The Hague at a Glance

Doing Business in The Hague

The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice.

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!

The Job Search

If you have not secured a job yet, you have plenty of opportunities for a job search in The Hague. The public employment service (UWV Werkbedrijf), for instance, offers support to job seekers and employers all across the Netherlands. While your future employer may turn to UWV Werkbedrijf for help to recruit the perfect employee, you can refer to their database for vacancies or leave your CV at their branch office. Their office is located in the northern part of The Hague, on Gevers Deynootweg 93a.

Networking is another important aspect of the job search. Other expatriates in The Hague may be able to help you out. Maybe there is someone among the members of the InterNations community in The Hague who has just the right job for you.

For current information on job positions and internships with international organizations, you should refer to The Hague Justice Portal. All in all, there are plenty of recruitment agencies which specialize in multilingual job seekers. You will find a list of them on The Hague’s city website.

Business Districts

There are many financial districts and new business developments in and around The Hague.

De Binckhorst offers a mix of high-rise and low-rise buildings. The area is currently under re-development. De Binckhorst is home to many different wholesale companies, including the Dutch head office of Panasonic. Various printers, construction companies and suppliers are located here as well.

Laakhaven-West is a down-to-earth business district with collective business buildings, office buildings, storage centers and showrooms.

Forepark, Ypenburg and Wateringsevel are located strategically near Schiphol International Airport and Rotterdam Airport. They are in close proximity to residential areas such as Leidschenveen, Ypenburg and Wateringevel. The area is also known as the “Knowledge Boulevard” due to the different colleges located nearby, such as Technical University of Delft, Technical College of Rijswijk and The Hague College.

The Queen Beatrix Business District (Beatrixkwartier) is probably one of the most popular office locations in The Hague. It is characterized by a large number of high-rise buildings and new office complexes. Numerous major companies are located here, such as Siemens Nederland or the Dutch insurance provider Nationale Nederlanden.

Westvlietweg lies right at the entrance to The Hague and therefore benefits from an excellent infrastructure. Here you will find a variety of businesses, mostly those specializing in storage and distribution, construction and business support.

Many business developments in The Hague have been around for over ten years. They are now being re-modeled to satisfy the needs and expectations of 21^st-century companies.

Doing Business

Doing business in the Netherlands, and more specifically The Hague, is very clear, straightforward and to the point. When you meet your colleagues and business partners to negotiate a business deal, you will soon find that the meeting will go ahead largely without polite small talk. Instead of wasting any time, meetings often start straight away.

As business meetings always follow a strict agenda, there is not much time for general conversations. All employees are expected to be punctual so that meetings can begin on time. It is customary to voice your opinion freely and openly disagree with your business partners, if necessary. To many expatriates, this straightforward way of doing business may come as somewhat of a shock.

The typically Dutch way of doing business should, however not discourage you while you are working in The Hague. In fact, a rather egalitarian way of doing business is quite common in the Netherlands. In private, the Dutch are mostly polite and easy going. Outside the meeting room, your relationship to your colleagues may soon take on a relaxed and friendly character.