Cover letter in Dutch: format and sollicitatiebrief template

How to write a cover letter for the Netherlands: layout, subject line and greeting according to UWV, EURES and the Dutch Language Union. Below is a template with a translation of every sentence.

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How to write a sollicitatiebrief

Shorter than 1 A4 page, 5 paragraphs at most.
Everything on the left: sender, addressee, place and date, e.g. “Utrecht, 6 november 2026”.
The line “Betreft:” in lower case, e.g. “Betreft: sollicitatie magazijnmedewerker”.
A first sentence that makes the reader curious, not a repeat of your CV.
Why this organisation and why you, with examples from work.
A positive ending and readiness to talk.
“Met vriendelijke groet,” and your full name.

How to start when you don't know the name

The Dutch language institution no longer recommends “Geachte heer/mevrouw”. With a name, write “Geachte K. Jansen,”; without one, use a neutral role name, e.g. “Geachte selectiecommissie,”.

The e-mail with the letter

E-mail subject: “Sollicitatie [full name] vacature [position]”. Keep the text short: which position you are applying for and that the letter and CV are attached as PDFs.

Dutch cover letter template

A fictional example. Fit the text to the ad and to your real details.

The document for the employer

Ravi Kumar
12 MG Road, 682001 Kochi, India

Distributiecentrum Muster B.V.
Rotterdam

Kochi, 6 november 2026

Betreft: sollicitatie magazijnmedewerker, vacaturenummer 123

Geachte selectiecommissie,

Vijf jaar lang zorg ik er elke dag voor dat orders foutloos op tijd vertrekken. Dat wil ik graag ook voor uw distributiecentrum doen.

In mijn huidige baan verzamel ik orders met een handscanner en werk ik in ploegendienst.

Graag licht ik mijn sollicitatie mondeling toe.

Met vriendelijke groet,
Ravi Kumar

Bijlagen: cv

What it means

Ravi Kumar
12 MG Road, 682001 Kochi, India

Distributiecentrum Muster B.V.
Rotterdam

Kochi, 6 November 2026

Re: application for warehouse worker, vacancy number 123

Dear selection committee,

For five years I have made sure every day that orders leave on time and without mistakes. I would like to do the same for your distribution centre.

In my current job I pick orders with a handheld scanner and work in shifts.

I would be glad to explain my application in person.

Kind regards,
Ravi Kumar

Attachments: CV

You can use the example on this page for free. The check of how your CV matches a job ad is also free. Finished documents for a specific job ad cost €9 for 30 days, one payment.

Questions and answers

Do you need a cover letter in the Netherlands?

EURES says the usual application in the Netherlands is a letter and a CV. So we recommend one even when the ad does not ask for it.

Can I write the letter without knowing Dutch?

Yes. You write in English and get the letter in Dutch with a translation of every sentence. We never add language skills you don't have.

How long should a sollicitatiebrief be?

Preferably shorter than 1 A4 page, 5 paragraphs at most.

Is this for a visa or university application?

No. This example is for applying for a job, not for a visa, an embassy or a university.

Where these rules come from

We wrote down the rules from official sources: UWV, werk.nl „Cv maken”; UWV, werk.nl „Hoe schrijft u een persoonlijk profiel voor uw cv”; UWV, werk.nl „Profielfoto: met deze tips komt het goed”; UWV, werk.nl „Gat in uw cv? Zo is het geen probleem!”; UWV, werk.nl „Een sollicitatiebrief of motivatiebrief schrijven”; UWV, werk.nl „Begeleidende mail bij sollicitatie”; Komisja Europejska, EURES „Living and working conditions: Netherlands”, część „How to apply for a job”; Nederlandse Taalunie, Taaladvies.net „Opmaak van een zakelijke brief in Nederland”; Nederlandse Taalunie, Taaladvies.net „Taal en gender: brieven en e-mails”; Nederlandse Taalunie, Taaladvies.net „Datumnotatie”.