The Hague at a Glance

Working in The Hague

The Hague offers highly qualified expats jobs in various professional fields.

As an expat working in The Hague, you’ll benefit from the opportunities it offers. Since its transformation into the city of peace and justice in the 20th century, The Hague has been home to many expats. We’ll give you an insight into working in The Hague, with info on permits, job hunting, and more!

Working in The Hague is all about international and European institutions, which contribute significantly to the region’s economy. Many foreigners working in The Hague are employed by one of the 130 international organizations or at one of the over 100 consulates and embassies.

But even if you did not get your PhD in politics or law, your chances of working in The Hague are still quite high. Qualified employees are welcome in all kinds of professional fields.

Working in The Hague: Work Permit

Before you can start working in The Hague, you have to secure a work permit. Your employer has to apply for your permit at the UWV Werkbedrijf. If you haven’t found a job yet and want to try the shoot-first-ask-later method for working in The Hague, you can also apply for a work permit after your arrival. This may unfortunately take quite a while.

There are exemptions to this rule, of course. You do not need a permit for working in The Hague if you are a citizen of an EU/EEA member state. The same is true if you have a stamp in your passport stating “Arbeid vrij toegestaan, TWV niet vereist” (“Free to work, no work permit needed”). As visa matters can be quite complicated, you should consult the IND’s Residence Wizard. For more information on visa matters and working in The Hague, please refer to our article on Moving to The Hague and contact your nearest Dutch consulate or embassy.

Working in The Hague: Business Sectors

There are different business sectors which offer opportunities for working in The Hague to expats and locals alike.

The oil and gas industry is strong in the western Netherlands, mostly due to the local infrastructure and access to necessary facilities.
The aerospace sector is particularly strong in terms of research development in this area. People working in this sector will benefit mostly from the European Space Agency ESTEC research and technology site in Nordwijk.
The creative sector has been pushed in recent years with the establishement of the program “Creatieve Stad” (Creative City). It is supposed to make working in The Hague attractive to new businesses, particularly architects, designers, artists and specialists in computer games and new media.
The field of life science is quite strong in the area around The Hague. There are almost 70 companies which are dealing with the development and production of new technology for the health care sector. If you are interested in working in The Hague region in this field, the best location is Leiden with the Leiden Bio Science Park.
Research and development is generally a big field for people curious about working in The Hague. Important employers are Leiden University as the leading university in life sciences, Delft University of Technology as well as the Netherlands Institute of Applied Scientific Research.
Telecommunications and IT are both strong in this part of the country. National mobile operators offer lots of employment opportunities to expats working in The Hague.

Working in The Hague: International Organizations

Aside from the different sectors and fields mentioned above, there are many employment opportunities with international organizations for non-Dutch nationals interested in working in The Hague. The various international organizations in and around The Hague are the most important employment engine for the region.

In 2010, international organizations generated 35,000 jobs all over the Netherlands, 77% of which were offered to people working in The Hague. The number of jobs generated by international organizations or as a result of the growing international community has increased by 8% in recent years. Major international organizations working in The Hague are: