Working in Eindhoven (2026): Brainport employers, your contract and what to do if you are dismissed
Working in Eindhoven often means a high-tech employer, a sponsored permit and a contract full of clauses. This guide covers the job market, sponsors and salaries, what your contract may say, and what to do if the job ends.
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, prepares your case and matches you with a suitable independent lawyer. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.
Rules and figures from UWV, the IND, Rijksoverheid and the Civil Code · Checked 15 September 2026
Short answer
Working in Eindhoven means joining one of the tightest labour markets in the country: UWV counts almost 5 times as many vacancies as short-term jobseekers in Zuidoost-Brabant, with jobs still growing in industry and specialist business services. Many internationals work for recognised sponsors in high tech. Check what your contract says about training costs, temporary contracts and non-competes, and if you are dismissed, act fast: WW within a week, the court within 2 months, and on a highly skilled migrant permit usually 3 months to find a new sponsor.
Key facts for 2026
- 17,300 vacancies were open on average in Zuidoost-Brabant in the first half of 2025.
- 3.2% is UWV’s expected job growth in Zuidoost-Brabant between 2024 and 2027.
- 74.2% of people aged 15 to 75 in the region were in work in 2024, up from 67.3% in 2015.
- €5,942 gross a month is what a sponsor must pay a highly skilled migrant of 30 or over in 2026.
- 36 months of temporary contracts, or more than 3 of them, turn the last one into a permanent contract.
- 2 months after your contract ends is the deadline to ask the court to annul a dismissal.
- 3 months is the usual search period for a new sponsor after losing a highly skilled migrant job.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
Job market
Working in Eindhoven: the Brainport job market in 2026
Employers in the Eindhoven region are competing hard for staff: UWV calls the Zuidoost-Brabant labour market very tight.
| Zuidoost-Brabant figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Vacancies in Zuidoost-Brabant, first half of 2025 (average) | 17,300 |
| Vacancies per short-term jobseeker | almost 5 |
| Growth in the number of jobs, 2024 to 2027 | 3.2% |
| People aged 15 to 75 in work, 2015 and 2024 | 67.3% and 74.2% |
| Registered jobseekers at UWV, June 2025 | 28,000 |
Source: UWV, Regio in Beeld 2025-2026, Zuidoost-Brabant.
- Where the jobs are. UWV expects jobs to keep growing in industry and specialist business services, while agency work shrinks (UWV).
- Self-employed? The number of self-employed jobs is falling because the Tax Administration checks harder for false self-employment (UWV); see our freelancing guide.
- Your contract type is explained in our employment contract guide.
Sponsors
Brainport jobs for internationals: sponsors and salaries
From outside the EU, an Eindhoven job offer only leads to a permit if the employer is a recognised sponsor and pays the IND salary threshold.
| Entry on the IND sponsor register | Chamber of Commerce number |
|---|---|
| ASML Netherlands B.V. | 17052456 |
| Technische Universiteit Eindhoven | 51278871 |
| NXP Semiconductors Netherlands B.V. | 17070621 |
| Signify Netherlands B.V. | 17061150 |
| Prodrive Technologies B.V. | 17105739 |
IND public register of recognised sponsors (work), read 15 September 2026. The register gives no work locations.
- Check the register on the IND website before you apply; our sponsorship jobs guide shows how.
- The thresholds. In 2026 a highly skilled migrant must earn at least €5,942 gross a month from age 30 and €4,357 below 30, or €3,122 on the reduced criterion (IND). The permit itself is in our highly skilled migrant visa guide; your net pay in the salary calculator and the 30% ruling guide.
- Where vacancies appear. Holland Expat Center South advises employers to post high tech and IT jobs on the Brainport Eindhoven job portal, and to use international recruiters, EURES and international job sites (Holland Expat Center South).
- The floor for everyone. Whatever the sector, nobody aged 21 or over may be paid less than €14.99 gross an hour since 1 July 2026 (Rijksoverheid). Arriving? See our IND and registration in Eindhoven guide.
Your contract
What your Eindhoven contract may say: training costs, temporary contracts, clauses
High-tech employers invest heavily in training and often start people on temporary contracts, so these rules matter before you sign.
- Training costs. Training the employer must provide under EU or Dutch law, a collective agreement or a government rule, so that you can do the work you were hired for, is offered free and counts as working time; a clause that recovers its costs from your pay is void (Civil Code, article 7:611a). Other repayment clauses, for example for relocation, stand or fall on their wording, so have them read before you sign.
- Temporary contracts. Once temporary contracts with the same employer, with gaps of at most six months, have lasted more than 36 months, or more than 3 of them have followed each other, the last counts as permanent (Civil Code, article 7:668a).
- Probation. At most 1 month on a temporary contract of more than 6 months but under 2 years, at most 2 months on a permanent contract or one of 2 years or more, and none on a contract of 6 months or less (Rijksoverheid). Our probation guide has more.
- Non-competes. A temporary contract may only include one if the contract explains the weighty business interest behind it (Rijksoverheid); see our non-compete clause guide.
Your rights
Pay, leave and notice in Eindhoven: the legal minimum
These floors apply to every employee in Eindhoven, whatever the offer letter or relocation package says.
| Right | The minimum | Source | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday allowance | At least 8% of your gross annual salary | Rijksoverheid | Holiday allowance |
| Sick pay | At least 70% of your wage, and in year 1 at least the minimum wage | Rijksoverheid | Sick leave |
| Your notice | 1 month on a permanent contract | Rijksoverheid | Notice period |
| Employer’s notice | 1 month under 5 years of service, rising to 4 months after 15 years | Rijksoverheid | Notice period |
Wages late or short? Read what to do when your employer does not pay; expecting a child, our maternity leave guide.
Dismissal
Dismissed in Eindhoven: deadlines, the court and your permit
A dismissal starts several deadlines on the same day, and each one protects something different: your income, your payment or your permit.
- Pause before you sign A settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst) sets your end date, your payment and your WW position; see our settlement agreement guide.
- Apply for WW promptly If you have already been out of work for more than a week when you apply, UWV will probably pay less or nothing for a while (UWV).
- Work out your transition payment 1/3 of a monthly salary for each full year of service, up to €102,000 gross in 2026 or one annual salary if that is higher (Rijksoverheid); our calculator helps. An unpaid payment can be claimed in court within 3 months (Rijksoverheid).
- Watch the court deadline A request to annul a notice of dismissal, or for fair compensation, must reach the court within 2 months after the contract ended (Civil Code 7:686a); see our 2-month deadline guide.
- On a highly skilled migrant permit If you are not to blame, you usually get 3 months to find a new recognised sponsor, or up to 6 months after 2 years on the permit, counted from the day the contract was dissolved (IND). Read what happens to your permit.
The court. Employment cases from Eindhoven go to Rechtbank Oost-Brabant, which has a courthouse in Eindhoven at Stadhuisplein 4 and its Paleis van Justitie at Leeghwaterlaan 8 in ’s-Hertogenbosch (Rechtspraak.nl). Start with what to do when you are dismissed, or instant dismissal if you were sent home on the spot.
Legal help
Employment lawyer in Eindhoven: when to call one
Call before you sign an exit deal or accept a repayment demand, and at once if your permit depends on your job.
- Exit deals: a lawyer checks and negotiates the end date, the payment and the WW wording.
- Repayment demands for training or relocation costs: whether you owe anything depends on the law and the clause.
- Wrongful dismissal: the 2-month court deadline is short; see our wrongful termination guide.
- Cost: FindLawyer starts with a free 15-minute call, and on a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
Dismissed, or asked to repay costs, in Eindhoven? Talk to an employment lawyer
Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch employment lawyer. Free 15-minute matching call first. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for working in Eindhoven.
Highly skilled migrant job loss
What happens to your permit.
DismissalDismissed: what to do
Your first week, step by step.
Exit dealsSettlement agreement
Before you sign the exit deal.
SponsorsVisa sponsorship jobs
Search the IND register.
ArrivingIND and registration in Eindhoven
Holland Expat Center South and your BSN.
HousingRenting in Eindhoven
Rents, room rules and your deposit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is working in Eindhoven like for internationals?
The Zuidoost-Brabant labour market is very tight, with almost 5 times as many vacancies as short-term jobseekers and 17,300 vacancies on average in the first half of 2025. Jobs keep growing in industry and specialist business services. From outside the EU you usually need a recognised sponsor and a salary above the IND threshold.
Where can I look for job opportunities in the Netherlands from Eindhoven?
Holland Expat Center South tells employers to post high tech and IT vacancies on the Brainport Eindhoven job portal, alongside international recruiters, EURES for Europe and international job sites, so those are good places to search. If you need a permit, check that the employer is on the IND register of recognised sponsors before you apply.
Can my Eindhoven employer make me repay training costs?
Not for training the employer is legally obliged to provide so that you can do the job you were hired for: that training must be free, count as working time, and a clause recovering its cost from your pay is void under article 7:611a of the Civil Code. Other repayment clauses depend on their wording, so have a lawyer read yours.
When does a temporary contract in Eindhoven become permanent?
When temporary contracts with the same employer follow each other with gaps of at most six months and together last longer than 36 months, or when more than 3 have followed each other; the last one then counts as permanent. A collective agreement can stretch those limits, so check yours.
I lost my highly skilled migrant job in Eindhoven. How long can I stay?
If you are not to blame, the IND generally gives you 3 months to find a new recognised sponsor, or up to 6 months if you have held your permit for 2 years or more. The period starts on the day the contract was dissolved and cannot run past the end date of your permit.
Is there a free employment lawyer consultation in Eindhoven?
FindLawyer starts with a free 15-minute call and then matches you with an English-speaking Dutch employment lawyer for dismissal, a settlement agreement or a permit at risk. The lawyer’s fees are explained before you proceed, and on a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
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Official sources, checked 15 September 2026
- UWV: Zuidoost-Brabant region in figures 2025 (in Dutch)
- IND: public register of recognised sponsors, work
- IND: required amounts and income requirements
- Holland Expat Center South: steps for hiring a highly skilled migrant
- Rijksoverheid: minimum wage amounts 2026 (in Dutch)
- Wetten.nl: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, articles 7:611a and 7:668a (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how long is a probation period? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: what is a non-compete clause? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how much holiday allowance do I get? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how much pay do I get when I am ill? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: my notice period when I resign (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: my employer’s notice period (in Dutch)
- UWV: applying for unemployment benefit (WW) (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how high is the transition payment? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: am I entitled to a payment when I am dismissed? (in Dutch)
- Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 686a (in Dutch)
- IND: brochure on working as a highly skilled migrant (form 3072, PDF)
- Rechtspraak.nl: directions to Rechtbank Oost-Brabant (in Dutch)
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about working in Eindhoven and employment law, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.