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

Working indefinitely as a teacher
  • You have completed a teacher training programme.
  • The level of that programme is equal to or higher than Dutch higher professional education.
  • You are authorised to work as a teacher in the country where your diploma was issued.
  • The authorisation to teach conferred by your diploma is the same as the authorisation you are applying for.
  • The teacher training programme you have completed gears towards the authorisation for which you want to apply.
If you are a citizen of an EEA member state Link opent externe pagina or Switzerland, you will find the full terms and conditions in the Regeling erkenning EU-beroepskwalificaties onderwijspersoneel Link opent externe pagina .
Temporary or occasional work as a teacher
  • 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.

Dutch

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.
Papiamento

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.

English

You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak English to at least CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2. For instance:

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.

I’m from Ukraine

Are you Ukrainian and does the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine Link opent externe pagina apply to you? Find out whether you can apply for recognition of your foreign professional qualification.

Conditions and applications for Ukrainians

You can apply for recognition of your foreign professional qualification if you meet the following conditions:

  • You’ve completed a teacher training programme.
  • The level of this programme is at least equal to the level of Dutch higher education. A Ukrainian teaching diploma usually meets this requirement.
  • You are authorised to work as a teacher in the country where your diploma was issued.
  • The teaching qualification your diploma provides, is the same as the authorisation you are applying for.
  • The teacher training programme you have completed is aimed towards the authorisation you to apply for.

Working in primary education

If you want to work in regular primary education, your proficiency in the Dutch language has to be at B2 CEFR level Link opent externe pagina . If you don’t have proof of this, you can apply for a temporary recognition to teach at a temporary education facility (in Dutch ‘tijdelijke onderwijsvoorziening’, or ‘tov’). This is a facility for Ukrainian pupils. A temporary recognition is valid for no more than 2 years. This temporary recognition doesn’t make you eligible to teach in regular primary education.

In the Netherlands, primary schools with an international outlook offer English as the language of instruction. In Dutch, these schools are called ‘igbo’. To work at an igbo, your English proficiency has to be at B2 CEFR level Link opent externe pagina . Apply for permanent recognition if you want to teach at an igbo. Recognition for teaching at an igbo doesn’t make you eligible to teach in regular primary education.

Apply for recognition

Apply online for recognition of your foreign professional qualification. Having trouble logging in? Then use the Request form Recognition of non-EU professional teaching qualifications, which you’ll find under Apply and register. If you want to teach in primary education, please state your proficiency level (CEFR level). If you don’t speak Dutch or English at B2 CEFR level, leave this open.

You don’t need to send certified translations of your original Ukrainian documents.

Apply and register

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

Recognition of your professional qualification

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.
  • 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.
Temporary or occasional work

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 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.