Orientation year (zoekjaar) in the Netherlands: eligibility and the job-search CV
The IND orientation year gives graduates of a Dutch programme, or of a master's or PhD at a top-200 foreign university, one year to find work, and lets employers sponsor them later at the reduced €3,122 monthly threshold.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First, match yourself to one IND route
The IND calls this permit the residence permit for an orientation year for highly educated persons; Dutch speakers say zoekjaar. Every route has the same clock: the degree, doctorate or research must have been completed in the 3 years before the application date. Work out which route you are on before you collect anything, because the documents differ completely.
- Write down your graduation date as it appears on the diploma, or the date your research permit ended.
- Count 3 years forward. Your application must reach the IND before that date.
- Decide whether the qualification is Dutch (accredited bachelor’s or master’s, post-master’s of at least 10 months, PhD) or foreign.
- If foreign, confirm it is a master’s, post-master’s or PhD. The foreign route does not include a bachelor’s.
- For a foreign degree, check the university’s position in the rankings for the year you graduated, not this year.
Why a Turkish lisans alone is not enough
The IND's foreign route names a master's degree, a doctoral programme or a post-master's programme at a designated foreign institution. A four-year lisans from any university, however highly ranked, does not open it. A yüksek lisans or doktora from a university that met the top-200 test on your graduation date can. The IND also notes that different requirements may apply to Turkish citizens and their family members; check its Turkish citizens page if you already live in the Netherlands.
How the permit works, from application to job offer
| Point | IND rule, read 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Length | 1 year; it cannot be extended |
| Work | Work freely permitted, TWV not required; an internship or self-employment is also allowed |
| How often | One permit per completed research project, study programme or doctorate; the new one must be completed after the previous orientation year |
| Fee | €254 (shown with Turkish nationality selected) |
| Decision | Within 90 days; the IND can extend this, for example when the application is incomplete |
| Applying from abroad | MVV and permit together at a Dutch embassy or consulate (form 9571); send the documents to the IND within 3 weeks, and wait 1 week before paying |
| Applying in the Netherlands | Online with DigiD if you studied or researched here, hold that permit, and are registered in the BRP with a BSN; otherwise form 7523 by post |
Working while the IND decides
The IND lets you start work during the application if you sent a Dutch diploma or Statement on completion of study, a foreign diploma that Nuffic has assessed, or you did scientific research in the past 3 years. You first need a residence endorsement sticker in your passport reading "Arbeid vrij toegestaan, TWV niet vereist".
What changes when an employer wants to hire you
The employer applies for a highly skilled migrant permit and has to meet only the reduced salary criterion, €3,122 gross a month in 2026, instead of €4,357 or €5,942. The IND applies that amount during or after the orientation year, and also to people who never held the permit but meet its conditions, as long as the application comes within 3 years of graduation. The reduced amount does not depend on age, so it is the line employers most want to see on your CV.
Eligibility table: route, condition, document, CV line
Built from IND forms 7523 (version 2026/3) and 9571 (version 2026/6) and the orientation year page, all read on 13 October 2026. The CV lines are samples with invented names and dates.
| Route | Condition (last 3 years) | Document for the IND | CV line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch bachelor’s or master’s | Accredited programme at a Dutch institution, completed | Diploma showing the graduation date, or the IND appendix Statement on completion of study; a list of marks alone is not enough | MSc Supply Chain Management, [university], Rotterdam, 09/2024 to 08/2026 (graduated 28 August 2026) |
| Dutch post-master’s | At least one academic year, minimum 10 months | Diploma or certificate with the date | Post-master Data Science (10 months), [institution], Amsterdam, completed 06/2026 |
| Dutch PhD | Doctorate at a Dutch university or the Open University | Diploma with the date of the doctorate | PhD in Chemical Engineering, [university], Eindhoven, defended 03/2026 |
| Researcher in the Netherlands | Research permit under Directive (EU) 2016/801, or highly skilled migrant permit for research; UFO job code starting 01 | None; the IND already holds the data | Postdoctoral researcher, [university], Delft, 01/2024 to 12/2025 |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Master | Master’s obtained in the programme | Diploma with the date and a Nuffic credential evaluation | Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in [field], [consortium universities], 2024 to 2026 |
| Top-200 foreign university | Master’s, post-master’s or PhD; institution in the top 200 of two publishers’ lists on the graduation date | Ranking evidence, Nuffic credential evaluation (or proof you applied), diploma, English proof | Yüksek Lisans (MSc) in Computer Engineering, [university], Türkiye, graduated 06/2025; Nuffic credential evaluation 2026 |
The top-200 test, rule by rule
- Three publishers count: Times Higher Education, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and ShanghaiRanking, each with a general list and a list by subject.
- The institution must be in the top 200 of lists from at least 2 different publishers; two lists from the same publisher count as one.
- General and subject lists may be combined, if they come from different publishers.
- A subject list counts only if it covers your field of study or research.
- The position is checked on your graduation or doctorate date.
English proof on the foreign route
One of these is required: IELTS 6.0 (Academic or General Training both count), a comparable score on a test in the Code of Conduct list, a Dutch civic integration diploma named in the law, or a master’s, post-master’s or PhD taught in English or Dutch. If your programme was taught in English, ask the university for a letter saying so.
The CV you send during the year
An employer reading a CV from a non-EU graduate has to work out whether hiring you means a permit process, and at which salary. Answer both in two lines under your name, then let the rest of the CV follow the Dutch format.
Two header lines
- Residence: "Orientation year residence permit, valid until 08/2027. Work freely permitted, no work permit (TWV) required."
- For a permanent role: "Qualifies for the reduced highly skilled migrant salary criterion (IND) until 08/2029."
- Keep the end dates exact and copy them from the permit card and your diploma.
- Leave the euro amount out of the CV; mention it in the interview or letter if the employer asks.
Education section
Give the full graduation date, not only the year: the 3-year window for the reduced amount runs from it. For a foreign degree, one short phrase with the Nuffic comparison is enough; the degree recognition page shows how to word it.
Sources and reading dates
| Claim | Source, read 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Routes, 3-year window, 1 year, no extension, €254, work freely, endorsement sticker | IND, Residence permit for orientation year (updated 7 October 2026) |
| Documents per route, top-200 publishers, IELTS 6.0 | IND form 7523 (7523-2026/3) |
| Application at the embassy, 3 weeks for documents, wait 1 week before paying | IND form 9571 (9571-2026/6) and its covering letter of January 2026 |
| €3,122 reduced amount and when it applies | IND, Required amounts income requirements |
IND rules and amounts change. Check the linked IND pages before you apply.
When the orientation year does not fit
- Your only foreign degree is a bachelor’s: the foreign route is closed; a master’s in the Netherlands or at a top-200 university opens it.
- Your graduation was more than 3 years before the application date.
- You worked as a researcher in a job whose UFO code does not start with 01: the IND counts only those codes as scientific research.
- You want to start a business: the IND points graduates to the separate start-up permit.
After the year, or instead of it
- When an employer makes an offer, it applies for the highly skilled migrant permit; the kennismigrant page covers that process and the other thresholds.
- If you are still studying, the master’s CV page covers applications to Dutch universities.
- The year cannot be extended, so start applying in its first months.
CitedCV can write the CV in English with EU conventions from the degree, dates and experience you give it, and asks when a date is missing. You add the permit lines yourself; it does not read IND documents.
Questions people ask
Who is eligible for the zoekjaar in the Netherlands?
Graduates of an accredited Dutch programme or PhD, researchers who held a Dutch research permit, Erasmus Mundus master's graduates, and master's or PhD graduates of a top-200 foreign university, all within 3 years.
Can I get an orientation year with a foreign bachelor degree?
No. The IND's foreign route covers a master's, post-master's or PhD from a designated top-200 institution, not a bachelor's.
How many rankings must my university be in for the orientation year?
It must be in the top 200 of lists from at least 2 of the 3 publishers (THE, QS, ShanghaiRanking), on your graduation date.
How much does the orientation year permit cost?
The IND page showed €254 on 13 October 2026, with Turkish nationality selected. Fees change, so check the IND fee page before paying.
Can I extend the orientation year?
No. The IND says the permit is valid for 1 year and cannot be extended; you switch to another permit, such as highly skilled migrant, once you find work.
What salary does an employer need to pay after my zoekjaar?
The reduced highly skilled migrant amount, €3,122 gross a month in 2026, if the application comes during the orientation year or within 3 years of graduation.
Do I need a Nuffic evaluation for the orientation year?
Yes, for a foreign degree, unless an exception applies such as a degree also issued by a Dutch institution. You can send proof that you applied and send the evaluation later.
Sources
- IND, Residence permit for orientation yearind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year
- IND form 7523, Application for looking for work (foreign national in the Netherlands)ind.nl/en/forms/7523.pdf
- IND form 9571, Application for an orientation year from abroadind.nl/en/forms/9571.pdf
- IND, Required amounts income requirementsind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements
- IND, Turkish citizens and living in the Netherlandsind.nl/en/turkish-citizens-and-living-in-the-netherlands