Working abroad for a prolonged period
Ban on international travel
The Executive Board has decided to impose a ban (decision dated 10 July 2024) on international travel from the first flow of funds.
The ban on international travel from first flow of funds applies to international business trips or trips related to employment abroad. It does not apply to international commuting (e.g. that of cross border workers living in Germany).
If you are going to work abroad for a prolonged period (more than three weeks), e.g. at a foreign university of institution, it is important to make proper arrangements at least three months in advance before your departure. This page tells you all about the preparations you need to make.
Agreeing on salary, reimbursements and duration
First of all, it is important that you agree on a number of matters with your supervisor and the HR adviser of your faculty or service department. They are:
- Permission to work abroad
- Agreements on whether or not your salary will continue to be paid
- Agreements on the costs/reimbursements in the event of a long-term stay abroad
A long-term stay abroad may also have consequences in terms of tax or employment law, or with regard to your residence permit. What consequences these are, further depends on your personal situation, the duration of your stay abroad, the organisation for which you are going to work, and the country in which you are going to work.
Request for working abroad
As soon as you have permission from your faculty or service department to work abroad for a longer period, you must submit a request at least three months in advance via MyHR/my file/my contract/working abroad. Please note! Even if the faculty or department agrees, the UT can still reject an application, for example, for tax, insurance, permit or safety reasons.
After you have submitted the request, it will be processed. In most cases, an A1 certificate will be requested for you. You will also be asked to register for the UT travel insurance, and it will be checked whether you qualify for the Worldwide Clause (WWC) of Menzis (N.B. whether the WWC is honoured is up to Menzis).
Important information regarding working abroad
A1 certificate (certificate of coverage) If you are going to work in a country that is a member of the EU, EEA or another treaty country, after you’ve made your request in MyHR, HR-services applies for an A1 certificate of coverage from ‘Sociale Verzekeringsbank’ (the organisation responsible for implementation of the Dutch national insurance schemes (SVB)). The Netherlands has concluded social security treaties with 24 countries. Such treaties contain provisions about the social security legislation to be applied.
The decision by the SVB determines the country you are socially insured in. If you remain socially insured in the Netherlands during your stay abroad, you must maintain your Dutch healthcare insurance. The organization or company for which you will be temporarily working abroad may also ask you about the A1certificate.’ .
Working outside EU, EEA, or treaty country If you are going to work in a country other than an EU, EEA, or treaty country, HR can still ask the SVB to declare which country’s social insurance legislation will apply to you.
Collective travel insurance UT has taken out collective travel insurance for staff members traveling abroad on behalf of the faculty or department. You must register for this when traveling abroad on behalf of UT. The terms and conditions of this insurance can be found on the service portal.
In which country you pay tax depends on what is determined in the tax treaty with the country concerned. In many cases you will continue to pay tax in the Netherlands. However, this will not be the case in all situations.
Risks of knowledge security If you go abroad for work, it is important to minimize risks in the field of knowledge security. Therefore, follow the guidelines that the UT has drawn up for this and always read the 'traveling abroad for work' page before you go abroad.
Staff mobility funding options At the University of Twente (UT), we encourage the international mobility of our staff, recognising its vital role in professional and personal growth and in strengthening strategic and academic partnerships worldwide. Whether you're an academic or support staff member, exploring opportunities at universities abroad can enrich your expertise, broaden your perspective, and open the door to valuable collaborations.
From participating in training programs to developing institutional partnerships, international experiences help you grow while contributing to UT’s global vision. To support this, a range of funding options is available to make your mobility plans possible.
Discover the funding opportunities that could support your journey abroad and take the next step in your international professional development.
Contact
The request for ‘working abroad’ can be done via MyHR/my file/my contract/working abroad. If you have other questions, ask them via ‘Ask HR’ or the HR department of your faculty or service department.
For ideas, comments or changes to this page, please email webteam-hr@utwente.nl