Scams and Fake Job Offers in the Netherlands: How to Spot Them

There is a lot of real work in the Netherlands, and that is exactly why scammers like it too. Fake offers almost always use the same few tricks: they rush you, they ask for money, and they promise something that is too good to be true. Here are the most common warning signs, and who you can turn to if something feels wrong.

Warning sign number one: money up front

If someone asks you for money to "get" you a job, that is the strongest red flag. A proper Dutch uitzendbureau (employment agency) gets paid by the company that hires its workers, not by the worker.

Be suspicious if they ask you to pay for things like:

• a "registration fee" or "administration fee",
• a "deposit" for housing before you have seen any contract,
• a "processing fee" for papers, for your BSN (burgerservicenummer, the Dutch citizen service number) or for insurance,
• paying for the trip or the bus in advance to a stranger, in cash or into a private bank account.

You arrange your BSN yourself at the Dutch municipality. If you come for less than 4 months, you register in the RNI (Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen, the register of non-residents) at the desk of one of the 19 RNI municipalities chosen for this. If you stay longer, you register in the BRP at the municipality where you live. You do not need a middleman that you pay for this.

Pay that is too good, details that are too few

Scammers like big, round numbers: "a thousand euros a week for beginners", "net pay without any language, right away". But they say very little about what the work is, where it is and who the employer is.

To compare: from 1 July 2026 the Dutch gross minimum wage from age 21 is €14.99 per hour. With 40 hours a week that is about €600 gross per week. Pay can be higher, for example for skilled work, with allowances or with overtime. But if they promise many times more for simple work, ask a lot of questions.

In a real job ad you will usually find:

• the type of work and the place (a city or at least a province),
• the gross hourly wage, and how many hours per week they count with,
• the housing conditions and cost, if there is housing,
• the name, address and contact details of the agency.

If these are missing and you only get vague answers to your questions, it is better to move on.

Your passport belongs to you

No employer or agency has any reason to take your passport or ID card and keep it. You can show your document, and they can copy or scan it, but after that you must get it back.

If someone asks to "keep it safe" for you, or threatens to give it back only if you pay something or work off a "debt", that is serious trouble. Do not wait. Get help (see below).

In the same way, never give anyone your bank card, your PIN code or your DigiD login (the digital ID for Dutch government services). Nobody but you needs these.

No contract, no work

Before you travel or start work, ask for a written employment contract in a language you understand, or at least ask someone to explain it to you. Check the hourly wage, the number of hours per week, the name of the employer and the deductions.

Sentences like "we will talk about it there" or "we have no papers, but we always pay" are bad signs. Without a contract you cannot prove how much pay you are owed, and sickness or accident insurance is also unclear.

With every payment you should also get a loonstrook (payslip), which shows your gross pay and the deductions. If you do not get one week after week, ask for it.

Housing: know the rules

Many agency jobs come with housing, and that is fine. But there are a few things you should know:

• 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). With the July 2026 minimum wage this is about €584 per month.
• The rental contract cannot be part of the employment contract: you must get a separate, written rental contract.
• Foreign workers often have no tenant protection, so the housing often ends together with the job. It is good to know this in advance.

If they deduct an unrealistic amount for housing, there is no separate rental contract, or the place is completely different from what they promised, that is a warning sign.

Check the agency before you apply

A few minutes of checking can save you a lot of trouble:

• Find the agency's own website and see if the same job ad is there too.
• Check if it is a member of ABU or NBBU (the two big Dutch employment agency associations), and if it has an SNA certificate.
• Pay attention to the Wtta (the new law on licensing employment agencies): from 1 January 2027 only licensed agencies may supply workers. Agencies had to submit their application by 1 July 2026.
• Be careful if there is only a phone number or a social media profile, with no address and no company name.

Eyesonworks.eu is not an agency and does not act as a middleman: it only collects the job ads of Dutch agencies, and every click takes you to the agency's original page, where you apply directly. This way you always see exactly who you are applying to.

Who to turn to if something goes wrong

If you feel you have been cheated, or you are not getting what you are owed, do not deal with it alone:

• Juridisch Loket: free legal information about work, contracts and housing.
• FNV or CNV: the Dutch trade unions, which help with work disputes.
• Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: the Dutch Labour Inspectorate, where you can also report bad working conditions and exploitation.
• Politie: the police, in case of fraud, threats or documents taken from you.
• The consular service of your country's embassy or consulate: if your document is lost, or you need urgent help.

Keep every message, payment receipt, job ad and contract. They can help a lot later.

In short

• Never pay a middleman in advance for a job, and arrange your BSN yourself at the municipality.
• If the pay is too good and the details are missing, ask questions or move on.
• Your passport, your bank card and your DigiD are yours. Do not give them to anyone.
• Do not start work without a written employment contract and a separate rental contract.
• If you are suspicious, contact the Juridisch Loket, a trade union or the police.