Dutch CV Checklist for Filipino Devs

Get the Dutch CV checklist for Filipino devs applying to NL companies.

Who this is for

Filipino developers in the Philippines applying to Dutch companies for a direct-hire, sponsored role. You have not moved yet. You want your CV to read like the ones Dutch recruiters already say yes to.

What this helps you decide or do

Dutch CVs are short, plain, and honest. They do not look like the long PH resumes with a photo, full address, and a “Personal Information” table. This checklist tells you what to cut, what to keep, and what to phrase differently so a Dutch hiring manager can scan it in 20 seconds.

Quick checklist

1. Keep it to 1 to 2 pages. Two pages is fine for senior devs. Cut everything older than 10 years to a single line.
2. Drop the PH resume header block: no photo, no birth date, no civil status, no religion, no full home address. A Dutch recruiter does not want them and some firms ask you to remove them for bias reasons.
3. Put your location as just “Philippines (open to relocation, requires visa sponsorship)” so they know your situation up front instead of guessing.
4. State your work authorization need plainly in one line near the top: that you would need a recognised sponsor for the highly skilled migrant route. Tell them to check the IND public register of recognised sponsors to confirm they qualify. Do not claim a specific salary threshold yourself, say “subject to the current IND salary criterion for my age bracket”.
5. Write a 2 to 3 line summary, not a paragraph of buzzwords. Role, years, main stack, one sentence on what you ship.
6. Lead each job with impact, not duties. “Cut API p95 latency 40 percent” beats “Responsible for maintaining APIs”. Dutch teams value direct, measurable claims you can back up.
7. List your tech stack in a clean block: languages, frameworks, cloud, tools. Recruiters keyword-match. Use the exact names from the job post (React, TypeScript, Kubernetes, not “JS frameworks”).
8. Convert PH job titles to the closest Dutch-market equivalent. “Software Engineer III” or “Technical Lead” reads clearer than internal band names like “Associate 2”.
9. Keep salary expectations OFF the CV. Discuss in the call. If pushed, frame around the role being a recognised-sponsor highly skilled migrant role and say you will align with their banding.
10. English is fine. You do not need Dutch for most dev roles. Add a “Languages” line: English (fluent/professional), Filipino (native), and Dutch only if you actually have it.
11. Use a plain, ATS-readable layout. One column, standard fonts, no fancy graphics or skill bar charts. Export as PDF named “Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf”.
12. Add working links: GitHub, a portfolio or one real project, LinkedIn. Make sure the repos you link are public and not empty.
13. Match the CV to the job post. Reorder your stack and bullets so the top of page 1 mirrors their must-haves.

Common mistakes

• Sending the 4-page PH resume with a photo and a signature block at the bottom.
• Hiding the sponsorship need until the final interview, then wasting everyone’s time if the company is not a recognised sponsor.
• Listing 30 technologies you touched once. Dutch recruiters read padding as a red flag.
• Vague bullets (“helped improve performance”) with no number or context.
• Claiming a specific euro threshold or tax benefit on the CV as if it is settled. Leave the numbers to the employer and IND.

What to verify

Confirm the company is on the IND public register of recognised sponsors before you invest in a full application. Verify the current highly skilled migrant salary criterion for your age bracket on the official IND site, and confirm visa and contract specifics with the employer. Do not rely on figures from forums or old posts.

Jake note

I came over as a direct hire, not through an agency, and a clean, honest CV that stated my sponsorship situation up front saved a lot of back and forth. Say what you need early. The right companies will not be scared off by it.