The Netherlands runs the most predictable highly skilled migrant route in Europe. The Kennismigrant visa requires a salary above a yearly threshold (€5,331/month gross for 30+ years old in 2026; €3,909 for under 30; lower for recent grads from Dutch universities) and an employer registered as a recognised sponsor.
Your CV's job is to clear the employer's bar. The visa paperwork is largely the employer's problem after you have an offer.
1. Dutch directness, applied to your CV
The Dutch dislike:
- Self-promotional adjectives without evidence (“passionate”, “dynamic”, “visionary”).
- Padding. If your last role lasted six months, say so.
- Mismatched seniority claims.
A slightly understated CV reads better in the Netherlands than in the US or India. Drop the marketing language and just describe what you did.
2. English vs Dutch
For most international roles in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and the Hague, English is the working language and an English CV is fine. If the job posting is in Dutch, send Dutch; if in English, send English. Don't mix.
3. Length and format
- 1–2 pages. The Dutch are pragmatic — 1 page is often enough even for senior roles.
- Photo: optional.
- LinkedIn URL prominent, ideally in the contact line.
- Date format: MM/YYYY.
4. The 30% ruling — how to position for it
The 30% ruling lets qualifying foreign employees receive 30% of their gross salary tax-free for up to 5 years. To qualify:
- You must have been recruited from outside the Netherlands.
- You must have specific expertise that's scarce on the Dutch labour market.
- You must have lived more than 150km from the Dutch border for at least 16 of the previous 24 months.
Your CV should make “recruited from abroad” unambiguous. List your current location at the top with country.
5. International collaboration is a differentiator
Dutch companies actively prefer candidates who can show multi-timezone work history, cross-border collaboration, multiple languages. Surface this — don't bury it.
How ImproveCV helps with the Dutch rewrite
Run the free score at improvecv.pro/startwith the actual Dutch job posting. We'll flag missing keywords, ATS issues, and (for Dutch CVs specifically) any over-marketed self-promotion language that would land badly. The $49 Quick Fix produces a tight, pragmatic CV in the Dutch idiom; the $89 Full Package adds the tailored covering letter with the right sign-off built in.