NL
ENStaffing & posting via A1
Filipino workers via another EU member state to the Netherlands or Belgium
For roles where a Dutch or Belgian work permit is hard to obtain, SkillShift offers an alternative route: the worker is employed in another EU member state and is posted from there to your organisation with an A1 certificate.
When is this route relevant?
Not every role fits a Dutch or Belgian work permit. For some roles, the permit requirements or the labour market test make a direct application hard to achieve, while employers still face structural shortages. Posting through another EU member state then often still offers a way forward.
- Couriers and parcel delivery drivers
- Cleaning
- Housekeeping in hotels and accommodation
- Other roles where a Dutch or Belgian permit is hard to obtain
How the route works
The route runs through another EU member state, for example Lithuania, Malta, Croatia or Portugal. Which member state fits depends on the role, the length of the assignment and the worker's nationality.
- The worker is employed in the other EU country.
- The work visa and residence permit are arranged in that country. During that period, the worker first works there.
- Social security remains in the EU country of hire; this is recorded in an A1 certificate.
- With the residence permit and A1 certificate, the worker is posted to your organisation in the Netherlands or Belgium.
- In the Netherlands, we notify the posting in advance through the reporting portal for posted workers (WagwEU); in Belgium, we file the Limosa declaration.
- If the assignment in the Netherlands lasts longer than 90 days, we arrange a longer IND residence permit for cross-border service provision. In Belgium, the conditions for cross-border posting apply.
A1 certificate: Article 12 or Article 13
The A1 certificate records in which country the worker is covered by social security. Depending on the situation, we decide whether to apply for the A1 under Article 12 or Article 13 of European Regulation 883/2004.
Article 12: posting
For a temporary assignment in one other country. The worker normally works in the EU country of hire and is sent to the Netherlands or Belgium for up to 24 months. Social security remains in the EU country of hire.
Article 13: working in several countries
For workers who structurally work in two or more EU countries, for example alternating between the Netherlands and Belgium. Which country covers social security depends on where the worker lives and how much of the work takes place there (25% or more); otherwise it is the employer's country.
Which article fits depends on the length of the assignment, the number of countries the worker works in and where the worker lives. We assess this per worker and per assignment.
What SkillShift arranges
- Recruitment and selection in the Philippines
- DMW deployment to the EU country of hire
- The employment arrangements in the EU country of hire
- Support with the work visa, residence permit and A1 certificate
- The longer IND residence permit after 90 days in the Netherlands
- Coordination of the assignment with your organisation
- Relocation, onboarding and housing where agreed
Which parts SkillShift carries out depends on the agreed scope of service.
What this means for you as the client
- Placements in the Netherlands are always made under NEN 4400 certification, placements in Belgium always with a Belgian recognition as a temporary employment agency.
- You do not employ the worker yourself and do not apply for a work permit.
- The worker works at your site and under your day-to-day direction.
- At the start, we provide the A1 certificate, the residence permit and the notification (WagwEU in the Netherlands, Limosa in Belgium). You check these when work begins, as the law requires of a client.
- During the posting, the core employment conditions of the country where the work is done apply, such as the minimum wage, working and rest times and safety rules.
Advantage for drivers: a European driving licence
A clear advantage of this route for the Netherlands: in many EU countries, a Philippine driving licence can be exchanged for a European licence. In the Netherlands this is only possible for people who qualify for the 30% ruling, which drivers often do not. Through another EU member state, a driver or parcel courier can therefore start work with a European licence. The exchange takes place during the stay in the EU country of hire. Truck drivers must also meet additional requirements, such as the certificate of professional competence (code 95).
In Belgium this is not an issue.
Lead time
Allow roughly 2 to 6 months from selection to the start in the Netherlands or Belgium. The exact duration depends on nationality, the EU country of hire and the processing time of the authorities involved.
Tailored, from 5 to 10 workers a year
This route is always tailored. In this way, we can often still arrange the required permits where a direct Dutch or Belgian route is not feasible. Because setting up the route takes time and coordination, we work from a volume of 5 to 10 workers per year.
The worker remains employed in the other EU country, and the rules for posted workers in the Netherlands or Belgium apply during the posting. A posting under Article 12 lasts up to 24 months; well before then, we discuss the next step together, for example a new assignment, Article 13 or a Dutch or Belgian permit. SkillShift assesses in advance whether this route fits your vacancy.
Discuss a vacancy or question
Which service fits your organisation?
SkillShift can support a particular stage or the full process. We start with your vacancy or existing candidate and establish which parts you need.