Skip to content
MedicSailHealthcare licensing consultants
Netherlands

Work in the Netherlands as a foreign doctor, nurse or AHP

To work in a regulated health profession in the Netherlands you need a recognised diploma, Dutch at the right level and, for 11 professions, BIG registration. Here is the route in order.

BIG

Overview

To work as a doctor, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, midwife, physiotherapist or healthcare psychologist in the Netherlands with a diploma from outside the EU, you first get your diploma recognised through a certificate of professional competence (verklaring van vakbekwaamheid), and then register in the BIG register.

The recognition is decided by the BIG register, run by CIBG for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, on the advice of the independent Commission for Foreign Healthcare Graduates (CBGV). Doctors, dentists and nurses also sit a professional knowledge test, the BI-test (beroepsinhoudelijke toets).

This page is for you if you trained outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland, including professionals working in the Gulf. It gives the big picture: which professions are registered, what language levels you need, how the assessment works, the residence permits the IND offers and what hospital pay looks like under the collective agreement. The profession pages on this site go into the detail for each profession.

The single biggest difference from the UK or Ireland is language. You must prove Dutch at the level the BIG register sets for your profession before you apply: B1 for nurses, B2 for professions trained at higher professional level such as physiotherapists and midwives, and B2+ (above B2, below C1) for doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other university-trained professions. You also need proof of English reading skills. The BIG register says learning Dutch to the right level usually takes one and a half to two years.

The assessment itself is free, but it is slow and often ends with extra training. The BIG register says a certificate of competence takes between 6 months and 1.5 years once your application is complete, and its roadmap puts the whole journey at six months to three years. It also says 50 to 75% of applicants are asked to complete additional training or internships before they are recognised.

Once recognised, you pay €85 to register for 5 years. Your first registration is conditional: you work for 3 months under the supervision of a BIG-registered colleague in the same profession before it becomes definitive. Hospital pay is set by collective agreements (CAO), and most non-EU professionals come on the IND's highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) permit or the EU Blue Card, both of which need a salary at or above the IND's threshold.

Profession guides

The route for your profession in the Netherlands: regulator, exams, fees and pay.

The health system

The Individual Healthcare Professions Act (Wet BIG) regulates health professions in two tiers. Article 3 professions are registered in the BIG register, have a protected title and fall under disciplinary law (tuchtrecht). Article 34 professions have a protected title only and cannot register in the BIG register.

The 11 Article 3 professions are: doctor (arts), nurse (verpleegkundige), dentist (tandarts), pharmacist (apotheker), physiotherapist (fysiotherapeut), midwife (verloskundige), healthcare psychologist (gezondheidszorgpsycholoog), psychotherapist, clinical technologist, physician assistant and generalist remedial educationalist (orthopedagoog-generalist).

Article 34 professions include dietitians, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, podiatrists, diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, optometrists, dental hygienists and nurses in individual healthcare (verzorgende IG). Their diplomas still need recognition, but there is no BIG registration.

Specialisms recognised in law under Article 14, such as medical specialties, specialist nursing and clinical psychology, are registered by separate committees of the professional bodies, for example the RGS for medical specialists. Your basic diploma is assessed first.

Hospital staff in general hospitals are paid under the Cao Ziekenhuizen, negotiated by the hospital employers' association NVZ. Jobs are placed in a function group (functiegroep) through job evaluation, and each group has set pay steps. University medical centres, mental health care, elderly care and community pharmacy have their own agreements.

Every registered professional must re-register every 5 years, either by showing enough work experience in the profession or by meeting training requirements. Anyone can search the public BIG register by name or BIG number.

Hospitals in the Netherlands

Careers, pay and how to apply at hospitals that hire internationally trained staff.

Regulators in the Netherlands

The route, step by step

  1. 1. Check that your profession is registered and which procedure applies

    Use the BIG register's advice wizard (advieswijzer) to see which of the three recognition procedures applies to you. With a diploma from outside the EEA and Switzerland, it is the certificate of professional competence. Book a free 30-minute consultation hour with the recognition team, online or in The Hague, if anything is unclear before you start.

  2. 2. Learn Dutch to the required level

    You need a Dutch certificate covering reading, writing, speaking and listening, no more than two years old when you apply. B1 and B2 must come from the State Examination Dutch as a Second Language (Staatsexamen NT2); B2+ is only offered by institutes the BIG register lists, because the NT2 exam does not test at that level. This is the longest stage for most people, so start early.

  3. 3. Prove your English reading skills

    The BIG register also asks for English reading skills: B2 for university-level professions (for example IELTS 5.5 to 6.0, TOEFL 72 to 94 or Cambridge 160 to 179), B1 for higher professional level, and A2 for nurses. The certificate must be no more than two years old. Nurses in individual healthcare (verzorgende IG) are exempt.

  4. 4. Collect, certify and translate your documents

    You need your diploma, your course overview and syllabus, a certified passport copy, a declaration that you may practise in the country of training, and your language certificates. The BIG register does not accept an apostille as certification: copies must be certified by an authorised body, and documents not in Dutch or English need a sworn translation. Wrongly certified documents are a common cause of delay.

  5. 5. Apply online through mijn.bigregister.nl

    Log in with DigiD or a BIG login and complete the application, adding the profession-specific appendix if there is one. The application and the commission's assessment are free. The BIG register checks your file within about 4 weeks of it being complete, and Nuffic or SBB makes an initial assessment of your diploma.

  6. 6. Sit the BI-test if your profession has one

    Doctors, dentists and nurses sit the BI-test in the Netherlands. The BIG register's test page lists €400 for nurses and €1,500 for dentists. For doctors it lists no fee and says there are no test places at the moment, with no known date for new bookings; its Dutch page also says dentists' places for 2026 are full. Results take 3 to 6 weeks and show where your knowledge needs topping up rather than giving a simple pass or fail.

  7. 7. Receive the CBGV's assessment and complete any extra training

    The CBGV compares your training with the current Dutch programme and checks whether differences are made up by other study or work experience. You are usually invited to a meeting to discuss its advice. If it recommends additional training or an internship, you arrange this yourself with a Dutch institution; it can take months to several years and costs extra.

  8. 8. Get your certificate of professional competence

    You receive an intended decision and have two weeks to respond. A positive decision is your certificate of professional competence. If the decision is negative, you can lodge an objection within 6 weeks.

  9. 9. Register in the BIG register

    Apply for registration and pay €85 for 5 years. You need a Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS) and a certificate of good conduct, each no more than three months old, plus a CV. Registration starts conditionally: you work 3 months under the supervision of a BIG-registered professional in your field, then send in the supervision form to make it definitive.

  10. 10. Get a job and a residence permit

    Most non-EU professionals come as a highly skilled migrant, which needs an employer recognised by the IND, or on an EU Blue Card. Both need a salary at or above the IND threshold, and the IND checks that you are BIG-registered if you will work in a registered profession. If you will not meet the threshold, ask your employer which route applies.

Language requirements

  • The main language test in the Netherlands is Dutch, not English. The BIG register requires a Dutch certificate at B1 for nurses (trained at secondary vocational, mbo, level), B2 for higher professional (hbo) professions such as physiotherapists and midwives, and B2+ for university-trained professions such as doctors, dentists and pharmacists.
  • B1 and B2 certificates must come from the State Examination Dutch as a Second Language (Staatsexamen NT2). B2+ is higher than B2 but lower than C1; the NT2 exam does not offer it, so you take a test at one of the institutes the BIG register lists, such as Babel Language Institute, NedLes or BGB Academy.
  • Proof of English reading skills is also required: B2 for university-level professions (IELTS 5.5 to 6.0, TOEFL 72 to 94, Cambridge 160 to 179), B1 for hbo professions (IELTS 4.0 to 5.0, TOEFL 42 to 71, Cambridge 140 to 159) and A2 for mbo professions such as nursing (Cambridge 120 to 139). EnglishScore from the British Council is also listed.
  • Language certificates may be no more than two years old. Final school reports from education completed in Dutch, or a diploma supplement showing your professional training was in Dutch, can also count as proof of Dutch.
  • The AKV test (Algemene Kennis en Vaardigheden) no longer exists. Since 1 January 2024 you send your language certificates with your application instead. AKV components you passed before then remain valid.
  • There is no separate language requirement for the highly skilled migrant permit or the EU Blue Card; the language rules come from the BIG register.

Visas

  • Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)

    Your employer must be a sponsor recognised by the IND and applies for you. In 2026 the gross monthly salary, excluding holiday allowance, must be at least €5,942 if you are 30 or older, €4,357 if you are under 30, or €3,122 under the reduced criterion for recent graduates. The fee is €423, the IND must decide within 90 days, and the permit lasts as long as your contract, up to 5 years.

  • BIG registration for the permit

    The IND states that if you will work in individual healthcare in a profession listed in Article 3 or 36a of the BIG Act, you must be registered in the BIG register. Doctors in training as specialists have extra conditions: at least the minimum wage, a training place recognised by the RGS, SGRC or HVRC, and a BIG registration.

  • EU Blue Card

    You need an employment contract of at least 6 months, a higher education diploma from a programme of at least 3 years (or 5 years of relevant higher-level experience) and a salary of at least €5,942 a month in 2026, or €4,754 under the reduced criterion for recent graduates. A recognised sponsor is not required, but recognised sponsors get faster decisions. The fee is €423 and you must show permission to practise a regulated profession, which for healthcare means BIG registration.

  • Provisional residence permit (MVV)

    Depending on your nationality, you may need an MVV entry visa. The IND says that once it is approved, you make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate within 3 months to collect it before you travel.

  • Family members

    Your partner and children can apply with you through the same recognised sponsor. The IND charges a separate fee for each family member; check the current amounts on the IND fees page.

  • EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

    You do not need a residence or work permit. If your diploma is on the EU list for doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists or midwives, you may qualify for automatic recognition, which the BIG register says takes up to three months once complete. You still need Dutch at the right level.

Pay

Gross monthly pay in general hospitals under the Cao Ziekenhuizen salary tables published by NVZ, effective 1 August 2026, for a 36-hour week. Your function group (functiegroep) depends on how your employer grades the job, not on your nationality, and you move up a step each year. University medical centres, mental health care, elderly care and community practices have their own agreements or set pay themselves. Figures exclude holiday allowance and other supplements.

Monthly amounts

  • Functiegroep 40

    €2,750 to €3,959

    Cao Ziekenhuizen, 1 August 2026.

  • Functiegroep 45

    €3,228 to €4,346

    Cao Ziekenhuizen, 1 August 2026.

  • Functiegroep 50

    €3,463 to €4,914

    Cao Ziekenhuizen, 1 August 2026.

  • Functiegroep 55

    €3,903 to €5,503

    Cao Ziekenhuizen, 1 August 2026.

  • Functiegroep 60

    €4,246 to €6,220

    Cao Ziekenhuizen, 1 August 2026.

  • Doctor in specialist training (aios)

    €4,629 to €6,047

    Cao Ziekenhuizen aios scale, 1 August 2026, from year 0 to year 8.

  • Employed medical specialist (AMS)

    €8,868 to €15,392

    AMS salary table 2025-2027, from 1 August 2026, steps 0 to 6.

Pay for your profession: Doctors · Nurses · Midwives · Dentists · Pharmacists · Physiotherapists

Key terms in the Netherlands

The permits, numbers and bodies you will meet on the way, each explained in plain English.

Questions

You first apply for a certificate of professional competence through mijn.bigregister.nl, with Dutch and English language certificates and your certified documents. The CBGV assesses your training, and doctors, dentists and nurses also sit the BI-test. With a positive decision you register in the BIG register for €85.

Not in a BIG-registered profession. You must show Dutch at B1 (nurses), B2 (hbo professions) or B2+ (doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other university-trained professions) before you apply for recognition.

No. Since 1 January 2024 the AKV test has been replaced by language certificates that you send with your application. If you already passed AKV components for Dutch or English, those remain valid.

The BIG register says a certificate of competence takes 6 months to 1.5 years from a complete application, and its roadmap puts the whole route at six months to three years. Learning Dutch, waiting for a BI-test place and extra training are the main causes of longer timelines.

The application and the CBGV assessment are free. The BI-test costs €400 for nurses and €1,500 for dentists; the BIG register lists no doctors' fee while there are no test places for doctors. BIG registration is €85 for 5 years, and the residence permit is €423. Language courses and tests, translations and any extra training are on top.

The Commission for Foreign Healthcare Graduates (Commissie Buitenslands Gediplomeerden Volksgezondheid) is an independent committee of working professionals and educators. It compares your training with the Dutch programme and advises the BIG register to recognise you, refuse you, or ask you to complete extra training first.

Article 3 professions, such as doctors, nurses and physiotherapists, register in the BIG register and fall under disciplinary law. Article 34 professions, such as dietitians and occupational therapists, have a protected title but no BIG registration.

Most come as a highly skilled migrant with an IND-recognised employer, or on an EU Blue Card. Both need a salary at or above the 2026 threshold, and the IND requires BIG registration for registered professions.

Yes, under supervision. The first BIG registration is conditional: you work 3 months under the supervision of a registered colleague in your profession, during which you may use your title and perform reserved procedures. It becomes definitive once you send in the supervision form.

General hospitals pay by function group under the Cao Ziekenhuizen. From 1 August 2026, for example, functiegroep 50 runs from €3,463 to €4,914 gross a month for 36 hours. Your group depends on how the employer grades the job.

Specialist recognition is separate from your basic diploma and is handled by committees such as the RGS for medical specialists. The BIG register's roadmap estimates around €2,285 for specialist recognition and registration, plus €750 if an adaptation internship is needed.

Sources

  1. 1BIG register: Recognition of foreign diplomas
  2. 2BIG register: Certificate of professional competence
  3. 3BIG register: Roadmap to working in the Netherlands
  4. 4BIG register: Dutch language proficiency
  5. 5BIG-register: Nederlandse taalvaardigheid
  6. 6BIG register: English reading skills
Show all 24 sources
  1. 7BIG register: Professional tests (BI-test)
  2. 8BIG-register: Beroepsinhoudelijke toets (Dutch)
  3. 9BIG register: Change BI-toets physicians
  4. 10BIG register: Processing time and costs
  5. 11BIG register: AKV test is replaced by language certificates
  6. 12BIG register: Commission for Foreign Healthcare Graduates
  7. 13BIG register: Legislation (BIG Act)
  8. 14BIG register: Other professions
  9. 15BIG register: Registration with a recognised qualification
  10. 16BIG register: Automatic recognition of some EU diplomas
  11. 17IND: Highly skilled migrant
  12. 18IND: European Blue Card
  13. 19IND: Required amounts and income requirements
  14. 20IND: Fees
  15. 21NVZ Cao Ziekenhuizen: salary scales, premiums and allowances
  16. 22Cao Ziekenhuizen: salaries per function group from 1 August 2026 (PDF)
  17. 23Cao Ziekenhuizen: aios salary scales 2025-2027 (PDF)
  18. 24AMS salary tables 2025-2027 (PDF)

Keep exploring

Registering and working in the Netherlands