Working as a teacher

Do you hold a foreign diploma, and would you like to work indefinitely as a teacher in the Netherlands? If so, you need to apply for recognition of your foreign professional qualification. If you would like to work temporarily or occasionally as a teacher in the Netherlands, you need to register this intention.

Conditions

Working indefinitely as a teacher
  • You have completed a teacher training programme.
  • The level of this programme is equal to Dutch higher professional education or higher.
  • 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 in Dutch) 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 Switzerland.
  • The diploma authorises you to teach in the country where it was issued.
  • The authorisation to teach conferred by your diploma is the same as the authorisation 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

Apply or register

Apply for recognition of your professional qualification online. Submit all requested supporting documents.

Apply for recognition professional qualification teacherApply for recognition professional qualification teacher (link in Dutch)

Apply with a form

If you cannot apply for recognition of your professional qualification online, use a form instead.

  • 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 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 the EU countries or Switzerland.

Do you want to work in primary education and are you from outside The EU and Switzerland? Please indicate on the 'Recognition of non-EU professional teaching qualifications' form which language requirement you meet.

Language requirement Dutch

You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak Dutch at CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2, or higher. For instance:

  • a diploma Dutch as a 2nd language (Nt2) State exam, 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 exam.

If you meet this language requirement, you are permitted teach in Dutch in the (European) Netherlands, on Bonaire, on Saba, and on Sint Eustatius.

Language requirement Papiamento

You must submit a certificate which shows that you speak Papiamento at CEFR level Link opent externe pagina B2, or higher. For instance:

  • a certificate for the language test in the Papiamento language at the University of Curaçao
  • 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 exam.

If you meet this language requirement, you are permitted to teach in Papiamento on Bonaire.

Language requirement English

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

If you meet this language requirement, you are permitted to teach in English on Saba and on Sint Eustatius and in international education in the (European) Netherlands.

Register temporary or occasional work as a teacher

If you would like to work as a teacher occasionally or temporarily, please use the ‘Temporary or occasional services of EU professional qualifications for teaching professions’ form to register.

Diploma not obtained in EEA or Switzerland

If you did not obtain your diploma in an EEA member state or Switzerland, you can only apply for recognition of your professional qualification. Please read the conditions:

I'm from Ukraine

Are you Ukrainian and does the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine Link opent externe pagina apply to you? 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 equal to the level of Dutch higher education, or higher. 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 until 13 July 2024. 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.

Free

Recognition of your foreign professional qualification or registration of temporary or occasional work is free.

What happens next

Recognition of your professional qualification

The procedure to recognise your foreign professional qualification is as follows:

  • You submit a form requesting recognition of your professional qualification. The supporting documents you need to include are specified on the form.
  • In relation to your diploma, DUO may consult Nuffic Link opent externe pagina  or make enquiries with the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued.
  • If these authorities are unable to verify your diploma, we require a statement from your educational institute confirming that you graduated successfully.
  • We will inform you of our decision
  • If we reject your application, 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 supporting documents you need to include are specified on the form.
  • DUO makes enquiries about your diploma with the relevant authorities in the country where the diploma was issued.
  • If these authorities are unable to verify your diploma, we require a statement from your educational institute confirming that you graduated successfully.
  • We will inform you of our decision.
  • If your registration is accepted, you will receive a letter confirming the registration. You will then be eligible to work as a teacher.
  • If we reject your registration, 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.