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Highly skilled migrant

The most important work and residence permit for Dutch employers to attract employees from abroad. With the highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant in Dutch) you can live and work in the Netherlands and bring over your family members. The permit is fast, accessible and widely known.

Apply at the IND

Requirements

The highly skilled migrant permit (or kennismigrantenregeling in Dutch) is a temprary residence permit to perform highly skilled work in the Netherlands. With the highly skilled migrant permit you can live and work in the Netherlands as long as your employment contract lasts, up to a maximum of five years (before renewal). The permit is tied to a specific job and employer. The employer needs to be recognised as sponsor by the IND. Decisions are quick, permits are often approved in two-three weeks. The employee needs to earn a minimum salary depending on age. You can get a lower salary criteria if you were eligble for the orientation year permit and apply within three years of graduation.

Sponsorship

You have an employment contract with an employer or research institute in the Netherlands.
The employer must be a recognized sponsor by the IND.
All recognised sponsor are listed in the public register of the IND.

Highly skilled

You meet the minimum salary requirements.
The agreed salary is in line with market conditions (average salary in same job).
You are doing a highly skilled job. There are no formal education requirements, but the IND can assess the job function.

Go to IND for all requirements

Salary criteria

Minimum monthly gross salary requirements excluding 8 percent holiday allowance. The salary thresholds are adjusted every year.

Highly skilled migrants 30 years or older: € 5,942
Highly skilled migrants younger than 30 years: € 4,357
With orientation year: € 3,122

Highly skilled migrant, ICT or EU Blue Card

Next to the Highly skilled migrant permit, employers can also attract highly skilled employees with the EU Blue Card and ICT permit. The EU Blue Card is an EU work and residence permit for highly educated non-EU/EEA nationals. The ICT or intra-corporate transfer permit is for international assignments within a company. The employee now works at the company outside the EU/EEA and will be transferred to the Dutch branch as trainee, manager or specialist. What are the key differences?

Highly skilled migrant permit

Salary requirements of €5,942 (30 years and above), €4,357 (below 30) or €3,122 for recent graduates (orientation year).
Employment contract in the Netherlands for minimum three months.
Employer must be a recognised sponsor.
No formal degree or work experience requirements.
Entrepreneurship allowed next to paid employment.
Duration of permit corresponds with the duration of employment contract.
Need to meet income requirements during illness.
3 month search period if become unemployed (if permit remains valid).

EU Blue Card

Salary requirements of €5,942 or €4,754 for recent graduates.
Employment contract in the Netherlands for minimum six months
Employer does not need to be a recognised sponsor, but it is faster and easier.
Minimum required university bachelor's degree (evaluated by Nuffic) or five years of work experience (three years in IT).
Entrepreneurship allowed next to paid employment.
Duration of permit corresponds with the duration of employment contract.
Six month search period if become unemployed (if had permit for at least two years).
Lower income requirements during illness.
Lower statutory university tuition fees for children.
Easier mobility in EU and access to EU long-term residency.

ICT permit

Salary requirements same as highly skilled migrant permit.
Employment contract with the company outside of EU/EEA.
Transfer to a branch of the same company in the Netherlands.
Employer does not need to be a recognised sponsor, but it is faster and easier.
You work as a trainee, manager or specialist.
Minimum required recognised university bachelor degree or five years of work experience for managers and specialists. Trainees need a master's degree.
Entrepreneurship not allowed next to paid employment.
Maximum 3 years for manager and specialists and one year for trainees. Can transfer to HSM or Blue Card after.
No search period if become unemployed.

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Tips for your highly skilled migrant permit

All sponsors are public. Check if employers are sponsors before you start applying for jobs. You can filter sponsors on our job board!
Employers can be a sponsor. This does not mean they always sponsor permits for every job.
You can get the reduced salary criteria for three years after graduation in the Netherlands or a top 200 university.
Your permit is tied to the employer. If you change jobs, your new employer needs to apply again.
You can bring your family members. Your spouse does not need a work permit in the Netherlands.
After five years in the Netherlands you can opt for permanent residence or naturalisation.
If you are on the highly skilled migrant permit you are often also eligble for the 30 per cent expat tax ruling.

FAQs

The legal decision period is 90 days. The IND aims to decide on highly skilled migrant permits in 2-3 weeks.
The highly skilled migrant permit is valid for as long as your employment contract lasts. The permit can be a maximum of five years. You can renew your permit again after it expires. There is no maximum term.
Yes, you can extend your permit if it expires. There is no limit for how many times you can extend your permit.
Yes, a family member such as a spouse, partner or child can stay with you. You can apply for the family permit as the same time as the highly skilled migrant permit. The IND will also decide on the family permit in the same time period.

Your spouse or partner has the same rights on the labour market as you. The spouse can work freely without work permit or as self-employed person in the Netherlands.
You can start working as highly skilled migrant once your employer received a positive decision on the application. You may start working without the residence permit document.

You can continue to work if your employer applied to extend your permit, but there is no positive decision yet. You can work with an expired residence card document. You can ask the IND for a residence endorsement sticker in your passport to proof your legal status in the Netherlands.
If you lose your job while your residence permit as highly skilled migrant is still valid you have up to three months to find a new job. If you had the permit for more than two years you have up to six months. The search period cannot be longer than the validity of your permit. If your residence permit expires before the three or six months, you will have a shorter search period. The search period starts on the day your contract ends.
Visit the public register of the IND to find out which employers already have a recognised sponsorship status.
The IND must take a decision on sponsorships within three months. The IND can extend the decision period. For example, because some information is missing.
Because of the Association Law between the EU and Turkey some less strict requirements apply to Turkish employees.

No recognised sponsorship is required for employees with a Turkish nationality. You may submit the application yourself. The IND decides faster on applications of recognised sponsors.

You pay a lower application fee for residence permits.

Checklist to apply for the highly skilled migrant permit

1

Check the requirements on the website of the IND.

A MVV visa sticker may be required to travel to the Netherlands if you are abroad.

Your nationality determines whether you need an MVV. In some personal situations you may be exempt from a MVV. For example, when you already live in the Netherlands.
2
Collect all documents before you apply with your employer. Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

Valid passport

Employment contract

Diploma or certificate

Birth and marriage certificates (if also applying for a family permit)

Antecedents (criminal records) certificate
3

Your employer can submit the application online or in writing by post.

Pay for the application costs of the permit.

Are you already in the Netherlands? Then your employer must do this within three months after you have travelled to the Netherlands.
4

The IND must take a decision within 90 days. The IND often decides in two-three weeks.

The IND can extend the decision permit if the application is not complete.

The employer or immigration agency will receive a message with a positive or negative decision.
5
Once you get a positive decision you can travel to the Netherlands. Depending on your nationality and personal situation you may need to collect your MVV visa sticker first. You need the MVV visa to travel to the Netherlands. If you do not need a MVV visa you can travel to the Netherlands directly.

You need to make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate where you submitted the application. You have to make the appointmnet within three months after the IND has taken a decision on your application.

Your passport must be valid for at least another six months after the Dutch represenation places the MVV sticker in your passport.

You need to travel to the Netherlands within 90 days after getting the MVV sticker.
6

When the residence permit document is ready, you will receive a letter. You must make an appointment to collect the document at the desk you selected during your application.

If you did not need a MVV visa sticker, you need to first make an appoinment to submit biometrics. You can collect your residence permit document after 10 working days. You will receive a letter when it is ready.

You can collect your document at the international centre in The Hague and Rotterdam or at the IND desk in The Hague.