Skip to main content

Residence & Work Permits

Men walking with a case

To work in the Netherlands exist various residence permits, which one depends on the kind of international worker your employee is.

If your employee is a national from a EU or EEA country, or Switzerland, he or she does not need a residence permit to live in the Netherlands. 

There are general conditions that apply to everyone who wishes to obtain a residence permit. These are: 

Below, you will find an overview of the different types of permits and the conditions to obtain one.

Filling out forms.

Highly Skilled Migrant

A highly skilled migrant or knowledge worker comes to the Netherlands on a labour contract and meets a certain income requirement: if a person is 30 years or older, their minimum salary is € 5,331 (2024) gross per month. For those younger than 30, the minimum gross salary is € 3,909 per month (2024). The minimum salary requirments for highly skilled migrants who are eligble for the reduced salary requirement is € 2,801 per month (2024). These are the minimum required gross monthly salaries excluding holiday allowance.

To hire an employee from outside the EU for a stay for longer than 3 months, the highly skilled migrant procedure is the easiest way to bring over the employee successfully. Only IND recognised sponsors can employ knowledge workers using the highly skilled migrant procedure.  The employer has to submit the application, the employee cannot do so. This can be done online, via the IND website.

More information on highly skilled migrants

Scientific Researcher

A scientfic researcher is someone who works under Directive 2016/801/COD as a paid scientific researcher, PhD student, or an unpaid scientific researcher with a grant. 

The scientific researcher:

  • Has an appropriate higher education degree which gives access to a doctorate programme. If the researcher does not have the appropriate degree, the research institution must declare that it has been demonstrated that the researcher has the correct level of education. 
  • Has a research project that has been approved by the institution. 
  • Has an employment contract or hosting agreement with a research institution. 
  • Will earn sufficient income, which is independent and long-term. 

Only the research organisation can apply for a residence permit, which needs to be done simultaneously with the MVV.  A decision will, normally, be taken within 90 days, for recognised sponsors this will be 2 weeks. 

Intra Corporate Transferees (ICT)

This permit, which has a maximum validity of three years, is only for those who are nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland and apply to one of the following situations: 

  • Employees who work for a company outside the EU and are transferred to an establishment of that company in the Netherlands. 
  • Employees who work at a company within the EU on the basis of an intra-corporate transferee residence permit and are transferred to an establishment in the Netherlands for a period longer than 90 days. In such cases, the employee makes use of a long-term mobile ICT.
Information about application ICT

European Blue Card

A European blue card residence permit allows a highly skilled employee to live and work in the Netherlands. It also allows mobility within the EU for work. The following conditions apply. 

  • The employee has a contract in the Netherlands for highly qualified work. 
  • The minimum wage is €6,245 gross per month. (2024)
  • The contract is for a period of at least 12 months. 
  • The employee has a higher education degree for which the degree course lasted at least 3 years. 
  • If the employee has a protected profession, you must prove that he or she meets the statutory requirements for being allowed to practise that profession in the Netherlands.

The salaries for Blue Card holders must also be at market level at all times and should be paid on a monthly basis.

woman working at laptop

Only the employer can apply for this residence permit, which needs to be done simultaneously with the MVV. It is only possible in writing. 

Orientation Year

Highly educated foreign nationals can obtain a Orientation Year residence permit for highly educated persons. The permit grants a maximum term of one year in order to find a job. This permit can be converted into a highly-skilled migrant permit with a lower salary requirement.

The foreign national should meet the following conditions: 

  • They have not previously had a residence permit to look for work. 
  • They completed a study in the Netherlands, doctoral programme or scientific research in the past 3 years; or
  • They completed a Master’s degree programme, a doctoral programme, or a post-Master's programme of at least 12 months at a designated international educational institution abroad
More information on the Orientation Year
Students graduating and throwing their caps

Essential Start-up Personnel

To grant a residence permit for your foreign employee who is essential to your start-up, the following conditions must be met: 

  • Your startup is innovative and has scalable activities, meaning it can expand with product or service demand. 
  • The employee is an expert in a special field that the startup needs in this startup stage. 
  • The employee meets the income requirements.
  • The employee receives at least a 1% in the company (employee participation) through shares, depositary receipts, or share options.

The startup can apply for residence permits for essential startup personnel, for 5 foreign employees at most. 

Office space

Work permit

If you want to hire foreign employees from outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you will in most cases need to apply for a work permit. It is the responsibility of the employer to apply for it if the employee is unable to do this. 

When is the employer exempted from applying for a work permit? 

  • Foreigners who have a residence permit that states "permitted to work". 
  • Foreigners who have a sticker in their passport that states "permitted to work". Keep in mind that this is only valid for a limited period. 
  • Foreigners who are highly skilled migrants 
  • Foreigners who are self-employed 
  • Foreigners who are here for a one-off performance 
  • Foreigners who are temporarily detached in the Netherlands 
  • Scientific researchers or guest lecturers 

The most important conditions for the employer: 

  • You are first required to seek personnel seriously in the Netherlands for a reasonable period and in Europe for a period of 5-13 weeks. You must be able to show proof of this. You have to do this via all available channels, such as the Internet, advertisements in trade magazines or newspapers, or via placement agencies. You are also expected to look at the possibilities of in-service training. If you have not made real effort to recruit candidates, your application will be refused. 
  • You have submitted the vacancy at the UWV. 

Important: you are not allowed to have the foreigner work for you until the work permit has been issued. 

Do you want to know more?

This website uses cookies

This website uses cookies (Functional, Analytical, Marketing) that are required for the website to perform as good as possible. By clicking on "I accept all cookies", you agree with the use of these cookies.

I want to set my cookie settings manually