Live vacancies: browse current podiatry jobs in the Netherlands on the IMEA POD jobs board, or search directly on LinkedIn.
The Netherlands has one of Europe’s most developed podiatry professions. Dutch podiatrists, called podotherapeuten, are bachelor-qualified clinicians who assess and treat foot problems and related posture and movement complaints. They work in independent practices, health centres, hospitals and rehabilitation settings, and play a defined role in diabetic foot prevention funded by basic health insurance. For IMEA-region podiatrists with a university degree, the Dutch model will feel familiar, though recognition is slow and good Dutch is essential.
The protected title is podotherapeut. The profession is an “article 34” profession under the Wet BIG (Individual Healthcare Professions Act), which protects the training title. Podotherapeuten complete a four-year higher professional (HBO) bachelor’s programme in podiatry (podotherapie.nl). The podoloog is a different foot care professional, and the title is not protected under the Wet BIG. The (medisch) pedicure, represented by the trade body ProVoet, is a third group. Only a podotherapeut can use the podotherapeut title.
How podiatry is regulated in the Netherlands
The Wet BIG has two levels of regulation. Article 3 professions, such as doctors, nurses and physiotherapists, must register in the BIG register. Podotherapeut is not one of them. Instead it is an article 34 profession with a protected training title. Its training and scope are set out in a government decree covering dietitians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dental hygienists, exercise therapists, orthoptists and podiatrists. The professional body describes podotherapy as “an article 34 profession with a protected training title” (NVvP professional profile 2025). So you cannot register a Dutch podotherapeut in the BIG register. Your main steps are getting your foreign qualification recognised and then registering in the quality register.
The quality register is the Kwaliteitsregister Paramedici (KP), an independent register that includes podotherapeuten among nine paramedical professions. KP registration shows that you meet the profession’s quality criteria, and in practice employers and health insurers look for it. To register with a foreign diploma, you upload a copy of the diploma and a vakbekwaamheidsverklaring (declaration of professional competence) issued by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport. The initial registration fee is €180 if your diploma is less than five years old. Older diplomas first go through a diploma check (kwaliteitsregisterparamedici.nl).
Foreign diplomas are assessed by CIBG, an agency of the Ministry of Health, through the BIG register’s foreign diploma service. EU and Swiss diplomas follow the recognition of professional qualifications procedure. Non-EU diplomas follow the certificate of competence procedure (bigregister.nl). The Commission for Foreign Healthcare Graduates (CBGV) advises the Minister on applications for professions under articles 3, 34 and 36a of the Wet BIG (bigregister.nl). For the non-EU procedure, you need proof of Dutch language proficiency and English reading proficiency. Processing currently takes six to 18 months on average after a complete application. Application and processing are free at the time of writing, though CIBG says this will change (bigregister.nl). The commission may advise extra training or an internship before recognition.
The podiatry employment landscape in the Netherlands
The NVvP professional profile describes podotherapists working at every level of care. That includes footwear and sports advice in the community, primary care practices and health centres, and hospitals, rehabilitation centres and nursing homes (kwaliteitsregisterparamedici.nl). Podotherapy is directly accessible, so patients can book without a GP referral. Treatment starts after a screening and the patient’s consent.
Core work includes custom podiatric orthoses (insoles), orthoses and protheses for toes and nails, and treatment of skin and nail problems. Diabetic foot care is a major area. Preventive foot care for people with certain chronic conditions that raise the risk of poorly healing wounds is covered by basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Regular podotherapy is usually covered by supplementary insurance (podotherapie.nl). Podotherapists can take further training in diabetic podotherapy. Their training covers children, adults, and patients whose foot problems are complicated by other medical or psychological conditions, and sports advice is part of community-level work.
Employers and job search channels
The Nederlandse Vereniging van Podotherapeuten (NVvP) runs a vacancy page with jobs at independent practices and practice chains across the country, from part-time posts to team leader roles. Hospitals, rehabilitation centres and nursing homes also employ podotherapists. LinkedIn and general Dutch job boards also carry vacancies. Almost all adverts are in Dutch.
Job titles in Dutch adverts include Podotherapeut, Podotherapeut (24-32 uur), Podotherapeut diabetes, Podotherapeut sport, Praktijkmanager podotherapie, Teamleider podotherapie, Podoloog, Medisch pedicure and Orthopedisch schoentechnicus. Check whether an advert asks for a podotherapeut, which needs a recognised qualification and usually KP registration, or a podoloog or pedicure, which are different roles.
International candidates and documentation
The BIG register publishes a roadmap for healthcare providers with non-European diplomas. It has five phases: orientation and advice, preparation (learning Dutch and English, gathering documents, understanding Dutch healthcare), applying for diploma recognition, registration where your profession requires it, and getting to work. You apply online through mijn.bigregister.nl. Typical documents include your diploma, detailed course overviews and transcripts, evidence of work experience, identity documents and language certificates. CIBG tells you which documents need certification or translation.
Plan for a long timeline. Recognition alone can take up to 18 months, and you need Dutch for both the procedure and patient care. Learning Dutch before you apply, and contacting practices or the NVvP early, can shorten the gap between recognition and your first job.
Visa and employment considerations
Non-EU podotherapists usually come to the Netherlands as highly skilled migrants. Only an employer recognised by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) as a sponsor can apply for this permit. The employer applies on your behalf, and your salary must meet the IND income requirement and match the market rate for the job. Before you accept an offer, check that the employer appears in the IND’s public register of recognised sponsors. Requirements and salary thresholds change every year, so check the IND website and confirm with your employer before you move.
Pedorthists, footwear and supplier-side roles
Orthopaedic footwear is a separate trade. The orthopedisch schoentechnicus (orthopaedic shoe technician) trains through a vocational (MBO) level 4 programme. A 2018 labour market study published by SBB, the Dutch foundation for vocational education and the labour market, found a limited but clear shortage of qualified staff in orthopaedic shoe companies, especially for fitting-room roles (s-bb.nl). Orthopaedic shoe companies, insole laboratories and orthopaedic technology firms hire for fitting, workshop and product roles, and foreign pedorthists should check how their training compares with the Dutch MBO qualification. Footwear and orthosis suppliers also hire podotherapists as clinical advisers and trainers.
Why the Netherlands matters for IMEA POD readers
The Netherlands shows how a bachelor-level podiatry profession can be built into primary care with direct access, a quality register and insured diabetic foot prevention. For IMEA countries designing podiatry regulation, the split between podotherapeut, podoloog and pedicure is a useful model for dividing work between clinicians and support roles.
For individual clinicians, the Netherlands is a realistic but slow destination. A degree-level podiatry qualification is a good starting point, but expect a long CIBG procedure, a firm Dutch language requirement and a sponsor-dependent visa. Once recognised, you join a well-organised profession with its own professional body, quality register and regular vacancies across the country.
- BIG register (CIBG): recognition of foreign diplomas
- BIG register (CIBG): certificate of competence for non-EU diplomas
- BIG register (CIBG): roadmap to working in the Netherlands
- Kwaliteitsregister Paramedici
- Nederlandse Vereniging van Podotherapeuten (NVvP)
- NVvP: podotherapist vacancies
- IND: highly skilled migrant residence permit