Offering work to Ukrainian refugees

Do you have vacancies, and do you want to help Ukrainian refugees by offering them work? Read what the current situation is.

Many Dutch businesses face employee shortages in the current labour market. Offering work to refugees can be a (temporary) solution to the employee shortage. Thanks to the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine, you do not have to apply for a work permit for Ukrainian refugees. They can quickly start working for you. Around half of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands have already found work.

Rules and conditions

There are specific conditions to protect the vulnerable group of Ukrainian refugees in the labour market. For example:

• A business must employ Ukrainian refugees by giving them an employment contract. You must also treat and reward this employee the same as other employees.
• Check carefully whether a refugee is covered by the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine.
• Ukrainian refugees must have proof of residence in the Netherlands. This is a sticker in their passport or a card (also known as the O-document). They must apply for this proof of residence from the IND.
• As an employer, you have to report the new employee to the UWV. You report what work the employee will do, where, and how many hours per week. The Netherlands Labour Authority uses this information to check whether you comply with labour laws. The new employee may start work 2 working days after registering with the UWV. 

Temporary Protection Directive extended

For refugees with Ukrainian nationality, the Temporary Protection Directive is automatically extended until 4 March 2025. They can work in the Netherlands until then. This applies to refugees with Ukrainian nationality and non-Ukrainian refugees who already had permanent residence status in Ukraine. Their family members are also covered by the directive.

Exception for third-country nationals with temporary residence permits

Does a (possible) employee have a temporary residence permit in Ukraine? For example, for work or study. Then the normal asylum procedure applies. The employee may work for you for the time being. For this group, the temporary protection ended on 4 September 2023. But they may continue to use the rights until there is a ruling from the Council of State. Read more about the Temporary Protection Directive on the IND website.

Hiring Ukrainian refugees

There are several ways to hire Ukrainian refugees. If you need help, contact your municipality's employers’ service point (in Dutch). Do you have several branch offices? You can also check the website of the national service point LandelijkWerkgeversServicepoint (in Dutch) for a list of advisers per business sector. You can support Ukrainian refugees by offering them work via employment agencies that specialise in mediating on behalf of Eastern European employees.

Offering work on a freelance basis

Do you want to offer a work assignment to a Ukrainian refugee as a self-employed person? If so, you must apply for a work permit (TWV) for them. Read about the requirements for a Ukrainian refugee to register in the KVK Business Register.

Latest information

Read the latest information about procedures for hiring Ukrainian refugees and doing business with Ukraine and Russia:

• werk.nl (in Dutch): Hiring foreign employees and work permits.
• IND: Ukraine: effects on stay or application for Ukrainians and Russians.
• Dutch Council for Refugees (Vluchtelingenwerk) (in Dutch): Offering work to Ukrainians, what are the rules?
• Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO: State of affairs Ukraine-Russia: what is the impact on doing business? (in Dutch)
• Rijksoverheid (in Dutch): Permits for international staff.
• Government.nl: Work and income for refugees from Ukraine.
• UWV: Dashboard featuring stats about Ukraininan refugees in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
• RefugeeHelp: Refugees can contact this organisation for help in the Netherlands

These employers hired Ukrainian refugees

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