Work permit
Leiden University will apply for your work permit. It is not possible for you to apply yourself. A work permit is required because Dutch employers, when filling vacancies, are expected to give priority to Dutch or EU/EER nationals. They must demonstrate that they have tried to find a Dutch or EU/EER national (and were unsuccessful), before they can obtain a work permit for an individual from a non-priority country.
Validity and extension of work permits
A work permit can be valid for a period of up to three years. Once you have had a work permit for a continuous period of three years, it is no longer a requirement to have a permit. After those three years, you are free to take up any lawful employment and no longer require an employer-sponsored work permit. You do, of course, still need a valid residence permit.
If you obtain a work permit through Leiden University, please bear in mind that this work permit is confined to Leiden University. If you stop working for the University, the permit will no longer be valid.
The Human Resource department of your faculty or institute will contact you by e-mail as soon as your supervisor has informed them of your intended appointment or invitation as a guest at Leiden University. You will be asked to provide the following:
- A full and current curriculum vitae;
- A full copy of your passport (also the front, blank pages and back). If your passport is due to run out before your stay in the Netherlands is completed you will need to make arrangements in advance for an extension of the passport;
- A copy of your university diploma (a certified translation).
Additional requirements for employees/guests who will not receive a salary from the university:
Proof (in English) of your financial resources to support you during your stay here. These may be anticipated monthly salary payments from the company in your own country where you may continue to be employed during your stay in the Netherlands, or to any scholarship, etc. that you have been awarded for this period.
The monthly income mentioned should meet the standard minimum amounts set by the Ministry of Justice.
These documents are accepted as proof of sufficient funds:
- a scholarship letter;
- your own bank statement (account balances, savings, etc.);
- an employer's statement regarding income.
As soon as a work permit is granted, it will be sent to the Human Resource department. You will receive a copy after your arrival.
| 
