Go to content

Work experience requirement for psychotherapist

To acquire the work experience requirement (also known as the standard number of hours) you must have worked 2,080 hours as a psychotherapist over a 5-year period. This is approximately 8 hours a week. The work must meet certain requirements. Find out here which ones and what hours count

Work experience gained in the Netherlands

Only the hours you worked while BIG registered count towards registration.

Work experience gained outside the Netherlands

If you worked abroad, you must be on the legal register there. You must prove this by providing a Certificate of Current Professional Status from the competent authority of the country where you have been working.

If the country does not have a legal register, work experience without registration will also be taken into account. You must provide proof of this work experience in the form of a certificate or attestation from the competent authority. In addition, check whether the level at which you worked is at least equal to the level of Dutch training.

Requirements for the work

There are three requirements for work inside and outside the Netherlands:

  1. The work must fall within the scope of individual healthcare. This is work that is intended to improve or monitor a person’s health;
  2. The work must always fall within the field of expertise of the profession for which you are applying for re-registration. If you work in a profession or position other than that of psychotherapist, work may count if it falls within the area of expertise;
  3. If you work in a profession or position other than that of psychotherapist, this must be at least at a university level. You can look at the job profile for this. If it does not say anything about the level, the training that goes with the job is a good guideline.

If part of your work in another profession meets the three requirements, it will be taken into account for the work experience requirement. Please indicate this with a percentage in your application.

Work experience calculator

The BIG register has a handy tool to calculate your hours of work experience. Choose the calculator that applies to you and read the explanation as well:  

Hours in paid employment to be taken into account

If you are in paid employment, the hours you work according to your contract form the basis. This includes the hours you do not work but for which you are paid. These are the hours for paid annual leave, recognised public holidays, maternity leave, sick leave and training.
For annual leave and sick leave, a maximum of 6 weeks counts as work experience. If you have longer annual leave or have been ill for a longer period, these hours do not count towards your application.

If you work as both a healthcare psychologist and a psychotherapist, please use the combined activities declaration [in Dutch] if your employer cannot make a distinction in the hours worked. Ask your employer to complete and sign this declaration. 

Hours as a self-employed person to be taken into account

If you are self-employed, the hours worked form the basis. You may add to this the hours for leave, sickness and training. Training hours must be focused on individual healthcare and the area of expertise of your profession. Read more about the hours you may and may not include in the Psychotherapist’ Evaluation Framework.

Click here for more information about the definition of the business concept for freelance psychotherapists [in Dutch].

Teaching work may count

Some teaching work counts towards re-registration, even if it does not meet the requirements. Read more about equivalent activities in Chapter 5 of the Psychotherapist’ Evaluation Framework [in Dutch].

Have you been asked to prove your work experience? Then also check out the page Documentary proof of work experience.