Jobs in Amsterdam without Dutch: where English is enough

Jobs in Amsterdam without Dutch do exist, but we want to be honest: not speaking Dutch limits your choice. The better your Dutch or English, the more work there is for you. Still, many people start working in Amsterdam with English only, or with just a few words of Dutch.

Praktica Uitzendgroep is an employment agency with an office at Jan Evertsenstraat 119 in Amsterdam West. We are a member of the NBBU and certified under NEN 4400-1. We often speak with people who are new in the Netherlands, people without a diploma and people who want a first job here. For them, a first job is often the best step: you earn money, you gain experience and you learn how work is done in the Netherlands.

On this page you read:

• which jobs work in English;
• where Dutch is needed;
• what you need to be allowed to work;
• how to apply without a CV.

Jobs without speaking Dutch are most common in work where you talk little with customers. These are the jobs we most often fill in and around Amsterdam. In all of them, you get instructions during your first days.

Cleaner

You clean trains and stations, offices or stairwells. At Schiphol you clean the terminal or aircraft. You work to a fixed plan, often in a team. Read more in our guide to cleaning jobs in Amsterdam.

Hotel housekeeping and dishwasher

As a room attendant you prepare hotel rooms for new guests. As a dishwasher you keep the hotel or restaurant kitchen running. In many Amsterdam hotels English is the working language. Read more in our guide to hotel jobs in Amsterdam.

Jobs at Schiphol

At the airport you can work in cleaning, catering or logistics. You need a Schiphol pass and a background check first. Read how that works in our guide to working at Schiphol.

Compare the jobs

Job	Language needed	Sometimes also needed
Cleaning trains, stations, offices	Little to basic Dutch or English	Evening or night shifts
Cleaning at Schiphol	Basic Dutch or English	Background check (VGB) and Schiphol pass
Dishwasher	Little	Weekend shifts
Hotel housekeeping	Little to basic English	Weekend shifts
Construction site cleaner	Basic, for safety	VCA safety certificate, safety shoes

In these jobs you earn at least the statutory minimum wage. From 1 July 2026 this is € 14.99 gross per hour if you are 21 or older. The exact wage is in each vacancy.

Dutch is needed in jobs where safety or customer contact is important. In these situations English alone is not always enough:

• Safety: you must understand instructions and warnings. On building sites and at Schiphol this is a strict requirement.
• Tests and training: for a VCA certificate or the Schiphol pass training you take a test. It is not available in every language.
• Contact with guests or customers: at a reception desk or in a restaurant you need good Dutch or good English.

Do you speak neither Dutch nor English yet? You can still contact us. We look together at what is possible now, and what you need to do more in a few months.

Learn Dutch next to your job

Learning Dutch is the best way to grow. With better Dutch you can later choose work with more contact, more responsibility or a higher wage. Start with the words you use at work: materials, cleaning products and safety. Ask a colleague to speak Dutch with you during the break.

The right to work in the Netherlands is required for every job, with or without Dutch. We check this for every candidate in the same way. You can work if you have:

• a valid passport or ID card from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland; or
• a residence permit that allows you to work. Your residence document shows what you may do.

You also need a BSN (citizen service number) and a bank account. The rules for work permits are explained by the IND, the Dutch immigration service. See the sources at the bottom of this page.

Applying without a CV is normal for this kind of work. We mainly want to know who you are, when you can work and what you have done before. Work that is not on paper also counts, such as helping in a family business.

1. Apply online. Apply in 2 minutes with our English form. A few sentences about yourself are enough.
2. We call you within 2 working days. We talk about the work you want and when you can work.
3. Interview at our office at Jan Evertsenstraat 119 in Amsterdam West. Bring a valid passport or ID card, your residence document if you have one, your bank card and your driving licence if you have one.
4. Start working. We discuss which workplace fits you and when you can start.

Our vacancies are written in Dutch. If you do not understand a vacancy, just apply with the English form and tell us what kind of work you want.

Working through an agency

Through Praktica you have a contract with us and work at a client company. We work under the NBBU collective agreement for temporary workers. You start in phase A (52 worked weeks); after that, phases B and C give you more security. You build up holiday pay and pension from your first working day. Our guide uitzendwerk uitgelegd explains this in more detail (in Dutch).