How Dutch Employment Agencies Recruit: From the Job Ad to Your First Day

If you have never worked through a Dutch agency, it can feel like everything happens too fast. You apply today, they call you tomorrow, and next week you are already travelling. If you know the steps, you will feel calmer, and you will know what to ask and when.

What is an uitzendbureau?

An uitzendbureau is a Dutch employment agency. Your employment contract is with the agency, but you do the work at another company, the hiring company (in Dutch: inlener). The agency pays your wages, and often it also arranges housing and travel.

The agency's job is to quickly find the right person for the client company. That is why the process is usually short and practical.

Step 1: the job ad

Everything starts with the job ad. A good ad usually tells you:

• what the work is and where,
• what experience and papers they ask for,
• the gross hourly wage,
• whether there is housing, and how much it costs,
• how many hours the working week has, and whether there are night or weekend shifts.

To compare: in the Netherlands, from 1 July 2026 the minimum wage from age 21 is 14.99 euros gross per hour. With 40 hours a week that is about 600 euros gross per week. If a job ad promises less than this to a worker over 21, it is suspicious.

On Eyesonworks.eu you can filter job ads by housing, net weekly pay and trade, and you always reach the agency's original job ad, where you can apply.

Step 2: applying

Applying is usually simple: an online form, a short CV, sometimes just a phone number. Agencies get a lot of applications, so the key points should be visible straight away: trade, experience, languages, driving licence, when you can start.

It is a good idea to apply for several jobs at once, but write down where you applied. When they call you back, you will know which job and which agency it is about. If the job ad has questions (for example about a driving licence or shifts), answer them exactly, because they use these to filter.

Step 3: a phone or video call

If your profile fits, they usually call you soon. This is not a long, formal interview, more a quick check. They typically look at:

• Do you really understand the work? What have you done so far, on which machines, with which materials.
• Can you communicate? Usually in English, sometimes in your own language if they have a colleague who speaks it.
• When can you start? Agencies are often looking for a quick start.
• Are you reliable? Do you call them back, are you there at the agreed time.

Sometimes there is a practical test too, for example a test weld for welders or a test drive for drivers. This often happens once you are in the Netherlands.

Step 4: offer and contract

If both sides agree, the offer comes. Stop here for a moment and do not rush. Ask for everything in writing before you travel. The important points:

• gross hourly wage, allowances, overtime,
• expected hours per week,
• price and conditions of the housing,
• travel: who pays for the trip there and for getting to work every day,
• health insurance,
• which CAO (collective agreement) applies to you.

For housing there are two rules worth knowing. The employer may deduct at most 25% of the minimum wage for housing, and only if the housing is certified (for example with an SNF certificate). From July 2026 this is about 584 euros per month. The other rule: the rental contract cannot be part of the employment contract; you must get a separate, written rental contract.

Step 5: arrival and registration

In the first days there is a lot of paperwork. The most important things:

• BSN (citizen service number): without it you cannot work, pay tax or get insurance. If you come for less than 4 months, you register in the RNI (the register of non-residents) at the desk of one of the 19 RNI municipalities. If you stay longer, you must register in the BRP at your own municipality.
• Zorgverzekering (health insurance): compulsory if you live in the Netherlands, or work and pay tax here. The average premium in 2026 is about 157 euros per month, and the eigen risico (own risk) is 385 euros per year. Ask if the agency arranges a group insurance, and how much it deducts for it.
• DigiD: the digital ID for Dutch government matters. You can apply for it with your BSN.
• Bank account: your pay is usually transferred to a bank account.

Many agencies help with these, and some even do them with you on the first day. Ask in advance what you can expect.

Step 6: your first working day

On the first day there is usually a short introduction: safety at work, a tour of the workplace, picking up your work clothes. If you do not understand something, ask. It is better to ask on the first day than to make a mistake a week later.

Look through your first loonstrook (payslip) carefully. Are the hourly wage, the number of hours and the deductions right? If something is unclear, ask the agency.

What should you ask?

Recruitment works both ways. You are choosing the agency too. Some questions worth asking:

1. Exactly how much is the gross hourly wage, and roughly how much is left net in an average week?
2. How many hours per week are guaranteed?
3. How much does the housing cost, how many people share a room, and is there a separate rental contract?
4. Is the housing certified (for example SNF)?
5. Who pays for travel to work?
6. What happens to the housing when the job ends?
7. Is the agency a member of ABU or NBBU, and which CAO applies to you?

The second-to-last question is especially important. Labour migrants often have no tenant protection, so when the job ends, the housing often ends too. It is good to know this in advance.

In short

• Recruitment by Dutch agencies is usually fast: job ad, short phone call, offer, travel.
• Always ask for the pay, the hours, the price of the housing and the contract in writing before you travel.
• At most 25% of the minimum wage can be deducted for housing, and only for certified housing.
• When you arrive you need a BSN, health insurance, DigiD and a bank account.
• Ask your own questions too: a good agency answers willingly and honestly.