Losing your job in a foreign country can be tough, especially if you have a Dutch work visa. Here’s what you should do:

1. Stay Calm

Take a deep breath and don’t worry too much. Losing your job is stressful, and you should give yourself the time to feel bad about it. But in the end, panic will not help you in the process, so it’s best to approach the situation as calmly as possible.

2. Check Your Visa

Your Dutch residence permit could be connected to your job.

• If you have a work visa like MVV, GGVA, or Highly Skilled Migrant, it might become invalid. But don’t worry, you typically have three months to find a new job in the Netherlands. Remember, if your family came with you based on your work visa, and they’re officially your dependents, they’ll be affected too. If you can’t find a job in 3 months, they can’t stay either.
• If you have a partner visa, your resignation won’t affect your legal stay in the Netherlands. But you’ll need to talk with your partner about financial matters.

3. Contact Immigration

You must inform the IND about any changes in your personal situation even though you might have a (highly skilled migrant) visa with a sponsor. To know more, check this link. Examples of such changes include, but are not limited too:

1. Ending relationships or family ties.
2. Becoming unemployed or unable to work.
3. Changing your employer.
4. Applying for social assistance benefits for yourself or a family member.
5. No longer living together with your family member.
6. Breaking off relationships or family ties.
7. Planning to move to a new residence.

As a sponsor (read: employer) you also have the obligation to communicate such changes, in order to maintain your sponsorship in this way. Since this blog post is not about this, we will not discuss this further.

4. Find a New Job

Use the three-month grace period to search for a new job. The Netherlands has lots of job opportunities, especially in fields like IT, engineering, and healthcare. Update your CV, network, and look for jobs online.

5. Get Help from a Job Coach

The market can be fairly competitive, so it’s good to get professional assistance to give your applications the highest chance of success. It’s also important to have clarity on the type of a role you’re looking for, and the best path to get there. 

Know how difficult this can be, so we’ve partnered with one, so if you want more information about how she could help you, send us a message on DM or WhatsApp.

6. Legal Advice

It’s wise to have an employment lawyer on your team if you’re being fired. Especially if your employer has offered a Mutual Termination Agreement – make sure to get a legal professional to guide you through the process. This is very common, and most Dutch people even have insurance that allows them access to legal professionals for matters like this (it’s called “Rechtsbijstandverzekering”). Normally, when it comes to a Mutual Termination, the employer will bear your legal costs up to a certain amount.

While we’re not a lawyer’s office, we’re well versed in the ins and outs of this process, and we’d be happy to check if your severance pay is fair and explain any parts of the document you might be unsure about. Kris has a legal background and is more than happy to assist you along the way.

7. Benefits

Depending on your situation, you might qualify for social security benefits like unemployment benefits (WW-uitkering). These can help you financially while you search for a new job. Please keep an eye out to our ‘resource’ page for a blog post about this specific topic! Also, explore health insurance options since your employer-provided coverage might end.

Remember, losing your job is challenging, but with the right steps and support, you can navigate this situation and find new opportunities in the Netherlands.