GVVA
A foreign national from outside the EU / EEA and Switzerland may only perform work in the Netherlands if he/she has a GVVA. The EEA is the European Economic Area. This includes all countries of the EU (the European Union), plus the countries of Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland.
The GVVA is a combined permit for residence and for work. If your employee is coming to work for you in the Netherlands for a period of more than three months, you must apply for this permit from the IND.
As an employer, you cannot simply apply for a GVVA for your foreign employee.
- You must first have tried for a period of five weeks to fill the vacancy with an employee from the EU / EEA or Switzerland. This is called the priority offer. For functions that are difficult to fill, this may be extended to even a three-month period.
- You must have registered the vacancy with the UWV (The employers’ service point via www.werk.nl).
- If the vacancy has been with the UWV for five weeks without it being filled, then you can request a GVVA.
Exceptions
There are some exceptions to the main rule that you must apply for a GVVA. We can advise you on this.
For example, if the period in which work will be performed is shorter than three months, you may not need to apply for a GVVA; a work permit may be enough.
If the employee already has a right of residence in the Netherlands, applying for a work permit alone may be sufficient for them to perform work in the Netherlands. A GVVA may not be required.
A GVVA is not required for employees who come to the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant, as holder of a European Blue Card or through application of the ICT Directive.