If you are job-hunting in Flanders with the Amsterdam-tech mindset, “everyone works in English, right?”, you are in for a shock. Flanders is a different market, and here the single biggest factor in landing a job is not your CV, it is your Dutch. Especially at the smaller companies that make up most of the economy. Here is the honest reality, and the level that actually opens doors.
Dutch is THE barrier
This is not a soft preference; it is measured. As reporting on the Flemish labour market puts it bluntly, Dutch language skills are the biggest obstacle for non-native speakers to find suitable work in Flanders, more so than elsewhere in Europe. The same research notes that about 8 in 10 VDAB vacancies require good to very good knowledge of Dutch.
Part of why: Dutch is rarely spoken outside the region, so newcomers arrive with little prior exposure, unlike English, Spanish or French elsewhere. The deck is genuinely stacked toward those who learn it.
Why SMEs especially need it
The big multinationals in Brussels or Antwerp may run in English, but they are the exception. Flanders’ economy is dominated by SMEs (small and medium enterprises), and these firms:
- serve local, Dutch-speaking clients,
- communicate internally in Dutch, and
- lack the international, English-as-working-language structure of big tech.
So unlike an Amsterdam or Rotterdam tech hub where English gets you hired, most of the Flemish market simply expects Dutch. English-only roles exist, but they are a narrow slice, the same bubble-versus-reality tension we describe for Ghent. For comparison, even in the Dutch tech world, Dutch is what lifts your career ceiling; in Flemish SMEs, it is the entry ticket.
The encouraging part: you don’t need perfection
Here is the good news, and it is real. The bar is workable Dutch, not native fluency, for many roles. As guidance on the VDAB job system notes, the level varies by role:
| Role type | Rough Dutch level |
|---|---|
| Some blue-collar jobs | from ~A2 (with VDAB help) |
| Many roles | good to very good |
| Accountancy and similar | ~B2 |
VDAB’s job search even has a Talen (languages) filter so you can find jobs matching your level. So you do not have to wait for fluency, reaching A2 to B1 already unlocks a meaningful part of the market, and B2 opens most of it.
How to approach it
Treat Dutch as the core of your Flemish job search, not an afterthought. Build practical, workplace-oriented Dutch, and pair it with a Dutch-style CV and direct application approach. For the bureaucratic side of working and settling in Flanders, see which office you need for Flemish admin, and for the home base, renting fast with the right Vlaams terminology.
The bottom line
In Flanders, Dutch is not a nice-to-have, it is the biggest single barrier to employment, with roughly 8 in 10 VDAB vacancies wanting good Dutch and most SMEs running entirely in it. English-only roles exist but are limited to a few international firms. The encouraging flip side: the requirement is workable Dutch, not perfection, A2 to B1 already opens doors, B2 opens most. In a market where language is the deciding factor, learning Dutch is the highest-return move you can make.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the practical, workplace-oriented Dutch the Flemish job market actually demands, the everyday and professional vocabulary by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can reach the level that opens SME and local jobs instead of being limited to a few English-only roles.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need Dutch to get a job in Flanders?
For most jobs, yes. In Flanders, Dutch language skills are the single biggest barrier for newcomers to find suitable work, more so than in most of Europe. Research cited by VDAB suggests around 8 in 10 vacancies require good to very good Dutch. English-only roles exist, mainly in larger international companies, but they are limited, and smaller firms in particular expect Dutch.
Why do Flemish SMEs require Dutch when big tech companies don’t?
Because smaller companies serve local clients, communicate internally in Dutch, and lack the international, English-as-working-language setup of big multinationals. SMEs dominate the Flemish economy, so most of the job market runs in Dutch. Unlike Amsterdam-style tech hubs, Flanders has fewer English-first employers, which makes Dutch decisive for the majority of roles outside a handful of international firms.
What level of Dutch do I need for a job in Flanders?
It depends on the role. Many positions need good to very good Dutch (B2 for things like accountancy), but plenty accept lower levels: VDAB often helps people into blue-collar jobs from around A2, and some roles need only a basic level. VDAB’s job search even has a ‘Talen’ (languages) filter to match your Dutch level. So workable Dutch, not perfection, opens a lot of the market.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for working in Flanders?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the practical, workplace-oriented Dutch the Flemish job market actually demands, the everyday and professional vocabulary, in five-minute lessons, so you reach the level that opens SME and local jobs instead of being limited to a few English-only roles.
