Document checklist
Vanuatu → Caribbean Netherlands: Tewerkstellingsvergunning (Work Permit, TWV)
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
8 itemsIdentity
Completed TWV application form
RequiredThe official work permit (TWV) application form, completed and signed by the employer, covering your personal details, the job, and your residence status.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Application form work permit (TWV)
Valid or applied-for residence permit
RequiredYou must already hold a valid residence permit for Bonaire, St Eustatius or Saba, or have applied for one, before a work permit can be granted.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Application form work permit (TWV)
Financial
Salary at or above the minimum wage and market rate
RequiredYour pay must meet or exceed the local minimum wage, and be in line with the market rate for the position and your qualifications.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about work permit applications
Purpose of travel
Employment contract
RequiredA contract stating the employer's details, your job title, your personal details, your gross monthly wage, weekly hours, and the contract's duration, signed by the employer.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Application form work permit (TWV)
Vacancy registered and advertised locally first
RequiredThe employer must register the vacancy with the labour unit at least 5 weeks before applying, and advertise it in at least 2 different media during that time, to show no suitable local candidate is available. Some professions on Bonaire and Saba are listed as exempt from this local-recruitment requirement.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about work permit applications
Accommodation
Details of your accommodation
RequiredThe form asks for your (future) home address, how many people will live there, and the type of accommodation (apartment, rental house, employer-provided housing, etc.). The employer must also declare the accommodation is suitable and meets current regulations.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Application form work permit (TWV)
Other
Meeting the candidate age requirement
RequiredYou must be at least 18, and no more than 45 years old at the time this first application is submitted.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about work permit applications
Proof of the qualifications, certificates and experience the job requires
RequiredEvidence you have the qualifications, certificates, work experience, and any language skills the position needs.
Source: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about work permit applications
Why applications on this route get refused
Vacancy not registered or advertised for long enough
The employer must register the vacancy at least 5 weeks before applying and advertise it in at least 2 different media during that period, to demonstrate no suitable local candidate was available.
How to avoid it: Register the vacancy and start advertising well before you plan to submit the work permit application, keeping proof of both.
No valid or pending residence permit
A work permit can only be granted to a foreign national who already holds a valid residence permit, or has applied for one.
How to avoid it: Apply for, or confirm you already hold, a valid residence permit before or alongside the work permit application.
Salary below minimum wage or market rate
Pay that doesn't meet the local minimum wage, or isn't in line with the market rate for the role and the candidate's qualifications, doesn't meet the employment-terms requirement.
How to avoid it: Check the current minimum wage and the going rate for the role before setting the salary in the employment contract.
Employment ending without being reported
A work permit is automatically revoked if employment ends early (for example through business closure or contract termination), and the employer must report this to SZW within 2 weeks.
How to avoid it: Notify the SZW work permits department within 2 weeks if the employee's job ends before the permit's 1-year validity is up.
Sources
- Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Application form work permit (TWV) · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about work permit applications · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, Information about the validity and cancellation of the work permit · checked 24 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Caribbean Netherlands application fee.
Answer a few questions, add what you have, and get a report of what is missing or needs fixing. Documents you add are read on your device, never uploaded.
Check my documents