Hiring and Managing Japanese Chefs in the Netherlands: Visa, Salary and Retention (2026)

This guide answers the questions restaurant owners in the Netherlands ask us most often before hiring a Japanese chef from Japan. Salary ranges reflect the positions Washoku Agent has handled; visa facts come from official government pages, checked on 2026-11-02.

How much do Japanese chefs earn in the Netherlands?

Based on the positions Washoku Agent has handled in the Netherlands, advertised annual packages for Japanese chefs typically fall between JPY 6 and 11 million when converted, with the highest advertised packages reaching around JPY 11 million. In local terms, recent offers have been in the order of EUR 5,500 to 6,000 per month or EUR 4,500 per month. These are offers at the time of advertising; the final package depends on city, concept and seniority.

Which roles and restaurant types hire Japanese chefs in the Netherlands?

The demand we see in the Netherlands is concentrated in a few role types and concepts. The most common roles are head chef and junior chef positions, and the most common concepts are omakase sushi, izakaya and teishoku set-meal restaurant.

Do Japanese chefs need to speak English, and is housing provided?

Nearly all of our listings accepted beginner-level English. Employers in the Netherlands generally prioritise cooking technique and experience; kitchen English develops on the job. Around half of our listings included housing or a housing allowance.

Which visa lets a restaurant in the Netherlands sponsor a Japanese chef?

A single permit (GVVA) from the IND, which combines the residence permit and the work permit, for a job of more than 90 days. The restaurant first proves that it searched for staff in the Netherlands and the EU/EEA: for an Asian restaurant the vacancy goes to UWV's Support Centre for the Asian Restaurant Sector, runs for 5 weeks, and the search must have lasted 3 months. The special scheme for Asian cooks ended on 1 July 2024, so a Japanese restaurant follows the same rules as any other employer. The permit runs for the contract, up to 3 years, and Japanese nationals need no MVV. A head chef on at least EUR 5,942.00 gross a month can instead come as a highly skilled migrant through a recognised sponsor, and Japanese citizens aged 18 to 30 can work part of a year on a working holiday.

• Salary: pay at least the statutory minimum wage, EUR 2,337.00 gross a month without holiday allowance (EUR 2,523.96 with it) from 1 July to 31 December 2026, and the normal rate under your collective labour agreement; the figure changes every 1 January and 1 July. What Japanese chefs are paid in the Netherlands is in the salary section above.
• Chef documents: an employment contract and a valid passport; cooking is not a regulated profession, so no diploma or fixed years of experience are required, and the chef's skill is for the restaurant to judge. Japanese nationals are exempt from the MVV.
• Employer test: register the vacancy with UWV's Support Centre for the Asian Restaurant Sector (confirmation within 3 days), advertise it 5 weeks, search at least 3 months in the Netherlands and the EU/EEA beyond werk.nl, apply while the vacancy is under 3 months old, and arrange housing.
• Fees and time: single permit EUR 423.00; recognition as sponsor optional at EUR 5,080.00 (EUR 2,539.00 for a business of no more than 50 persons); IND decision within 90 days, extendable by 30 days, with UWV's advice inside 5 weeks; about 6 months in total from the vacancy to the first day.
• Length of stay: up to 3 years on the single permit, tied to the employer on the additional document; a change of employer needs a new application; permanent residence after 5 years with the A2 civic integration exam. The partner may work only with a TWV, unlike the partner of a highly skilled migrant.

1. Decide the route: a single permit for most chefs, or the highly skilled migrant permit if the salary is at least EUR 5,942.00 gross a month (EUR 4,357.00 under 30) and you are, or will become, a recognised sponsor.
2. Report the vacancy to UWV's Support Centre for the Asian Restaurant Sector with the form Melden vacature Aziatische Horeca, keep the confirmation with the vacancy number, and advertise through other job sites and agencies in the Netherlands and the EU/EEA for 3 months.
3. After 5 weeks of advertising and before the vacancy is 3 months old, file the single permit application with the IND (EUR 423.00) with the employment contract, the housing arrangement and the recruitment evidence; the IND asks UWV for advice.
4. Wait for the decision, up to 90 days (30 days longer if the IND extends); as a Japanese national the chef travels without an MVV, collects the residence document, registers with the municipality and takes out Dutch health insurance within 4 months.
5. Before the permit ends, apply for an extension (EUR 423.00) or a new single permit if the job changes; after 5 years support the chef's application for a permanent residence permit, which needs the A2 civic integration exam.

Which permit lets a Dutch restaurant hire a Japanese chef?

For work of more than 90 days, a single permit, in Dutch gecombineerde vergunning voor verblijf en arbeid (GVVA), issued by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). It combines the residence permit and the work permit (TWV) in one document, and the IND asks the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) for advice on the labour market test, so the restaurant does not file a separate application with UWV. The Netherlands has no chef visa. The special scheme that let Asian restaurants bring in specialised cooks from outside Europe has ended: since 1 July 2024 UWV assesses applications in the Asian restaurant sector under the same rules as every other sector, which means a full labour market test, and the only trace of the old scheme is a renewal route for chefs who were already working in the Netherlands before 1 January 2022. A job of 90 days or less needs only a TWV from UWV, which the employer applies for through the UWV employer portal (the employee cannot do this) and which UWV usually decides within 5 weeks, plus a short-stay visa where one is needed. The GVVA follows the employment contract and UWV's advice, up to 3 years, and the additional document names the employer and the conditions of the work (in Dutch: Arbeid toegestaan conform aanvullend document). Japanese nationals are exempt from the MVV, the provisional residence permit that most non-EU nationals must collect at an embassy before travelling, so the chef can enter without an entry visa once the GVVA is approved and collects the residence document in the Netherlands. The second route is the highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant): no labour market test and a permit of up to 5 years, but only an employer recognised as a sponsor by the IND can apply, the salary must be in line with the market rate and at least EUR 5,942.00 gross a month in 2026 (EUR 4,357.00 for a chef under 30). The IND does not exclude cooks from that route, but it publishes no guidance for restaurants, so treat it as an option for a head chef on a senior salary only.

What does the chef have to show, and what is the salary rule?

Cooking is not a licensed profession in the Netherlands as far as the official pages go: neither the IND single permit page nor UWV sets a diploma or a number of years of experience for a cook, and business.gov.nl says that for a profession that is not regulated you do not need to ask permission or have your qualifications recognised (an evaluation of a foreign diploma by IDW is optional). The culinary qualification at level 4, 5 or 6 that UWV still mentions applies only to renewals under the old Asian cooks scheme, for chefs who were already working in the Netherlands before 1 January 2022. A new Japanese chef therefore shows an employment contract with the restaurant, a valid passport and the general IND conditions (no risk to public order, healthcare insurance within 4 months of the permit). The chef's skills are checked by the restaurant, not by the state, so keep employer letters and a record of training on file in case UWV asks why no candidate in the Netherlands or the EU/EEA could fill the job. Salary rule: the IND income requirement for paid employment is the statutory minimum wage. From 1 July 2026-31 December 2026 it is EUR 2,337.00 gross per month without holiday allowance, or EUR 2,523.96 with the holiday allowance, which matches the government minimum of EUR 14.99 an hour for workers aged 21 and over. The amounts change on 1 January and 1 July; on 2 November 2026 the 1 January 2027 figure was not yet published. On top of that floor the IND requires that the employer pays a normal salary under the collective labour agreement (CAO) that applies to the business. The minimum wage is a legal condition of the permit, not a pay benchmark. What Japanese chefs are paid in the Netherlands is in the salary section above. For the highly skilled migrant route the 2026 thresholds are EUR 5,942.00 gross a month from age 30 and EUR 4,357.00 under 30, paid monthly into a bank account and in line with the market rate.

What does the restaurant have to show?

That it first looked for an employee in the Netherlands and the EU/EEA, and that the business is registered in the Commercial Register (KVK). The vacancy must be registered at a UWV employer service point; for an Asian restaurant, which includes Japanese cuisine, that is UWV's Support Centre for the Asian Restaurant Sector (Servicepunt Aziatische horeca), using the form Melden vacature Aziatische Horeca. UWV sends a confirmation email with the vacancy number within 3 days of receiving the completed form. The vacancy must then be advertised for 5 weeks through the Support Centre before the application can be filed, and it must not be older than 3 months at the time of application. UWV also expects at least 3 months of searching in the Netherlands and the EU/EEA or Switzerland: a posting on werk.nl alone is not considered sufficient effort, so the restaurant should also use other job sites and employment agencies and keep the evidence. The employer pays a normal salary under the applicable collective labour agreement, arranges safe and clean housing for the chef (UWV lists it as a condition, together with the chef being over 18 and the job being regular, not seasonal or casual, employment), and by employing a foreign national automatically becomes the chef's sponsor, with duties to keep records and report changes. Recognition as a sponsor is optional for paid employment (it is mandatory only for the highly skilled migrant route). Recognition costs EUR 5,080.00, or EUR 2,539.00 for a business with no more than 50 persons, and the IND then aims to decide on the sponsor's applications within 2 weeks, or about 7 weeks when a work permit or single permit is needed. For a restaurant hiring one chef the fee rarely pays off; for a group that hires every year it can.

How much are the fees, how long does it take, and how long can the chef stay?

Fees: single permit EUR 423.00 for a first application and EUR 423.00 for an extension; highly skilled migrant EUR 423.00; recognition as a sponsor EUR 5,080.00 (EUR 2,539.00 for a business with no more than 50 persons); residence permit for the chef's partner EUR 254.00. The IND changes its fees every 1 January, and the 2026 fees were raised by 4.4% on 1 January 2026, so check the fee page on the day you file. UWV charges nothing for the vacancy registration. Time: the IND has a statutory 90 days to decide on a single permit and may extend that by 30 days with reasons; within the 90 days UWV has 5 weeks for its advice. A 45-day period exists but applies only to applicants who already hold certain Dutch residence permits, for example a highly skilled migrant changing to paid employment, so a chef coming from Japan should count on 90 days. Before filing, the vacancy must have run for 5 weeks and the search for 3 months, so from posting the vacancy to the chef's first day plan on about 6 months. A recognised sponsor is faster: the IND aims for 2 weeks, or about 7 weeks when a single permit is needed. After arrival the chef collects the residence document, registers with the municipality and takes out Dutch health insurance within 4 months. Stay: the single permit is valid for the length of the contract and UWV's advice, up to 3 years. A change of job or employer needs a new application to the IND, and only a new additional document is issued if the residence permit is still valid. A highly skilled migrant permit runs for the contract, up to 5 years. After 5 consecutive years on a residence permit the chef can apply for a permanent residence permit (EUR 254.00), which requires the civic integration exam at level A2 or an exemption and the income requirement.

Is there a working holiday route?

Yes. Japan and the Netherlands started a working holiday scheme in 2020, with 200 places a year for Japanese citizens (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 1 November 2026; the IND states the same cap of 200 for Japan). The applicant must be at least 18 and no older than 30 at the time of application, applies online to the IND and pays EUR 85.00; the IND must decide within 90 days. The permit is valid for a maximum of 1 year and cannot be extended. The back of the residence document reads: Work permit not required for occasional work while on WHP/WHS, other work not permitted. The IND explains that the holder may work full time, but not the whole year for the same employer, and may not work as a self-employed person, because the purpose of the stay is cultural exchange. So a restaurant can take a Japanese chef on a working holiday for part of the year without any UWV procedure, but cannot keep the same person for the full 12 months and must switch to a single permit, with the labour market test, to employ the chef after that. Demand is high: the 2026 quota for Japan was reached on 7 April 2026, and Japanese applicants can submit again from 1 January 2027. Family: the partner of a chef on a single permit can get a residence permit (EUR 254.00, decision within 90 days, valid as long as the chef's permit) but may work only if an employer obtains a TWV for the partner; the IND states that the free-to-work label (arbeid vrij toegestaan, TWV niet vereist) is given to the partner of a highly skilled migrant, EU Blue Card holder or intra-corporate transferee, not to the partner of a single permit holder.

Rules change. We confirm the current requirements with the employer before an offer.

Who can help with the visa in the Netherlands?

Washoku Agent introduces the chef and helps the chef gather the documents the application asks for. The application itself is made by the employer, or by a licensed adviser where the law requires one. When a case is complex, for example a change of status, a refusal in the past or a family member joining, the law decides who may advise you or apply on your behalf. The employer applies to the IND for the residence permit for paid employment, and can apply for the entry visa (mvv) at the same time. (official source)

• An authorised representative (any person or company), or a lawyer. The IND lets you authorise someone else to act for you, for example to submit an application, with its Authorisation declaration. If that person is your lawyer, no authorisation declaration is needed. (official source)
• The employer, especially as a recognised sponsor. The employer applies to the IND for the employee's residence permit for paid employment. A recognised sponsor can apply simply and quickly, and recognition is required for some routes such as highly skilled migrants. (official source)

Where do restaurants in the Netherlands find Japanese chefs?

The Netherlands had about 1,550 Japanese restaurants in the agriculture ministry's November 2025 count, up 370 since the previous survey, and the Japanese community is small but growing: 11,225 Japanese nationals lived in the country on 1 October 2025, up 5.3% in a year. The top of the market is thin: the Michelin Guide lists five restaurants under Japanese cuisine in the whole country, with one star (Yamazato in Amsterdam) and one Bib Gourmand (Ramen Kitanoya in The Hague). Most hiring is of sushi cooks for takeaways, izakaya and hotel kitchens. Owners post on the UWV job bank werk.nl, which is also the first legal step before a work permit for a cook from outside the EU, on Indeed, on the hotel and hospitality job sites, and they recruit directly through their own training programmes. A few Japanese-run restaurants in Amsterdam hire and train their staff in Japan and bring them over as a team.

Washoku Agent sits alongside these channels as the specialist route: we hold a registered pool of Japanese chefs, screen for technique and willingness to relocate, interpret interviews and manage the paperwork. You can run local channels in parallel and use us for the chef you cannot find locally.

Hire from Japan or from the local market in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands gives you two pools. Sushi cooks are not scarce: werk.nl carried 200 'sushi' vacancies and Indeed more than 50 'sushi kok' postings on 2 November 2026, most at EUR 2,400 to 3,500 gross a month, the Horeca cao band for functiegroep V and VI (EUR 2,505 to 3,289 a month from 1 July 2026). What is scarce is Japanese technique: the exact phrase 'japanese chef' returned nothing on Indeed, the Michelin Guide lists only five Japanese restaurants in the country, and the Amsterdam counters that want authentic sushi pay about double the cao band, with Sushi Fanatics advertising a gross equivalent of EUR 4,300 to 5,100 a month for an experienced sushi chef. A chef from Japan needs a work permit, which since 1 July 2024 follows the regular labour market test (at least three months of EU recruitment, a vacancy notified to UWV, and a permit that runs for the contract, up to three years). Work permit rules are covered separately.

Common hiring challenges in the Netherlands, and how to keep the chef

What owners and chefs say in public, in their own words:

Not ready to hire full-time? Start with a project: a Japanese chef can develop a menu or train your team for a few weeks. See how a project works.

How do restaurants in the Netherlands hire a Japanese chef through Washoku Agent?

Frequently asked questions