The Netherlands is one of the easiest countries in Europe to find warehouse work, and one of the few where some employers still offer visa sponsorship and accommodation. The country runs on logistics. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port, Amsterdam Schiphol is a major air-cargo hub, and the distribution centres between them hire all year round.
This guide is for anyone looking at warehouse, order picker, or factory work in the Netherlands, whether you are an EU citizen who can start tomorrow or a non-EU worker who needs a permit first. We cover real pay, the visa rules that actually apply, the best cities, the main companies and agencies, and exactly how to apply, with no false promises about how easy any of it is. For roles beyond logistics, browse all jobs in the Netherlands.
Quick answer: warehouse jobs in the Netherlands
- Pay: €14.71 to €16 per hour gross for entry-level warehouse and order picker roles. The Dutch minimum wage is €14.71/hour in 2026. Night shifts and overtime pay more.
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: No permit needed. You can start applying today.
- Non-EU citizens: Need a work permit (TWV) or single permit (GVVA), which the employer arranges. Sponsorship for basic warehouse roles exists but is limited.
- Best areas: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the wider Randstad region (the western urban belt) have the most vacancies.
- English is often enough: Many warehouses run in English or hire through multilingual agencies. Dutch helps but is rarely required for entry-level work.
- Accommodation: Some staffing agencies offer housing, usually deducted from your wage.
- Where to apply: Mostly through staffing agencies (uitzendbureaus) and large logistics employers like DHL, PostNL, and Amazon.
How much do warehouse jobs in the Netherlands pay?
Entry-level warehouse pay starts at the Dutch minimum wage: €14.71 per hour gross for workers aged 21 and over (January 2026). The minimum is reviewed twice a year, in January and July, so it changes often.
Most warehouse jobs pay at or slightly above minimum. You also get a mandatory 8% holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) on top, usually paid out once a year. Take-home pay is roughly 70-75% of gross once Dutch tax and social contributions are deducted.
| Role | Typical gross pay (per hour) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Order picker | €14.71 – €15.50 | Entry-level, high demand |
| Warehouse worker / packer | €14.71 – €16 | Often shift-based |
| Reach truck / forklift driver | €15 – €18 | Certificate increases pay |
| Production / factory worker | €14.71 – €16 | Some roles include bonuses |
| Warehouse supervisor | €17 – €22 | Experience required |
| Logistics coordinator | €18 – €24 | Experience required |
Night shifts, weekend work, and overtime are paid at higher rates under Dutch labour rules. Always check whether quoted pay is gross or net before accepting.
To make this concrete, recent roles advertised through Dutch agencies have included order pickers at Sligro in Veghel from around €14.90/hour with free housing, warehouse roles near Best at about €15.85/hour, and loader/unloader positions starting near €14.58/hour with roughly 144 guaranteed hours every four weeks (around €2,100 gross per month). Most of these came with accommodation and transport included. Monthly pay for full-time entry-level warehouse work in the Netherlands typically lands between €1,900 and €2,500 gross.
Want a relocation package instead of just a wage? Compare options for jobs in the Netherlands with accommodation.
Do warehouse jobs in the Netherlands offer visa sponsorship?
Yes, but it depends entirely on your nationality. This is the most important thing to get right before you apply.
If you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen
You do not need a visa, a work permit, or sponsorship of any kind. You have the right to work in the Netherlands freely and can start a warehouse job immediately. Most vacancies are open to you without restrictions. For the full picture, see the requirements for EU citizens to work in Europe.
If you are a non-EU citizen
You need work authorisation, and your employer must arrange it before you start. Under Dutch law (the Foreign Nationals Employment Act, WAV), it is the employer’s legal responsibility to have the permit in place. You cannot apply for a standalone work permit yourself.
Two main routes:
- TWV (tewerkstellingsvergunning): a standalone work permit for stays under 90 days or for people who already hold a Dutch residence permit. The employer applies through the UWV.
- GVVA (single permit): a combined residence-and-work permit for stays over 90 days. You or the employer can apply, through the IND.
Here is the honest part. For most non-EU candidates, the employer must first prove they could not find a suitable EU/EEA worker, by advertising the vacancy for at least five weeks. This is the labour market test (arbeidsmarkttoets). For low-skilled warehouse roles, where EU workers are plentiful, this test is hard to pass. That is why genuine visa sponsorship for basic warehouse jobs is the exception, not the norm. Sponsored roles do exist, usually through large agencies that recruit internationally, but be realistic about how common they are. Before you apply, read our full guide to the requirements for non-EU citizens to work in Europe.
Official sources: Government of the Netherlands work permit page, IND guidance on employing foreign nationals. For EU mobility rights, see EURES and Your Europe.
This explains general rules and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change and depend on your situation. Confirm with the IND or a qualified adviser before deciding.
What documents do you need to work in a Dutch warehouse?
To start work legally in the Netherlands you generally need:
- A valid passport or EU ID card.
- A BSN (Burgerservicenummer) — your Dutch citizen service number, needed to be paid and pay tax.
- A work permit (TWV or GVVA) — non-EU citizens only.
- A Dutch bank account — most employers require one for wages.
- Proof of address — needed to register and, in some cases, to get your BSN.
How to get a BSN for warehouse work
You get a BSN by registering in person, free of charge:
- Staying over 4 months: register with the municipality (gemeente) where you live, ideally within 5 days of arrival. You will need a passport or EU ID and proof of address (a rental or housing contract). Non-EU citizens need a valid or pending residence permit.
- Staying under 4 months (for example seasonal work): register at an RNI desk in one of the participating municipalities to get a BSN without a permanent address.
You usually receive your BSN within about 4 weeks of registering for residents, or on the spot at an RNI desk. Many staffing agencies help arrange this for workers they place. Start early, because you cannot be paid properly without it.
Official guidance: Citizen service number (BSN) — Business.gov.nl and WorkinNL.
Order picker jobs in the Netherlands
Order picking is the most common entry point into Dutch warehouse work. You select items from shelves to fill customer orders, often using a handheld scanner or a pick-to-light system. Some roles involve a reach truck or order picker truck, which usually needs a short certificate.
Demand is steady because of the Netherlands’ huge e-commerce and distribution sector. Pay starts at minimum wage and rises with experience or a forklift certificate. No Dutch is needed for many of these roles, since instructions are often visual or in English. Some order picker roles come with accommodation through the agency, common for workers relocating from elsewhere in Europe. If you can drive, also look at truck driver jobs in the Netherlands, which pay more.
Factory and production worker jobs in the Netherlands
Alongside warehouses, the Netherlands has strong demand for factory and production workers, especially in food processing, packaging, and light manufacturing. Pay and entry requirements are similar: minimum wage or slightly above, shift-based, and often filled through agencies.
These roles suit people who want stable, physical work without needing Dutch or formal qualifications. Production lines frequently run in English-speaking or mixed-nationality teams. The same visa rules apply: free for EU citizens, permit-dependent for non-EU workers.
Warehouse and logistics jobs with accommodation
One reason the Netherlands attracts foreign workers is that some staffing agencies bundle housing with the job. This solves the hardest part of relocating, since Dutch housing is expensive and scarce near the big logistics hubs.
How it usually works:
- The agency places you in a warehouse or logistics role.
- It offers shared or private accommodation nearby.
- The rent is deducted from your weekly or monthly wage.
This is genuinely helpful if you are moving from abroad. But read the fine print. Deductions can be high, housing is often shared, and your job and home may be tied to the same agency, so losing the job can mean losing the room. Ask exactly what you pay and what happens if the contract ends. See more jobs in the Netherlands with accommodation across other sectors.
Do you need to speak Dutch?
For most warehouse, picking, and production roles, no. Many Dutch warehouses employ large numbers of international workers and operate in English or through multilingual team leads. Scanners, pick lists, and safety signage are often visual or translated.
You will have more options and better long-term prospects if you learn some Dutch, but a lack of Dutch is not a barrier to getting started in entry-level logistics work. If you specifically want English-speaking roles, search for agencies that recruit internationally.
Looking for roles where English is enough? See our guide to jobs in the Netherlands for English speakers.
Best cities and regions for warehouse jobs
Most warehouse work is concentrated in the Randstad, the urban belt covering Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, plus the logistics corridors around them.
- Amsterdam: Schiphol air-cargo zone and surrounding distribution centres. The single most-searched city for warehouse work.
- Rotterdam: Europe’s largest port; heavy demand for port, warehouse, and logistics staff.
- Venlo and the southeast (Limburg): a major distribution hub near the German border, packed with fulfilment centres.
- Tilburg and Eindhoven (Brabant): large e-commerce and manufacturing presence.
- Utrecht: central location, strong for national distribution.
If you are flexible on location, the Venlo–Tilburg logistics corridor often has the most entry-level openings with accommodation.
Which companies and agencies are hiring?
Most warehouse hiring in the Netherlands goes through staffing agencies (uitzendbureaus) rather than direct applications.
Large logistics and warehouse employers that hire steadily include DHL, PostNL, and Amazon, alongside supermarket and retail distribution centres. Many roles are at the warehouses of well-known brands: workers are placed at sites for Jumbo, Albert Heijn, GXO, and OTTO, among others. These employers usually post entry-level roles through agencies rather than hiring directly.
Staffing agencies that recruit foreign workers and often include accommodation include People Relocate, Tempo-Team, Hobij, NL Jobs, and B2Works, plus various EU-flex recruiters that place workers from across Europe.
To give a sense of scale: more than 400,000 people work in logistics in the Netherlands, and demand for warehouse staff has been growing year on year. That is why entry-level roles open up constantly.
When you apply:
- Use agencies that clearly state their visa and accommodation terms.
- Be cautious of any agency promising guaranteed sponsorship or charging you a fee to get a job. Reputable Dutch agencies do not charge workers placement fees.
- Confirm the contract type. Many warehouse roles start as temporary (uitzendcontract).
Do you need a forklift certificate or qualifications?
Most entry-level warehouse and picking jobs need no formal qualifications — just the right to work, basic fitness, and reliability.
To earn more or qualify for more roles, a forklift or reach truck certificate helps. These are short courses, often arranged or paid for by the employer or agency once you start. A certificate typically moves you from order picker pay into the €15–18/hour range.
How to apply for a warehouse job in the Netherlands
A practical step-by-step:
- Check your status. EU/EEA/Swiss: apply freely. Non-EU: confirm the employer offers a permit before investing time.
- Prepare a simple CV. One page, in English, with any warehouse, forklift, or physical-work experience listed clearly.
- Register with agencies. Most entry-level roles are filled this way. Sign up with several at once and complete their online registration.
- Ask the right questions early. Gross vs net pay, contract type, accommodation cost, shift pattern, BSN help, whether pay is weekly or four-weekly, and (if non-EU) who handles the permit.
- Sort your BSN and bank account as soon as you arrive.
- Be ready to relocate quickly. Agencies often move fast, especially for roles with housing attached.
Browse current warehouse and logistics vacancies across the Netherlands and the rest of Europe to see what is open right now.
Part-time and student warehouse work
Warehouse and picking jobs are popular with international students because shifts are flexible and Dutch is rarely required. If you study in the Netherlands:
- EU/EEA/Swiss students can work without restrictions.
- Non-EU students can work either a limited number of hours during term time or full-time in summer, but the employer still needs a TWV. Check the current rules with your university and the IND before starting.
Part-time warehouse roles are widely advertised through the same agencies as full-time work. International applicants from outside the EU can also browse jobs in Europe for international candidates for more visa-relevant options.
Warehouse jobs elsewhere in Europe
The Netherlands is one of the strongest markets for warehouse work, but not the only one. If you are flexible on country, it is worth comparing:
- Warehouse jobs in Austria — strong demand, similar entry-level pay.
- Warehouse jobs in Ireland — English-speaking by default, good for non-Dutch speakers.
FAQ
Do warehouse jobs in the Netherlands offer visa sponsorship? Sometimes, but it is limited. The employer must arrange the permit and usually prove no EU worker was available, which is hard for basic roles. EU citizens need no sponsorship at all.
Can non-EU citizens get warehouse jobs in the Netherlands? Yes, but you need a work permit (TWV) or single permit (GVVA) that the employer arranges. Sponsored low-skilled roles are less common than online listings suggest.
How much do order pickers earn in the Netherlands? Roughly €14.71 to €15.50 per hour gross to start, plus an 8% holiday allowance. More with experience or a forklift certificate.
Do warehouse jobs in the Netherlands come with accommodation? Some do, through staffing agencies. The rent is usually deducted from your wage. Check the cost and terms before accepting.
Do you need to speak Dutch for warehouse work? No, for most entry-level roles. Many warehouses operate in English or in mixed-nationality teams. Learning some Dutch helps long term.
Which companies hire warehouse workers in the Netherlands? Large employers like DHL, PostNL, and Amazon hire steadily, and many roles are at brand-name warehouses such as Jumbo, Albert Heijn, GXO, and OTTO. Most are filled through agencies like People Relocate, Tempo-Team, Hobij, NL Jobs, and B2Works.
Where are the most warehouse jobs in the Netherlands? In the Randstad (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht) and the Venlo–Tilburg logistics corridor.
What is a BSN and do I need one? A BSN is your Dutch citizen service number. You need it to be paid and pay tax. You get it free by registering with the municipality or at an RNI desk.
What is the minimum wage for warehouse workers in the Netherlands? €14.71 per hour gross for workers aged 21 and over (January 2026), updated every January and July.