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Pathway

Caribbean Netherlands Work and Residence

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

To take an ordinary job on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba, you generally need both a work permit and a residence permit. Your employer applies for the work permit and normally must advertise the vacancy and recruit locally for at least five weeks before hiring a foreign worker.

Location
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba
First application age
18–45 in the ordinary work-permit assessment
Job offer required?
Yes—a signed contract with market-level pay; the employer normally must recruit locally for at least five weeks

Summary

Workers moving to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba for a local job generally need a residence application alongside a work permit filed by the employer. The ordinary work-permit assessment looks at local recruitment, a signed contract, suitable pay and housing, qualifications, and an age range of 18 to 45 for the first application. Some occupations have exceptions or exemptions, so those cases need separate review.

Employer and worker have separate steps
  1. Local recruitment The employer checks vacancy registration and applicable recruitment obligations.
  2. Work-permit application Prepare the contract, wages, qualifications, and other employer evidence.
  3. Residence process The worker follows the residence and any MVV requirements.

Recruitment exceptions and work-permit exemptions need their own review.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The employer generally must register the vacancy and recruit locally for at least five weeks. The work-permit assessment reviews the signed contract, market-level wages, qualifications, accommodation, and whether the worker is 18–45 when the first application is filed. Some listed occupations have recruitment exceptions, and a few may have work-permit exemptions. Those cases need their own review.

What This Route Allows

If both permissions are granted, the worker can live and work in the Caribbean Netherlands as authorized for the named job.

What This Route Is Not

A job search or verbal offer does not replace the employer's application. Entry rules and any requirement for an MVV long-stay entry visa depend on nationality. Dutch citizenship or permission to work in the European Netherlands does not follow from this permit.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the employer's vacancy-registration and recruitment obligations.
  2. Prepare the signed contract and work-permit application.
  3. Check the residence process and whether your nationality requires an MVV long-stay entry visa.

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Similar employer sponsored pathways in other destinations.

Sources