Can I apply for jobs in the Netherlands with an English CV?

Often, yes. Many Dutch employers, especially international companies, tech firms, universities and businesses in cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven, use English as a working language and accept English CVs.

How to decide:

• Advert in English: send an English CV.
• Advert in Dutch for a Dutch-speaking team: a Dutch CV is usually expected, and Dutch skills may be required.
• Advert in Dutch but mentioning an international environment: English may be acceptable; check the advert or ask.

If you send an English CV, state your Dutch level honestly, for example "Dutch: A2, currently studying". Keep the motivation letter in the same language as the CV.

If you write the CV in Dutch but are not fluent, ask a native speaker to check it. Small grammar mistakes are forgiven, but a CV that reads much better than your spoken Dutch can create the wrong expectation for the interview. For roles where both languages matter, some applicants keep two versions with identical content, one in each language, and send whichever matches the advert.