Employment Contract Translation for the Netherlands

Which document, and in which procedure

A translation of the employment contract (arbeidsovereenkomst) may be required in the Dutch highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) route or in work-based residence procedures; the document is assessed alongside the employer’s registration as a recognised sponsor (erkende referent). The type of contract, fixed-term or open-ended, and the information about its term can affect the scope of the residence permit, and are carried across exactly. The document is translated with all its pages and annexes.

Since the IND reads the post, the term and the salary as a whole, a missing annex or a skipped article damages the integrity of the file. The translation covers the whole of the document.

Annexes, working hours and the signature block

The annexes attached to the contract – the job description, the salary scale, the working time schedule – are included in the translation. Weekly working hours, the probationary period and notice periods for termination are translated exactly as the document has them. Signatures and seals are marked in square brackets; the place of signature and the date are carried across exactly. In contracts running to several pages the page order is preserved, and an Rbtv registration number visible on the declaration page of the translation supports the document’s capacity to be checked.

Working hours, annual leave and any pension or benefit items are likewise part of the economic content of the contract and are translated as they appear in the document. Because these items may be read in the assessment of the residence permit or of the employer’s sponsor registration, leaving one out or summarising it damages the integrity of the document. The translator carries this information across as it stands, without interpreting it; monetary amounts are preserved with their currency. Confirming at the outset whether the contract is to be translated into English or into Dutch also ensures that the document is prepared to suit the right recipient and accepted first time.

The recognised sponsor and the salary line

In the Dutch highly skilled migrant procedure the application generally proceeds through a file that the employer runs in its capacity as a recognised sponsor (erkende referent), and the salary line in the employment contract can be decisive in that file. Because the IND compares the figure stated in the document against the conditions of the application, carrying the salary across with its currency and as it stands matters; the translator works out no euro equivalent and measures it against no threshold, but simply carries across what the document says. The comparison and the decision on eligibility rest with the IND. When the job title, the working hours and the salary form a consistent whole, the file reads quickly. An Rbtv registration number visible on the declaration page of the translation supports the document’s capacity to be checked. The safest course is to learn the current salary threshold and conditions from the IND’s own official announcement.

Carrying across the title, the post and the salary

The job title and post are translated with an intelligible English or Dutch counterpart; which target language is wanted has to be confirmed with the institution. The salary is carried across as it stands, with its currency (TL/₺); it is not converted into euros. Because a particular salary threshold may apply in the Dutch highly skilled migrant procedure, translating the salary item accurately and in full matters; the threshold figure, however, is not for the translation to determine, so learn the current threshold from the IND’s announcement. The translator carries figures across without interpreting them.

The numbering of the articles, and confidentiality

Because a contract is a legal text, the numbering of its articles is preserved exactly; merging articles or reordering them breaks the cross-references. Confidentiality and non-competition clauses carry legal consequences and are therefore translated in full and with the right terms; their scope is not softened. Sub-paragraphs and subsections are carried across in the same arrangement, so that the IND or the employer can compare the translation with the original article by article.

Rbtv registration, certification and common mistakes

A translator producing an official translation in the Netherlands is expected to be entered in the Rbtv register; the registration number appears on the declaration page. Where the translation is produced in Türkiye, a sworn translator signs it, a notary certifies it and an apostille is added. Mind the following points before delivery:

• Verify that the translation carries an Rbtv number.
• Check that the salary is preserved with its currency and has not been converted into euros.
• Confirm that the article numbers have been carried across exactly.

The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification required for other documents on our document types page and the cost on our pricing page, and you can upload your document for a quote. This page is for general information and is no substitute for legal advice; confirm current requirements with the authority concerned.