01Check your right to work first
The rules depend on your nationality and residence status. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens follow a different route from many people who hold another nationality. A vacancy does not by itself establish that you can start the job.
Study, temporary protection, highly skilled employment and other circumstances can have their own conditions. Check the route for your category with Government.nl and the IND. If anything is unclear, raise the permit question with the employer before signing.
02Understand how you will be hired
With direct employment, you contract with the company where you work. With an uitzendbureau, the employment agency is usually your employer even though another company directs the day-to-day work. That distinction matters when you ask about pay, shifts and problems at work.
Compare offers using the same practical details: workplace, travel, language, expected hours and duties. If an agency arranges both work and housing, ask for separate employment and tenancy agreements and examine each before accepting the offer.
03Read the agreement before your first day
Identify the named employer, workplace, hours and pay arrangement. Contract pay is commonly stated before deductions; the payslip helps explain the actual payment. Ask which collective agreement, or CAO, applies if one is relevant to your job.
Do not rely only on spoken promises about shifts, transport or accommodation. Ask for the important terms in writing, keep a copy of the agreement and request an explanation of anything you do not understand.
04Keep your records once work begins
Keep your contract, shift records and payslips. Compare the hours you worked with the amount paid and ask your employer or agency to explain any difference. A payslip shows how gross pay and deductions were recorded.
If the explanation does not resolve the issue, Work in NL points to information centres and other organisations that can help you understand your situation. LiveInNL helps you find the route and sources; it does not determine your right to work or sign a contract for you.