When coming to the Netherlands to work, the general rule is that the employer will have to apply for a work permit for you if you do not have the nationality of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland. However, since the Dutch government wants to stimulate its ‘knowledge economy’, scientific researchers are often exempt from this requirement. This is fortunate, as an ordinary (full) work permit is generally quite difficult to aquire.

You don't need a work permit if:

1. You are an EU/EEA or Swiss national, a work permit is not required as you can access the Dutch labour market freely and under the same conditions as the Dutch.
2. You are a foreign national who has had a Dutch residence permit for the purpose of ‘work’ for five consecutive years and the Netherlands is still your main place of residence;
3. You have a residence permit which provides a full exemption of the workpermit obligation (you are free on the labour market):
   - Orientation Year for Highly educated persons (Zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden)
   - Scientific researcher under EC directive 2016/801
4. You have a residence permit which provides an exemption of the workpermit obligation for the labour according the purpose of your stay, with one of the following purposes of stay:
   - Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrantenregeling)
   - European Blue Card
5. You are doing scientific research at a Dutch institute of higher learning or research institute
6. You are doing research as part of an EU project or other bilateral research project
7. You are a lecturer at a university (of applied science).