National Trainee Programme for Kingdom Relations

for starters with a strong affinity for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom

Location: The Hague

Do you have a passion for the Kingdom, and are you familiar with Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or Saba? Are you excited by the prospect of expanding your knowledge, experience, and professional network over the next two years within the Dutch central government?

And do you have a completed academic master’s degree (WO)? Then the National Trainee Programme is for you!

From Friday 3 April until Monday 13 April at 11:00 (NL time), you can apply for a position in the National Trainee Programme starting in September 2026.

What can you expect?

• Six months at a department within the Directorate-General for Kingdom Relations at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in The Hague.
• Six months at a government organisation on one of the islands in the Caribbean Netherlands (National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands or the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or Saba);
• Another period in The Hague at a ministry department, policy directorate, executive agency, or another ministry dealing with Caribbean Kingdom affairs.
• And finally, six months in Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten at a Dutch government organisation;
• During the program, you will participate in the activities of the National Trainee Program, including training, courses, and events.
• You will start with a salary of over €3000 gross per month (scale 10).

And…

After successfully completing the program, you will transition into a position at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Application process

• You create a profile in our online system where you describe your education and (work) experience, complete a government reasoning test and a quality assessment, and answer two open questions.
• You submit your application between Friday 3 April and Monday 13 April at 11:00 (NL time).

Note: Applications close on 13 April but may close earlier if enough applications are received.

Selection procedure

• At the start of the programme on 1 September 2026, you must have graduated from a master’s program (WO) no more than 2 years ago. Field of study does not matter.
• You must have no other commitments and be available at least 32 hours per week.
• You must have Dutch nationality or a valid work permit for the Netherlands, and you must speak and write Dutch at least at C1 level.

Selected for the program but living in the Caribbean part of the kingdom?

The main location of the program is The Hague.
For the parts of the program in the Caribbean Netherlands and in Aruba, Curaçao, or Sint Maarten, a relocation allowance and travel cost compensation are available.

Interested?

Go to: www.werkenvoornederland.nl/starters/traineeships

For more detailed information about the National Trainee Program and how to apply,