Work and income in the Netherlands for refugees from Ukraine

Adults and children can get a monthly subsistence allowance. It consists of:

• Clothing allowance
  All refugees get an allowance for clothing and personal expenditure.
• Food allowance
  Refugees who do not get their meals at a municipal reception centre get an allowance to buy their own food. Smaller families get more money per person than larger families. 
• Extra allowance
  Refugees living with a host family get an extra allowance on top of the allowances for food and clothing. They can use this money to pay for public transport, visit family or take part in sport, for example. They can also use it to pay a contribution towards the host family’s costs, but this is not mandatory.

No subsistence allowance for refugees with income from work or benefits

When a refugee aged 18 or over takes up paid work, the subsistence allowance for all family members is stopped. This also happens when someone aged 18 or over receives a benefit from the Dutch government, such as unemployment benefit or incapacity benefit. It pays to work: a refugee who works 3 days a week at the minimum wage earns more than the subsistence allowance.

Subsistence allowance amounts from 1 October 2023

The table below shows how much clothing allowance, food allowance and extra allowance a refugee can get. These amounts depend on the refugee’s age and family size.

Example: A family consists of 2 refugees. They do not get their meals at a municipal reception centre. They live with a host family. The first refugee is 34 years old, the second is a child aged 5. 

• The adult, aged 34, gets a clothing allowance of € 60.71 + a food allowance of € 242.48 + an extra allowance of € 80.91, for a total monthly subsistence allowance of € 384.10. 
• The child, aged 5, gets a clothing allowance of € 60.71 + a food allowance of € 200.65 + an extra allowance of € 80.91, for a total monthly subsistence allowance of € 342.27. 
• In total, this family receives a subsistence allowance of € 384.10 + € 342.27 = € 726.37 per month.

Information about the subsistence allowance in three languages

A factsheet is available in Dutch, English and Ukrainian explaining the main points of the subsistence allowance, including amounts and conditions. 

For the subsistence allowance scheme, the following people make up a family: 

• spouses or registered partners; 
• their unmarried children under 18; 
• a guardian who has legal responsibility for the unmarried children under 18. 

For the subsistence allowance scheme, the following people are not considered family members:

• grandparents;
• uncles and aunts; 
• married children under 18;
• children aged 18 years or over. 

They fall under the rules for solo refugees or are part of a separate family.

The municipality where the refugee is registered pays the allowance into their bank account, on their money card, in cash or in kind. So it’s important that refugees living with a host family go to the municipal office as soon as possible to get registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

Municipalities have been paying out subsistence allowances since 1 April 2022, when the Scheme for the Reception of Displaced Persons from Ukraine (ROOO) entered into force.

No, there is no limit on the amount of extra allowance, not even if there are several people staying at one address. Municipalities would not be able to enforce such a rule. 

No, municipalities must pay the extra allowance to the refugees living with the host family. The refugees can use the money to contribute towards the host family’s costs, but this is not mandatory.

No. Host families do not get an allowance from the government.

Yes. As of 1 December 2022 refugees staying in a nursing home, clinic or other care institution for an extended period of time receive a subsistence allowance of €56.12 per month. They do have to be registered with the municipality in which the care institution is situated, however.

Refugees from Ukraine who are in paid employment in the Netherlands are entitled to child benefit.

Child benefit is financial assistance towards meeting the costs of raising a child under the age of 18.

To claim child benefit they must apply to the Social Insurance Bank (SVB).

Refugees from Ukraine are entitled to supplementary child benefit if they meet the conditions for supplementary child benefit. For instance, they must also receive child benefit and their income and assets must not exceed a certain amount.

Supplementary child benefit is additional financial assistance towards the costs of raising a child under the age of 18.

The Tax Administration automatically pays supplementary child benefit to those who are entitled to it. This includes refugees from Ukraine. If someone is not receiving the benefit but they think they are entitled to it, they can claim supplementary child benefit by applying to the Tax Administration.

Refugees from Ukraine who fall under the Temporary Protection Directive do not need an employment permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) to work in paid employment in the Netherlands. But an employer hiring refugees from Ukraine must inform the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) of this.

As soon as they can show proof of residence, refugees from Ukraine can get a job. They receive proof of residence from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) after they have registered with the municipality and meet the other conditions. To get proof of residence, refugees need to make an appointment with the IND.

Refugees from Ukraine get proof of residence if they:

• hold Ukrainian nationality and left Ukraine after 26 November 2021, or
• hold Ukrainian nationality and can prove they were residing in the Netherlands before 27 November 2021 on the basis of, for instance, a residence permit or asylum application, or
• held a Ukrainian asylum residence permit on 23 February 2022, or
• held a Ukrainian permanent residence permit on 23 February 2022, fled Ukraine after 26 November 2021 and did not return to their country of origin after 23 February 2022, or
• held a Ukrainian temporary residence permit on 23 February 2022 and registered with a Dutch municipality before 19 July 2022. These third-country nationals are permitted to work in the Netherlands up to and including 3 September 2023. After that date they no longer fall under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Refugees from Ukraine who fall under the Temporary Protection Directive are allowed to do voluntary work in the Netherlands. They do not need an employment permit for this.

However, they must be able to show that they have a sticker or O-document (proof of residence) from the IND. To get proof of residence, refugees need to make an appointment with the IND. The organisation they want to do voluntary work for must request a certificate of voluntary work from the Employee Insurance Agency.

Refugees from Ukraine who fall under the Temporary Protection Directive are only allowed to work as a self-employed person in the Netherlands if:

• they have an employment permit for entrepreneurs, or
• the contracting party has an employment permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning).

Refugees can use the sticker or O-document (proof of residence) from the IND to show that they fall under the Temporary Protection Directive. To get proof of residence, refugees need to make an appointment with the IND.

Refugees from Ukraine who fall under the Temporary Protection Directive are allowed to do a work placement or internship as part of a course of education. They do not need an employment permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) for this. Refugees can use the sticker or O-document (proof of residence) from the IND to show that they fall under the Temporary Protection Directive. To get proof of residence, refugees need to make an appointment with the IND.

The trainee or intern, their educational institution and the employer must sign a work placement agreement.

Refugees from Ukraine have the same rights as Dutch employees. For instance, they have the right to a safe working environment, breaks and vacation days, and must be paid at least the statutory minimum wage.

Refugees who work or have worked in the Netherlands may also be entitled to certain benefits, such as unemployment benefit (WW). 

Refugees who do not get enough pay or who have to do dangerous work can call the Netherlands Labour Authority at 0800 5151 (free of charge when calling from a Dutch phone) or +31 70 333 4444 (when calling with an international phone number). The Netherlands Labour Authority checks that employers comply with labour laws.

Yes. They may continue living at a municipal reception centre or with a host family. If they want, they can also seek other accommodation or stay with friends, family or at a hotel, for instance. 

Depending on their diploma evaluation, psychologists from Ukraine are allowed to work as a basic psychologist (‘basispsycholoog’) in the Netherlands. They may work in the curative care sector or with organisations that provide preventive care, such as a municipality, a municipal health service (GGD) or civil society organisation. Psychologists from Ukraine can apply for help in getting their diploma evaluated and finding a suitable job. For more information, see the Empatia website.

Organisation for Ukrainian psychosocial support services
Empatia has made arrangements to enable psychologists from Ukraine to continue working in their profession in the Netherlands. Empatia is a partnership between: 

• VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (Dutch Council for Refugees) 
• OPORA Foundation, and 
• PsyGlobal. 

Empatia assists psychologists from Ukraine in getting their diploma evaluated and finding a suitable job. Empatia also matches Ukrainians in need of psychosocial support to a Ukrainian-speaking psychologist. 

Municipalities and health professionals can contact LOOP (Loket Ontheemden Oekraïne PSH), the helpdesk for psychosocial support for displaced persons from Ukraine, for more information.

If your company wants to hire a refugee from Ukraine you must:

• Check if the refugee falls under the Temporary Protection Directive
  Ask to see the refugee’s sticker or O-document (proof of residence) from the IND. If the refugee doesn’t yet have this, they need to make an appointment with the IND as soon as possible to obtain proof of residence.
• Sign an employment contract with the refugee
  An employment contract sets out the respective rights and obligations that the employer and employee agree on.
• Inform the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV)
  As of 1 April 2022, employers must inform UWV of any refugees entering their employment. They must do this at least 2 working days before the refugee’s first day of work. The Netherlands Labour Authority checks that employers comply with labour laws.

In most cases employer do not need an employment permit for refugees from Ukraine.

It is no longer possible for refugees from Ukraine to exchange hryvnias into euros. The exchange scheme ended on 9 December 2022.

A refugee from Ukraine can open a current account at a Dutch bank if they are 18 years or older, have a valid identity document and, in most cases, a citizen service number issued by a Dutch municipality.

Alternative proof of identity

Refugees without a valid identity document can show alternative proof of identity in order to open a Dutch current account. These are:

• A Ukrainian citizen’s passport in Cyrillic, together with a certificate of identification
• An expired Ukrainian passport for international travel (in English) whose validity has been extended by the Ukrainian embassy
• A Ukrainian permanent residence permit that was valid on 24 February 2022, together with a valid passport from another non-EU country
• A valid O-document. Since June 2022 IND has issued this document to refugees from Ukraine who do not have any recognised identity documents.

The website of the Dutch Payments Association gives more information for Ukrainian refugees about opening and using bank accounts.