WOS and IND renew cooperation

Last update: 16 December 2021

​WOS (The Dutch employers' organisation in sports) and IND have extended their cooperation for five years. IND director Edwin Koop (Regular Residence and Dutch Citizenship Department) and WOS' general director Marc Elffers recently signed the extension of the cooperation agreement. 

Top athletes, trainers, (national) coaches and, for example, physiotherapists from outside the EU who come to the Netherlands to boost the sports sector need residence and work permits. The WOS submits the applications for these permits on behalf of sports associations and sports federations, which is both practical and efficient. Owing to the WOS' experience and knowledge, the IND receives clear and commonly complete applications allowing it to decide quickly. Since 2009, WOS and IND have been working closely together.

One contact

The IND has the WOS as its central contact point for the said applications, and the WOS has a permanent contact person at the IND. Edwin Koop: "The IND wants to put more effort into relationships with its stakeholders. This includes giving stakeholders one contact at the IND, allowing fast switching. A prime example is this cooperation. The short lines also allow the IND to gather feedback and continue improving the work."

Fast application procedure

Marc Elffers signed the agreement on behalf of the WOS: "As the WOS we stand for good employment practices. This includes ensuring that foreign employees have the right permits and terms and conditions of employment. The cooperation with the IND offers us a fixed point of contact to turn to with all our requests for help. In this way, we ensure a speedy application process in a dynamic sector without losing sight of the quality of service."