Every year we are in the top 3 of the best law firms in the Netherlands in the field of client satisfaction.

Every year we are in the top 3 of the best law firms in the Netherlands in the field of client satisfaction.

If you are looking to hire a non‑EU employee in the Netherlands, you will often need to apply for a Dutch work permit before they can start working. Without the correct permit, a non‑EU national is not legally allowed to work in the Netherlands, whether for short-term or long-term roles. This includes TWV Netherlands, GVVA Netherlands, or other types of Dutch work permits for non-EU employees.

What is a Dutch work permit and when is it required?

Employers must apply for a work permit when hiring a non‑EU employee in the Netherlands:

  • TWV: required for employment up to 90 days. This is the standard TWV work permit in the Netherlands.
  • GVVA: required for employment longer than 90 days.
  • Highly Skilled Migrants and certain other categories do not require a TWV or GVVA before employment.

When is a GVVA or TWV granted?

A work permit (TWV) or combined permit (GVVA) is only issued after an employer shows that they could not find a suitable candidate within the Netherlands and the EU. The job vacancy must have been posted with the UWV for a specified period (usually at least 3 months) without success, a requirement known as the labour market test.

This labour market test makes TWVs and GVVAs difficult to obtain for many regular positions, which is why alternative routes are often more successful.

Other options to bring non-EU talent to the Netherlands

Because TWV and GVVA applications are rarely granted in standard cases, employers frequently choose alternatives that are faster and more viable:

Our experts assess your situation and recommend the best option for your business.

Contact us

Do you want to hire a non‑EU employee quickly and without risks? Contact Kroes Advocaten. We guide you through the entire process: from the initial assessment of your situation to the final decision on the application.

Testimonials
Be in Good Company. Our clients appreciate our excellent and client-oriented service.
9.9
The advocaat is very informative. Her name is Esther W. She explained everything in very detailed about what we need to prepared on processing my MVV visa. The requirements and what we need to do after I got MVV visa. My visa was granted...
10
Mey
26 May 2026
I had an excellent experience working with Esther Wolthuis at Kroes Advocaten for my permanent residence application. Esther was amazing throughout the entire journey. She was very attentive, took the time to answer all of my questions, and was...
10
Sarah
26 May 2026
My husband and me are very happy to have Sander and his office representing us. This is not the first time Sander was our lawyer and we are very thankful for everything he did. Even our case was almost a year long, he was so involved, accurate...
10
Branko Galic
25 May 2026
My case was a bit tricky to say the least… My documents that I needed were harder to obtain than normal and took much more time then expected but somehow my lawyer (Dilara) pulled every legal string possible to slow the process on the IND’s...
10
Eric
20 May 2026
Florent heeft ons heel goed geholpen bij het aanvragen en verkrijgen van een visum voor mijn partner. Omdat het een wat ingewikkeldere aanvraag was, besloten we de hulp van een specialist in te schakelen, en zo kwamen we bij Kroes Advocaten...
10
Hanna
20 May 2026
Sanders Groen managed to save me from loosing my work permit first time round. A job well done. I highly recommend anyone with VISA application requirements to use Kroes Advocaten Immigration Lawyers
10
Sboniso
20 May 2026
Mijn ervaring met dit advocatenkantoor is bijzonder positief. Vanaf het eerste contactmoment werd er professioneel, duidelijk en betrokken gehandeld. De communicatie verliep snel en prettig, waarbij alle vragen zorgvuldig werden beantwoord en...
10
olcay
19 May 2026
It's about the difference between submitting an application on your own and figuring everything that comes with that, or having the support of a trusted professional. Inge helped me obtaining an HSM permit and later with an appeal for...
10
Camilo
14 May 2026
I had a very positive experience working with Sander Groen from Kroes Advocaten on my Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) visa application in the Netherlands. Sander was professional, responsive and very knowledgeable throughout the entire process. He...
10
Konstantin Ulankin
13 May 2026
We work for the following clients
Tiange Gao, HR Operations Western Europe

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Kroes Advocaten for the outstanding service that is provided in the work permit and residence applications, specifically the ICT visa process. Our dedicated lawyer Mr. Sander Groen, whose professionalism and attention to detail makes the entire experience seamless and stress-free. Their ability to tackle extremely difficult cases with a positive outcome reflects the high standards of excellence at Kroes Advocaten.”

Marek Macek, Consulting Director

“We have not had a single instance where Kroes Advocaten did not deliver what was promised to us. They are typically very specific about the process, costs and timelines. This is a great value-add to us, as it simply takes away another risk item and allows us to successfully live up to our commitments to our customers.”

Vera Hoffmann, Global Mobility Manager

"They are great to work with, responsiveness, knowledgeable and great communication to our foreigners. "

Parag Deshpande, Sr. Director

“All expectations met. They also helped set a process for audit from IND in Netherlands for us which is really handy. They maintain a copy of each case in electronic and physical format at their office. Also reminders on expiring visas and application to renew the same in time is handy.”

Marios Stangonis, Legal Department

“The team of KROES Advocaten leaves us always satisfied with the quality of the services they provide us with. They know very well the technicalities of Dutch immigration law and legal procedures and are able to give us precise direction within short deadlines. We feel confident that every issue we assign them is under control.”

Martijn Coeveld, Director of Operations

“We consider Kroes Advocaten as one of our key partners; they play an essential role in recruiting new talent for TBA. Kroes Advocaten provide clarity early-on, get to action promptly and are responsive throughout the entire visa application process.”

Anurag Nautiyal, Sales Director & Head – Continental Europe

I would like to thank Kroes Advocaten  for the excellent job that all of you have done in managing these assignments. It was professionally handled, expertly managed, with timely updates and at no point did it seem that you are not in control. “

Nynke Doorenbos, Executive Vice President, HR, Legal and Operations

"We have been working with Kroes Advocaten for several years mainly in relation to Visa applications for expats. We value their efficiency, responsiveness and professionalism. Based on our experience in working with them, we have complete faith in their capabilities of getting the job done! On behalf of our organisation I take this opportunity to thank Sander Groen, Sarah Lindeboom and the rest of the team for always delivering excellence and organizing valuable seminars and events for knowledge sharing. Very much appreciated!"

Kailas Ugale, Manager – Visa & Immigration

“Kroes Advocaten  is a leader in the field of Dutch Immigration law, work permit and process and consistently provides us with outstanding value. Their service remains extremely client oriented, user friendly and highly efficient. Their fees are extremely competitive yet they offer solid legal strategic advice with consistently high service and results.” 

Venera Khairullina, Visa Strategy & Compliance Group

We  have been working with Kroes Advocaten for all our visa applications in Netherlands. They have been very efficient, responsive, and have a high-skilled team of immigration specialists. They also very good in finding smart solutions that are compliant with the local laws and regulations and they timely warn us about any changes in the local law. We are generally very pleased with their assistance.

Joe White, Regional Manager

"Kroes Advocaten have assisted us with the relocation of many staff in recent years. Their work has been exemplary - we've never had any issues, everything is completed on time and for a reasonable price. I would highly recommend them to anyone who needs to transfer staff from overseas to The Netherlands."

Henk Offermans, Finance & HR Manager

Kroes Advocaten have assisted us a few times now with expats coming from Japan and we can testify that they have a very straightforward approach. What really stands out is their way of communication. They are clear on every step, inform us immediately when there is new information and also help the expats, who are unfamiliar with the Netherlands, by showing them what to do in a clear way when their input is required. Our expats are very positive about the service delivered.

Teresa Vanderlaan, Global Humans Resources Manager 

Many times we are all rushing to get work completed and forget the simple words of “thank you”. I wanted to stop today and tell you I truly appreciate how responsive you and your team are, how you communicate and explain the world of immigration to myself and colleagues, and your availability to myself and anyone on my team. While I am half Dutch, I have heard generalizations made, that the Dutch are very slow in responding and working. That has not been the case with you and you have no idea how helpful it has been for me to work with you. So “thank you”. You help me make my job easier.

Barak Bar-Hen, CEO Elad Europe

"The Elad Europe group has started working with Mr. Sander Groen since 2007, and is using his good services for its employees. Mr. Groen has shown that he has vast knowledge, experience and good contacts within the authorities and always provided best results in minimum time."

Cristina Ruz, HR Director, Strategic Business Partner

"Sheryl Goldberg is one of the best Immigration professionals that I have worked with. She has a vast knowledge of the immigration system but her differentiator is the way she applies this to any business situation together with her direct and plain way to explain the solutions. In additional to this, Sheryl is great and positive person and we find her as an extension to our HR team. Thanks so much Sheryl for all your help!"

Amy Darling

Jelle was a fantastic partner and advisor throughout the process of applying for nearly 20 work permits for our staff. He was always very transparent about the work that needed to be completed for the best results and was very upfront about the costs of that work. We never felt manipulated or neglected, and both Jelle and his team were very pleasant to work with. We would highly recommend hiring Jelle and his team for any US companies hoping to obtain permits for working in the Netherlands.”

Murat Alexandrovich Koedanetov, Directeur

"Kroes Advocaten has been assisting Arkoil Technologies Netherlands for many years with applications for visas and work permits for its staff, with legal issues and all our questions regarding the Aliens Act. We at Arkoil Technologies Netherlands believe that Kroes Advocaten offers excellent and client-oriented service. And points that we find very important are: flexibility, good communication, quick answers and of course solutions that are always found by Kroes Advocaten."

Rony Barbi, Director of HR

"Fornova started working with Mr. Sander Groen on January 2016 and is using his excellent services for its employees. Mr. Groen has shown that he has vast knowledge, experience and always available to give us the professional services we needed.“

Pieter Viljoen Sr, CEO and founder of Infomet

"I wish to express my satisfaction and extreme gratitude for the very competent and thorough work done by Sander Groen with respect to the handling of Pieter Viljoen Jr.'s immigration matters. He is a true professional and a truly pleasant individual to work with! He is knowledgeable, factual, and wise!"

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