA no longer issues paper apostilles for this category. What you receive is an e-Apostille, and anyone you send it to can confirm it on the Philippine e-Register.If a fixer offers to put a physical apostille sticker on your eCAV, that is not the procedure in force. Check the e-Register instead.
  4. Under Article 5 of the Convention, an apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the person who signed and the seal on the document. It certifies nothing about what the document says or what your qualification is worth.
2

Get your qualification assessed

  1. Look up your profession in the European Commission's regulated professions database with the Netherlands selected. The database also names the competent authority for each regulated profession.
  2. If your profession is listed, apply for professional recognition to the competent authority named there. If it is not listed, no recognition decision is required to do the job.
  3. Apply to CIBG for a certificate of competence (verklaring van vakbekwaamheid). You do not arrange the assessment of your diploma yourself: CIBG has Nuffic or SBB do it.
  4. Take the BI-toets, which for nurses consists of a written knowledge test, a skills test and a clinical-reasoning interview. The result comes within three to six weeks.
  5. The Commission for Foreign Healthcare Graduates (CBGV) advises, and CIBG sends an intended decision you have two weeks to respond to before the final one. The committee decides within 12 weeks of the BI-toets result.
3

Close any gaps

  1. Prove Dutch at B1 with the state exam Dutch as a second language (NT2), covering all four skills and no older than two years. From abroad, only a CNaVT certificate is accepted. You also need English reading skills at level A2.The CNaVT is taken once a year, in May.
  2. Show Dutch at level B1. The Wet BIG refuses registration to an applicant who does not sufficiently master Dutch, and CIBG places nursing at the level where it asks for B1.How you prove it depends on where you qualified: the steps for your route say which certificates count.
4

Register and start working

  1. Order a credential evaluation from IDW if an employer or an immigration procedure asks you to evidence the Dutch level your diploma compares to. It is voluntary and it is not a recognition decision.
  2. With a positive decision, apply for BIG registration with a certificate of current professional status and a certificate of good conduct, each no older than three months.
  3. Registration with a recognised foreign diploma starts under conditions: for the first three months you work under the supervision of a BIG-registered professional in the same profession.

What it costs

CHED Certification, Authentication and Verification
Set by the Commission on Higher Education — confirm the current fee on the eCAV portal before applying
DFA apostille
Set by the Department of Foreign Affairs and charged per document — confirm the current fee before applying
Credential evaluation (IDW)
€148.83
Certificate of competence and the committee's assessment
No charge today. CIBG has announced €100 for the certificate from 1 January 2027, not yet final
BI-toets
€400, refunded if you cannot take the test
BIG registration
€85 for five years. CIBG expects it to rise to €121 on 1 January 2027; not yet final, and the current fee applies until then

How long it takes

Credential evaluation
At least 10 working weeks once the application is complete
Whole procedure
Between six months and a year and a half on average
Next step after a complete application
Within four weeks
BI-toets result
Within three to six weeks
Committee decision
Within 12 weeks of the BI-toets result
Additional training, if required
Between three months and two years

Possible outcomes

  • A positive decision, which is your certificate of competence, followed by conditional registration.
  • A decision subject to conditions, such as additional courses.
  • A negative decision, after which you cannot work in your profession in the Netherlands, with six weeks to object.

Possible, not predicted. Nobody here can tell you which one you will get.

Where you qualified

The answer changes
with your country.

Everything we cover →

Qualified outside the EU and EEA — permit required

Colombia → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapArgentina → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapIndia → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapPhilippines → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapNigeria → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapBrazil → NetherlandsOpen this roadmapMexico → NetherlandsOpen this roadmap

Qualified inside the EU or EEA — free movement applies

Spain → NetherlandsDifferent answerGermany → NetherlandsDifferent answer

People reach this page looking for

  • BIG registration for foreign nurses
  • BI-toets verpleegkundige
  • verklaring van vakbekwaamheid
  • Dutch language level for nurses
  • Netherlands nursing registration from the Philippines

Questions

Answered from the same sources.

Is general care nurse a regulated profession in Netherlands?

Yes. Regulated · non-EU qualifications are assessed case by case. The decision is made by CIBG, which keeps the BIG register.

Which authority recognises a foreign general care nurse qualification in Netherlands?

CIBG, which keeps the BIG register. Under the Wet BIG only people in the BIG register may use the title of nurse (verpleegkundige). CIBG states that nurses must first be included in the register before they are allowed to work in the Netherlands.

Which work permits can a general care nurse apply for in Netherlands?

We have sourced 3: Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant), EU Blue Card, Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons (zoekjaar). Each one has its own conditions, and this page compares them side by side rather than recommending one.

What salary do you need to work in Netherlands as a general care nurse?

Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant): EUR 5,942 a month (2026 figure, The IND publishes three gross monthly tiers, valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and excluding the 8% holiday allowance: €5,942 for a migrant aged 30 or older, €4,357 for one younger than 30, and a reduced criterion of €3,122 for someone who completed a higher-education degree within roughly the last three years or is moving on from a residence permit for orientation year. The IND states these amounts change every year on 1 January; confirm the figure in force on the date of your application with the IND or your sponsor before relying on it.). EU Blue Card: EUR 5,942 a month (2026 figure, The IND's standard gross monthly floor, valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and excluding the 8% holiday allowance. A reduced floor of €4,754 applies to a graduate of a higher-education degree, provided the sponsor applies within three years of the graduation or doctoral defence date. The IND states these amounts change every year on 1 January; confirm the figure in force on the date of your application before relying on it.).

Do you need your degree recognised for a Netherlands work permit?

Some routes ask for academic comparability, which is not the same thing as professional recognition. Credential evaluation (diploma waardering) for a foreign diploma is issued by IDW (International Credential Evaluation), operated jointly by Nuffic and SBB. The permit pages above say which routes require it.

How long does the process take?

Credential evaluation: At least 10 working weeks once the application is complete. Whole procedure: Between six months and a year and a half on average. Next step after a complete application: Within four weeks. BI-toets result: Within three to six weeks. Committee decision: Within 12 weeks of the BI-toets result. Additional training, if required: Between three months and two years. These are the timeframes the authorities publish, not a prediction about your case.

Is this page up to date?

The oldest source behind it was checked on 2026-08-03. Every claim links to the official page it came from, with its own check date, so you can verify any of it yourself in one click.

Evidence

Every claim on this page, and where it came from.

27 official pages, each with the jurisdiction it speaks for and the date a human last opened it. The oldest of them is 2026-08-03, and that is the date this page is only as fresh as.

Two minutes, no account

Your qualification, your country, your roadmap.

This page answers the pairing in general. The planner answers it for the country you actually qualified in, and prints the result with its sources attached.

Build my roadmap →How we verify this