Direct Hire Cost Breakdown

A plain look at what direct hire actually cost me, line by line, so you can budget your own PH to NL move.

Who this is for

Filipino tech workers, mostly devs, who are still dreaming about the move and want real numbers instead of guesses. If you are weighing direct hire against going through an agency, this is for you.

What this helps you decide or do

This helps you separate the costs YOU pay from the costs the employer usually pays, so you can build an honest budget and avoid getting talked into fees you do not actually owe. My own direct hire paperwork on the PH side came out to 6,703.75 pesos total. That number was my situation, not a fixed price, but it shows direct hire does not have to be expensive.

Quick checklist

1. Passport: check the current DFA fee and whether you need expedited processing, and confirm validity covers your full contract.
2. PSA documents (birth certificate, and marriage certificate if it applies): commonly asked for, order via PSA Serbilis or a PSA branch and budget per copy.
3. NBI clearance: often requested for relocation, check the current NBI fee and apply early since slots fill up.
4. Police clearance and any apostille: case-specific, ask your employer exactly which documents they need apostilled at the DFA before you pay for anything.
5. Document apostille or authentication: budget per document at the DFA, only do the ones your employer confirms.
6. IND application fee: paid for the highly skilled migrant or other permit type. Do NOT assume a number, check the current IND fee for your permit and age bracket, and confirm in writing who pays it (often the employer).
7. Recognised sponsor check: zero peso cost, but verify your employer is on the IND public register of recognised sponsors before you sign.
8. One-way flight MNL to AMS: budget a realistic economy fare, and confirm in your offer whether the employer reimburses relocation.
9. First month buffer in the NL: deposit plus first rent, a SIM, and transport. Convert at roughly 1 euro to 69 to 70 pesos (June 2026) so your peso budget is realistic.
10. 30 percent ruling note: if you qualify it can ease early tax, it is changing from 30 to 27 percent in 2027, it is not disappearing. Confirm eligibility with your employer or a tax adviser.

Common mistakes

• Paying an agency a big placement fee when you found a direct-hire role yourself. For agency hires the DMW caps the placement fee at up to one month basic salary, so question anything beyond that.
• Apostilling a stack of documents before the employer tells you which ones they actually need.
• Using an old exchange rate. It is not 40 pesos to a euro, it is roughly 69 to 70.
• Assuming you pay the IND permit fee. Many recognised sponsors cover it, get it in writing.

What to verify

• Current fees for DFA passport, PSA, NBI, and DFA apostille (these change).
• The current IND fee and salary threshold for your permit type and age bracket.
• That your employer appears on the IND public register of recognised sponsors.
• Who pays for the permit, the flight, and relocation, all confirmed in your contract.

Jake note

I came over by direct hire, not through an agency, and my PH-side paperwork really did total 6,703.75 pesos. That was my case, yours will differ, but the point stands: direct hire kept my out-of-pocket cost low and I knew exactly what I was paying for.