CV in Dutch – Dutch CV template and format for the Netherlands

How to write a CV in Dutch

Persoonlijke gegevens: full name, address, e-mail, phone.
Persoonlijk profiel: 4–6 lines in full sentences, in the first person (“Ik ben…”), fitted to the ad.
Werkervaring: last job first, tasks and results.
Opleidingen en cursussen: schools and courses, most recent first.
Vaardigheden: software, languages and good qualities, e.g. betrouwbaar, nauwkeurig.

Photo and length

The Dutch employment agency advises adding a photo, because employers look at CVs without one less often: recent, sharp, in colour, on a calm background. Length: 1–2 A4 pages.

Dates and signature

Write periods with the month in words in lower case and the year, e.g. “maart 2019 – heden”. A Dutch CV has no place, date or signature at the end.

Dutch CV template

A fictional example for warehouse work. Copy the layout and enter your real details.

The document for the employer

Ravi Kumar12 MG Road, 682001 Kochi, India
Telefoon: +91 90000 00000
E-mail: ravi.kumar@example.com

Persoonlijk profielIk ben een nauwkeurige magazijnmedewerker met vijf jaar ervaring in een distributiecentrum. Ik werk graag in ploegendienst en houd van duidelijke afspraken.

Werkervaringmaart 2021 – heden: magazijnmedewerker, Firma X, Kochi (India). Orders verzamelen met een handscanner, goederen controleren en inpakken.

Opleidingen2014 – 2017: beroepsschool, Kochi (India)

Vaardigheden en competentiesMalayalam – moedertaal; Engels – zeer goed (C1); rijbewijs B

What it means

Ravi Kumar12 MG Road, 682001 Kochi, India
Phone: +91 90000 00000
E-mail: ravi.kumar@example.com

Personal profileI am an accurate warehouse worker with five years of experience in a distribution centre. I like shift work and clear agreements.

Work experienceMarch 2021 – present: warehouse worker, Company X, Kochi (India). Picking orders with a handheld scanner, checking and packing goods.

Education2014 – 2017: vocational school, Kochi (India)

Skills and competencesMalayalam – native language; English – very good (C1); category B driving licence

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

Can I make a CV in Dutch for free?

The example on this page and the match check are free. A finished CV for a specific job ad, with a translation and with files, costs €9 for 30 days, one payment.

Can a CV for the Netherlands be in English?

The rules we use speak of documents in Dutch unless the ad says otherwise. CVabroad prepares them in Dutch.

Do I need to know Dutch?

Not to prepare the documents: you write in English and see every sentence translated. If the ad requires the language, the app asks about your level and enters it truthfully.

Does a Dutch CV have a photo?

The Dutch employment agency UWV advises adding one. We don't generate photos: you can add your own.

Can I work in the Netherlands without a permit?

The Dutch immigration service IND says that working in the Netherlands requires a residence permit or a work permit in some cases. We don't decide whether you have this right: check on the IND website, because the employer will ask about it.

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”.

CV in Dutch: Dutch CV template and format for the Netherlands