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Work in Holland after university

Start your international career in Holland

Knowledge and talent is valued in Holland. That’s why after you graduate, you are welcome to stay and look for employment with a post-study work visa. Fast-growing industries and universities linked to employers are waiting for you, and you can look forward to an exciting career.

Links to employers

Dutch universities have excellent links with multinational companies based in Holland. Many degrees offer work placements, and research projects are often connected to a particular company. As a university student you will have access to business networks, mentors and career advisors to help you prepare for your future career. 

Post-study work visas

Holland offers advantageous visas for international students who want to stay and work after graduation. With the Orientation Year for Graduates Seeking Employment you can spend up to one year looking for work in Holland, and you can stay as long as you have that job. Find out more about working in Holland after you graduate. 

Careers in Holland

Holland has fast-growing industries and is a key player in the business world thanks to its highly innovative and entrepreneurial population. Key sectors offering great employment opportunities in Holland include: agriculture and food, creative, chemicals, energy, high-tech systems and materials, horticulture, life sciences and health, logistics and water. Large Dutch multinational companies include:

  • Philips
  • KLM
  • Shell
  • ING Bank
  • Unilever

Average wages in Holland

According to iamamsterdam.com, the average starting salary of a university graduate in the Netherlands is € 2,632 per month. This can be higher, depending on your degree subject.

Hear what Reyka Nijeholt at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Jinre Van der Veen, a Tech Graduate Recruiter at Optiver have to say about opportunities to work after graduation:


Build a global network

Studying at the International Study Centre you will meet students from all around the world, and our partner universities welcome thousands of international students each year. This means you’ll meet like-minded people, learn about other cultures and open your mind to new ideas. It’s an exciting opportunity to build a network of people you know around the world as you start thinking about your future goals and ambitions.

Visas in Holland

Find out about visas for working in Holland after your studies and the visa you need for studying. 

Holland ISC student talks about the International Foundation Year

I really think that studying somewhere abroad will benefit your career. You have international experience, so you have experience working with people from different backgrounds, from different countries, with different views on the world than yours. I think that university is a good place for that because you are open for everything and you have group projects.

Elmira from Azerbaijan
Studied International Foundation Year in Business and Management
Progressed to BSc International Business