Find work in the Netherlands as a non-EU student is tricky, there’s no other way to say it. This sucks, as many of us need to work alongside our studies to afford the tuition fee and living costs, and are ineligible for government support (both in the Netherlands and our home countries). The added complication of needing a work permit, and the weekly hour limit, makes things even more difficult. However, the application for a working permit itself is super easy for the employer, and Mirjam Mazurel (the student counsellor) can help. Although there is a 4-6 week long waiting time for the permit to be approved, employers should not be put off by the task of applying for a permit.*
One place to look for work is school itself. The Gerrit Rietveld and Sandberg Instituut do hire non-EU students and apply for the work permit, students work in the canteen, receptions, library, facilities, in working groups, as coordinator assistants, and in the Student Council. These jobs are paid at the institutional working student rate of €13,04 per hour (gross), or a salary scale of 1.4. The Student Council does an open call every year for new members between Nov-Jan, so keep an eye out on your school email inbox to apply. The other positions seem to happen more informally, but we are looking into ways that students can apply/register their interest for these positions.
We have also asked around to find out about places in Amsterdam that have previously hired non-EU people with working permits, it could be an idea to keep an eye out on these places for job openings, or to send through your CV for when they have positions available:
- Sora Sappora(opens in a new tab)
- Thuisbezorgd(opens in a new tab)
- Sir Hummus(opens in a new tab)
- Zoku Hotel(opens in a new tab)
-Ivoren Wachters(opens in a new tab)
Applying for KVK is suggested, as you can work as many hours as you want and do not need a work permit (though this also comes with no job security). It is nice to be able to do one-off jobs, random work etc. when it is available - especially throughout the Summer months (keep an eye out on the Rietveld/Sandberg FB(opens in a new tab) page as a lot of people post these kind of work opportunities there).
*In the scenario that your employer does not apply for a work permit for you, they risk getting a massive fine. You will be given a warning to not work without a work permit, but not receive a fine.