Working as a teacher
If you would like to work indefinitely as a teacher in the Netherlands using your foreign diploma, you need to apply for recognition of your foreign professional qualification. If you would like to work as a teacher in the Netherlands for a specified period, you need to register as a temporary or occasional worker.
Conditions
- You have completed a teacher training programme.
- The level of that programme is equal to or higher than Dutch higher professional education.
- The diploma authorizes you to teach in the country where it was issued.
- The authorization to teach conferred by your diploma is the same as the authorization you are applying for.
- The programme you completed was geared towards conferring the authorization you are applying for.
- You hold an EU residency permit.
- Your diploma was issued in an EEA member state or in Switzerland.
- The diploma authorizes you to teach in the country where it was issued.
- The authorization to teach conferred by your diploma is the same as the authorization you are applying for.
For which occupations?
You need to register or apply for recognition for the following occupations:
- primary school teacher
- primary school subject teacher (for any primary education subject)
- special needs teacher
- special needs subject teacher (for any special needs education subject)
- general secondary education teacher
- teacher in the secondary vocational education and adult education sector
I am not a citizen of an EEA member state or Switzerland
If you do not hold an EU residency permit, you will only be able to apply for recognition of your professional qualification.
- If you intend to work in secondary education, your application will be governed by Article 7.11. lid 1 under c of the Wet voortgezet onderwijs 2020 Link opent externe pagina (in Dutch only).
- If you intend to work in vocational education or adult education, your application will be governed by Article 4.2.1 of the Wet educatie en beroepsonderwijs Link opent externe pagina (in Dutch only).
- If you intend to work in primary or special needs education, we will assess your application in accordance with Dutch education legislation Link opent externe pagina . You must also demonstrate a sufficient command of the language in which you intend to teach. Select a language to see if you meet the requirements.
You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak Dutch to at least CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2. For instance:
- a diploma State Examination for Dutch as a 2nd language (Nt2), programme II
- a certificate Dutch as a 2nd language at the 2nd level (issued before 1 January 1994)
- a certificate Dutch as a Foreign Language at the highest level (extensive knowledge)
- a certificate Dutch as a Foreign Language for the academic language proficiency profile, the education professional profile or the higher education language profile (PTHO)
- a certificate 'Nederlands Educatief Startbekwaam', for those who would like to start a study at a Dutch institution of higher education
- a HAVO (senior general secondary education) diploma or VWO (pre-university education) diploma, or another diploma for secondary education at a comparable level. The education must have been in Dutch and you must have passed the Dutch exams.
You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak Papiamento to at least CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2. For instance:
- a certificate for the language test in the Papiamento language at the University of Curacao
- a HAVO (senior general secondary education) diploma or VWO (pre-university education) diploma, or another diploma for secondary education at a comparable level. You must have passed Papiamento exams.
Do you meet this language requirement? Then you are permitted to teach lessons in Papiamento on Bonaire.
You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak English to at least CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2. For instance:
- documentary evidence issued by a centre authorized by Cambridge English Language Assessment Link opent externe pagina
- documentary evidence issued by the Anglia Link opent externe pagina educational network
- a HAVO (senior general secondary education) diploma or VWO (pre-university education) diploma, or another diploma for secondary education at a comparable level. You must have passed English exams.
Do you meet this language requirement? Then you are permitted to teach lessons in English on Saba and on Sint Eustatius and in international education in the (European) Netherlands.
Apply and register
- Use the 'Recognition of EU professional teaching qualifications' form to apply for recognition of your professional qualification if you have a diploma from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
- Use the 'Recognition of non-EU professional teaching qualifications' form to apply for recognition of your professional qualification if you have a diploma from a country other than an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
- Use the ‘Temporary or occasional services of EU professional qualifications for teaching professions’ form if you wish to register temporary or occasional work.
You can send the form by post or scan it in and email it to diplomaservices@duo.nl (up to 5MB).
Free of charge
The recognition of your foreign professional qualification or the registration of temporary or occasional work will be handled free of charge.
What happens next
The procedure to recognize your foreign professional qualification is as follows:
- You submit a form requesting recognition of your professional qualification. The documentary evidence you need to include is specified on the form.
- DUO checks to make sure you have provided all the necessary evidence. If anything is missing, you will receive a letter asking you to send us the missing evidence.
- In relation to your diploma, DUO may consult the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic Link opent externe pagina ) or make enquiries with the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued.
- If the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued are unable to verify your diploma, we require a statement from your educational institute confirming that you graduated successfully.
- You are informed of the decision. If you think our decision is wrong, you can lodge an objection.
The procedure to register temporary or occasional work is as follows:
- You submit the registration form. The documentary evidence you need to include is specified on the form.
- DUO checks to make sure you have provided all the necessary evidence. If anything is missing, you will receive a letter asking you to send us the missing evidence.
- DUO makes enquiries about your diploma with the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued.
- If the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued are unable to verify your diploma, we require a statement from your educational institute confirming that you graduated successfully.
- Once you have satisfied the conditions, you will receive a letter confirming the registration. You will then be eligible to work as a teacher.
- If you do not satisfy the conditions, your application for registration will be rejected.
- If your application is rejected, you can lodge an objection.
Contact
Please contact the Diploma Services Department if you have any questions. You can call us on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on +31 50 599 77 78. Or send an email to diplomaservices@duo.nl.