In an effort to help as much as possible the refugees from the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, the government of the Netherlands allowed their employment. A foreigner applying for official refugee status is not entitled to employment until a positive decision is made. Refugees from Ukraine receive a different status - being under temporary EU protection. This status allows them to get a job immediately. The presence of the status is confirmed by a special sticker pasted into the Ukrainian passport. With this sticker, you can already get a job.
However, many refugees from Ukraine arrived in the Netherlands without foreign passports, with expired passports or even without documents at all. For this reason, on April 1, 2022, the government allowed employers to hire Ukrainians without waiting for their full paperwork. Ukrainian refugees were given a transitional period until August 31, 2022. It was assumed that during this time all Ukrainians would collect the necessary documents, register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)) and receive a sticker in their passport.
However, the number of refugees from Ukraine has already exceeded 50 thousand people. The IND and the municipalities (gemeente) are understaffed and the queues for stickers are huge. It became clear that it would not be possible to provide all Ukrainian refugees with documentary evidence of being under temporary protection within the established time frame. Therefore, the transition period for this category of foreigners has been extended until October 31, 2022.
It is believed that by this time all Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands will receive a temporary protection document. From November 1, 2022, you will not be able to get a job without a sticker. However, the government has repeatedly changed its plans due to the large number of incoming refugees. Perhaps a new wave of Ukrainian migrants will change the government's plans again, but for now it's worth trying to get a sticker before November 1st.
Learn more about the sticker and how to get it from our article.
Nalog.nl provides legal services in the Netherlands, including those related to migration. If you have questions, seek advice.
Publication Date: 04.08.2022
