IDW diploma evaluation (Netherlands)

IDW compares your foreign diploma with the Dutch education system. Nuffic evaluates higher education and general secondary diplomas, and SBB evaluates vocational ones, commissioned by the Ministries of Education, Culture and Science and of Social Affairs and Employment. The evaluation states your name, the programme, its length, where and when you completed it, the diploma and the comparable Dutch level. It is issued in Dutch with an electronic signature, which is valid on the electronic document but not on a printout.

IDW evaluates nationally recognised diplomas from programmes of at least 1,000 hours, one diploma per application. It does not evaluate short courses, unrecognised diplomas or work experience. IDW stresses that the evaluation is advice and that you cannot derive legal rights from it.

Usually not for licensed work. IDW tells applicants to check first whether their profession is regulated in the Netherlands, naming (para)medical professions and nursing as examples, and if so to contact the competent authority. For doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other BIG professions, that means the foreign diploma procedure for the BIG register, with an assessment by the CBGV and often the BI-test. See BIG register and our BI-test guide.

An IDW evaluation can still help if you take a non-regulated job, if an employer asks for one, or for civic integration (inburgering).

1. Create an account on My IDW (mijnidw.nl) and start an application.
2. Upload the required documents for your diploma. Do not post originals unless IDW asks.
3. Pay the fee of €148.83 through the payment link IDW emails you; processing starts after payment.
4. Follow the status in your account and answer any requests for documents.
5. Download the evaluation, which stays available in your account for three years and remains valid.

An employer can apply on your behalf with your permission.

IDW currently warns of longer processing times. Its published process has an initial check about 6 working weeks after you apply, repeated if documents are missing, followed by evaluation of about 8 working weeks. If you disagree with the result, you can complain within 6 working weeks of the date on the evaluation; complaints take about 8 working weeks.

• Diploma not yet received: IDW accepts a signed statement from your institution that you will receive it, and that you have applied and paid for it where a fee applies.
• Programme not completed: if you finished at least one year, you can receive an educational evaluation with the same information.
• Refugees missing documents: IDW will assess what it can from the documents you have.
• No evaluation possible: you receive a notification that no evaluation can be made (Bericht geen waardering).
• Errors: if your name or date of birth is wrong, request a correction through My IDW and you receive a corrected evaluation.