Home/Countries/Netherlands
🇳🇱 Netherlands · MNL → AMS

Hire Filipino workers in Netherlands

Licensed recruitment of skilled Filipino professionals for Dutch employers. Your company is the direct employer — we run selection in Manila, the Dutch permit process and the Philippine exit formalities end to end. From 1 worker.

Route Single Permit (GVVA) Typical timeline 2–4 months once the route is confirmed Minimum 1 worker
Comparing Benelux? Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg admit third-country workers by three different logics — see the Benelux decision guide for which country and route fits your role.

How recruitment works

Every Dutch project runs on the same backbone: you define the roles, headcount and start date; our own DMW-licensed agency in Manila, Prime Search, sources and trade-tests candidates; you approve the shortlist (on-site or online); and we manage the Dutch permit process under your power of attorney while the Philippine side — contract verification, medical, pre-departure orientation and the Overseas Employment Certificate — runs in parallel. The employment contract is signed and verified before departure; your new employee lands, completes local onboarding and clocks in.

The Dutch specifics below are the part that makes Netherlands different from every other market we serve.

Licensing: Recruitment in the Philippines runs through our own DMW-licensed agency (Prime Search); delivery in the Netherlands follows Dutch licensing and immigration rules. Our EU delivery entity (Orienta Czech) supports the process cross-border under the freedom to provide services, subject to Dutch requirements.

Dutch immigration and work-permit route

Single Permit (GVVA). The Netherlands issues the Single Permit (GVVA) — a combined residence and work authorisation — through the IND, with the UWV assessing the labour-market side. A separate work permit (TWV) exists only for specific short-term or special situations and is not the standard route for long-term employment. The test is strict for roles that could be filled from the EU, so the realistic routes are technical specialists, healthcare with Dutch registration and the highly skilled migrant scheme for recognised sponsors. We are candid about feasibility before you invest time.

  1. Feasibility check of the role against UWV criteria — done before sourcing.
  2. Employer (or recognised sponsor) files the GVVA application with the IND.
  3. UWV advice; IND decision; MVV entry visa in Manila; residence card after arrival.

Labour-market test: Strict; waived only for specific categories such as highly skilled migrants and intra-corporate transfers.

Shortage occupations: No general shortage list for medium-skilled roles; healthcare and technical specialists are the practical fit.

Authorities involved: IND · UWV · Dutch Embassy Manila. Rules change; we confirm the current position for your role before you commit, and we tell you the honest number — not the marketing one.

Employer requirements

  • Recognised sponsor status for the highly skilled route.
  • Salary meeting the relevant threshold.
  • For healthcare: BIG registration pathway.

DMW / MWO process on the Philippine side

Deploying a Filipino worker abroad is regulated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). MWO The Hague (Philippine Embassy) verifies employers and contracts for the Netherlands. The verified contract, together with the job order approved by the DMW, allows the worker to obtain the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) — the exit clearance without which no Filipino worker can legally leave for a job abroad. Pre-employment orientation, medical examination at a DOH-accredited medical clinic authorised to examine overseas Filipino workers and pre-departure orientation complete the sequence. Because we operate the licensed agency ourselves, this runs in parallel with the Dutch permit rather than after it.

Timeline

Typical gate-to-gate time for Netherlands is 2–4 months once the route is confirmed from signed engagement to the first arrival, driven mainly by the Dutch permit and the embassy appointment in Manila. Sourcing and trade testing usually take two to four weeks and are not on the critical path. We give you a written timeline for your specific role before you commit.

Typical professions for Netherlands

Sectors where Dutch employers most often hire Filipino workers through us:

  • Technical specialists
  • Healthcare
  • Logistics (limited)
  • Engineering

Costs and commercial model

Our contractual partner is the employer, and it is the employer we invoice for the service. You receive an individual offer for Netherlands covering sourcing, trade testing, documentation, the permit process and arrival support — there is no price list, because volumes, roles and the Dutch route differ from project to project. Direct employment means the worker's wage is paid by you under your Dutch contract; there is no intermediary employer.

What a typical Netherlands project looks like

A Dutch employer briefs us on roles and headcount. Within two to four weeks we present trade-tested candidates from Manila with video assessments; the employer interviews online and approves. We file the single permit under power of attorney while Prime Search completes the DMW documentation. The employment contracts are signed and MWO-verified before departure; on arrival the workers complete registration and local onboarding and start on the floor — with our team reachable for the first months of integration. Whether the project is one specialist or a full shift, the mechanics are identical.

Frequently asked questions — Netherlands

  • Can we hire warehouse workers from the Philippines?

    Usually not — the labour-market test blocks roles that could be filled from within the EU. We say so upfront.

  • What does work well?

    Nurses with a BIG pathway, technical specialists and roles that qualify for the highly skilled migrant scheme.

  • Do we need to be a recognised sponsor?

    For the highly skilled route, yes; we can walk you through the IND recognition.