Software developer CV for the Netherlands, from Türkiye

Do this first: know which employers you can apply to

For most nationalities, only an employer the IND has recognised as a sponsor can apply for a highly skilled migrant permit. Turkish citizens are an exception: the IND's page on the EU-Turkey Association Agreement says a recognised sponsor is not required for Turkish employees, who may also submit the application themselves once they have found a job. The IND still advises having a recognised sponsor apply, because it decides faster on those applications. So your target list can be wider than the sponsor register, and you should know where each company stands before you tailor a CV.

1. Open the IND public register of recognised sponsors and choose the Work (labour) register; the others cover exchange, study and research.
2. Search each company by its legal name, which may differ from its brand. The IND updates the registers once a month.
3. Mark each company: listed (it can apply for you, and the IND decides faster) or not listed (you or the company would use the Turkish-citizen route).
4. Keep a sheet with company, register status, vacancy link and vacancy language.
5. For companies that are not listed, mention in your letter that as a Turkish citizen you do not need a recognised sponsor, and link the IND page.

How a Dutch developer application works

What the IND page lists, and what it leaves out

The IND's highly skilled migrant page lists an employment contract, a salary in line with the market rate and an income requirement. It does not list a degree or a number of years of experience for the general permit. That makes the route open to self-taught developers in a way Germany's degree-based Blue Card is not. The amounts and the age bands are on the highly skilled migrant CV page.

Which language to write in

No rule sets the CV language. Answer in the language of the vacancy: an English ad gets an English CV, a Dutch ad a Dutch one. State your Dutch level honestly with its CEFR level, even if it is A1; teams that work in English still notice that you are learning.

The job title

The Dutch engineering titles in the higher education act are the abbreviations ir. and ing. written before a name. The articles we read say nothing about a job title such as Software Engineer, and we found no official guidance restricting it, so use the title from your contract. The engineer CV page explains the abbreviations.

Sector rules that appear in Dutch vacancies

Two Dutch rule sets show up often enough in developer work to be worth knowing by name. In healthcare, a decree on electronic data processing by care providers requires care providers to work in line with NEN 7510 (information security in healthcare) and NEN 7512 (secure data exchange), and defines NEN 7513 as the part on logging actions. In the public sector, a decree on digital accessibility requires government bodies to make their websites and mobile apps accessible by applying EN 301 549, which it describes as including the WCAG guidelines. If you have done comparable work, describe it with these terms; if you have not, do not add them.

Screening after the offer: the VOG

Justis, part of the Ministry of Justice and Security, says a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) is often required for a new job. Someone not registered in a Dutch municipality applies directly to Justis, and a decision follows within 4 to 8 weeks. It is not a CV item; it comes after the offer, so leave it off the CV and plan the time.

Sample skills block and two project lines

Written for a backend or full-stack role at a Dutch healthcare software company. Every tool, figure and employer is a placeholder showing the form; write your own, and only numbers you can support.

Project line 1: access logging for patient records

Project line 2: an accessible application form

Neither line needs Dutch experience. The first reads naturally to a reader who works under NEN 7513; the second to a supplier of Dutch government websites under EN 301 549. The terms help only because the work behind them is real.

GitHub: a profile README and a licence

• A profile README appears on your GitHub profile when you create a public repository named exactly like your username with a README.md in its root.
• Use it as a three-line index: what you build, the two repositories a reviewer should open, and how to reach you.
• GitHub notes that without a licence, default copyright applies and no one may reproduce, distribute or create derivative works from your code; other users can still view and fork a public repository.
• Publish only code you own. Work written for an employer stays private unless you have permission.

Where each rule comes from

Read on 13 October 2026; links are under Sources.

Immigration rules and registers change. Check the linked IND pages before you apply.

Who this page does not fit

• EU citizens and people who already hold a Dutch residence permit that allows work: the sponsor step does not apply to you.
• Graduates of Dutch or top-ranked universities looking for a first job: the orientation year page fits better.
• Developers seeking freelance work: self-employment is a different IND permit.
• Hardware and embedded engineers whose CV is mostly circuits and standards: see the engineer page.

Next steps

1. Build the target list with each company’s register status and vacancy language.
2. Write the skills block and two after-form project lines from your own work.
3. Create the profile README, link two repositories, and check each has a licence and a clear README.
4. Send the CV with a short motivation letter that names the team and the product.

CitedCV can turn the projects, figures and tools you enter into an English CV with EU conventions, and each line stays tied to a fact you gave it. It does not check the sponsor register or your permit route for you.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. IND, Highly skilled migrantind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/highly-skilled-migrant
2. IND, Public register recognised sponsorsind.nl/en/public-register-recognised-sponsors
3. IND, Turkish citizens and living in the Netherlandsind.nl/en/turkish-citizens-and-living-in-the-netherlands
4. Besluit elektronische gegevensverwerking door zorgaanbiederswetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0040238/
5. Tijdelijk besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheidwetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0040936/
6. Justis, Certificate of Conductwww.justis.nl/en/products/certificate-of-conduct
7. GitHub Docs, Managing your profile READMEdocs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/how-tos/profile-customization/managing-your-profile-readme
8. GitHub Docs, Licensing a repositorydocs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/licensing-a-repository
9. Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek, Article 7.20wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005682/