How to Apply for WW
Short answer
You apply for WW through Mijn UWV. UWV says you can usually submit the application from 1 week before your first day of unemployment until 1 week after that first day. To log in, you need DigiD or a valid European electronic ID. UWV also states that the decision is normally sent within 4 weeks of your first day of unemployment. So the operational rule is simple: calculate the first unemployment day immediately and treat digital access as a same-day task.
Who this article is for
This page is for:
- expats whose Dutch employment is ending soon
- employees who think they may qualify for WW but are not yet sure
- workers leaving under dismissal, non-renewal or a settlement agreement
- kennismigranten and other international employees who are juggling both income and immigration concerns
Start with the timeline, not with the form
The most common mistake is opening Mijn UWV first and only then asking when the WW clock actually starts.
Start here instead:
What is my first day of unemployment according to the legal end of the employment relationship?
That date controls the application window. It can differ from:
- your last day physically at work
- the day you signed a settlement agreement
- the day your manager told you the contract would end
- the day you receive the final payslip
If there is a notice period, garden leave or an agreed end date in a VSO, use that legal timeline first. The WW route is deadline-driven. Emotional clarity can wait. Calendar clarity cannot.
The application window is deliberately short
UWV’s English guidance is explicit: you can apply as early as 1 week before the first day of unemployment, but no later than 1 week after that first day.
For expats, that short window creates extra risk because job-loss files often become cluttered with:
- questions about severance or final pay
- residence-permit worries
- sickness or burnout concerns
- uncertainty about whether the employer already informed UWV of anything
None of that extends the standard WW application window. Even if the wider file is complicated, the WW submission still has to be handled fast.
Where you apply
You apply through Mijn UWV. UWV’s secure-portal guidance separates benefit actions from more general work-search environments. That matters because users sometimes end up in the wrong portal and assume they have already started the WW process.
Treat these as separate questions:
- Can I log into the right UWV environment?
- Have I actually submitted the WW application?
- Have I saved the confirmation or message trail?
A professional file always keeps proof of the application moment.
What access method you need
UWV states that the online application requires:
- DigiD, or
- a valid European electronic ID
That sounds simple, but for expats it can become the real bottleneck. The practical risk is not only missing information. It is also discovering too late that:
- DigiD access is not active
- a device or browser problem blocks the login
- the user does not know which identifier is accepted
- the person assumed there was a paper fallback without delay
So do not leave the login check for the last day. Test access early, ideally before the final working date if you already know the unemployment date is approaching.
What to prepare before you log in
The exact file can differ, but the safest WW-preparation bundle includes:
- your employment contract
- recent payslips
- the confirmed end date of employment
- bank details
- dismissal, non-renewal or settlement-agreement documents
- working DigiD or European eID access
If your end date is linked to a VSO, keep the signed version and any related HR email chain together. If your case also touches sickness or a residence permit, keep those records in the same timeline file but do not let those side issues delay the WW submission.
What happens after you apply
UWV states that a decision is usually issued within 4 weeks after the first day of unemployment. That does not mean you can go silent after pressing submit.
A safer approach is to:
- check Mijn UWV regularly
- respond quickly if extra information is requested
- keep screenshots or PDFs of confirmation messages
- note when any payment, advance or decision message arrives
- track work-search and reporting duties from the start
WW is not a one-click event. It becomes an ongoing benefit relationship with its own compliance rhythm.
If you are also a kennismigrant
For highly skilled migrants and other non-EU employees, WW and residence status are separate systems.
A correct WW application does not solve an IND problem. And a valid permit does not automatically create WW entitlement. That is why international employees should run two parallel tracks after job loss:
- the UWV income track
- the IND residence/sponsor track
The safest file is one timeline with two clearly labelled lanes.
What to do now
- Confirm the legal first day of unemployment.
- Count the WW application window from that date.
- Test your Mijn UWV access before the last possible filing day.
- Prepare the contract, payslips and end-of-employment documents in one folder.
- Submit first, then continue to the separate article on WW entitlement if you still need an eligibility check.
- If you are a kennismigrant, review the immigration page on permit timing on the same day.
Common mistakes
- assuming the last working day is always the same as the first day of unemployment
- waiting for severance negotiations to finish before looking at the WW deadline
- discovering too late that DigiD or eID access is not working
- treating the application as complete without saving proof of submission
- mixing immigration questions into the WW timeline until the filing window is missed