Work visa
Highly Skilled Migrant Visa Netherlands
The highly skilled migrant route is the fastest, cleanest way for international professionals to work in the Netherlands. Your employer must be an IND recognized sponsor, your salary must meet the current IND threshold for your age group, and the paperwork must be right the first time.
That is where we come in. We coordinate directly with your employer’s HR team, prepare you and your family for every appointment, and stay reachable on our 24/7 personal WhatsApp line whenever a question comes up, whatever the time zone.
What is the highly skilled migrant permit?
The highly skilled migrant permit, kennismigrant in Dutch, is the route the Netherlands uses to bring in experienced professionals quickly. It is not judged on your job title or your diploma. It is judged on one thing: whether a Dutch employer that the IND has recognised as a sponsor is paying you above a set salary threshold.
Because the employer carries the recognition, the procedure is fast and there is no labour market test. The permit is tied to that employer, so it is the contract, not the person, that anchors your residence in the Netherlands.
Who this is for
- Professionals with a job offer from a Dutch company
- Employees being transferred to a Netherlands office
- Partners and children moving along with the main applicant
- HR teams relocating an international hire for the first time
What the IND requires
This route runs through your employer rather than through you. These conditions decide the file before it is ever opened.
- Your employer must be an IND recognised sponsor. Without that recognition the route is closed, whatever your salary.
- Gross monthly salary from 5,942 euro if you are 30 or older, and from 4,357 euro if you are under 30 (2026, excluding the 8 percent holiday allowance).
- A reduced criterion of 3,122 euro applies in the year after a Dutch orientation year or a Dutch degree.
- Salary must be paid monthly into a Dutch bank account. Bonuses, allowances and expense budgets do not count towards the threshold.
- The 30 percent ruling is calculated on top of the criterion and can never be used to reach it.
- Thresholds are indexed every 1 January and judged on the figures in force when the application is filed.
What we take care of
Eligibility and salary check
Before anything is filed we verify that your employer is a recognized sponsor and that your offer meets the current IND salary threshold, which is indexed every year.
Coordination with your employer
The sponsor formally submits the application. We prepare the file with HR, chase what is missing and keep both sides on one timeline.
Family co-applications
Your partner and children apply alongside you. We bundle the applications so the whole family lands with the right permits at the same time.
Document guidance
Birth and marriage certificates often need legalization or an apostille from your home country. We tell you exactly which stamp, from which authority, before you fly.
Arrival appointments
Biometrics, permit collection, municipality registration and BSN. We schedule them in the right order and go with you.
How it works
- 01
Intake
We review your offer, your nationality and your family situation, then map the exact route and timeline.
- 02
File preparation
We assemble the documents with you and your employer and submit through the sponsor.
- 03
Decision and MVV
Depending on your nationality you collect an entry visa at the Dutch embassy before travelling. We prepare you for that appointment.
- 04
Landing
Within your first days we complete registration, permit pickup and the practical essentials.
Professional fees for a highly skilled migrant application
Investment from €1,295
- Assessment of the salary criterion that applies to your age and situation
- The full application file prepared and filed through your recognised sponsor
- Coordination with your employer’s HR so the contract and start date line up
- Follow-up on every IND request until the decision is issued
Investment figures represent our professional service fees only and are intended as a guideline. Government fees (including IND filing fees), VAT, legalisation and apostille costs, sworn translations, consular charges and any third-party expenses are not included unless explicitly stated in the proposal.
Many highly skilled migrants qualify for the 30% facility, a Dutch tax advantage for incoming employees. Conditions change regularly, so we flag it during intake and connect you with a tax advisor rather than promising numbers.
Details worth knowing
What if my employer is not a recognised sponsor?
Recognition takes weeks that a start date rarely has. When an employer is not recognised we look at the EU Blue Card, which carries no sponsorship requirement, or we run the recognition application alongside your file if the company intends to hire internationally again.
How fast is the decision in practice?
Recognised sponsors have a legal decision term of ninety days, and complete files are frequently decided in two to four weeks. The delay in this route is almost always a missing legalised document, not the IND.
What happens when I change jobs?
Your permit is tied to your employer. A new employer must also be a recognised sponsor and must file a new application, and you may not start before it is approved. We manage the switch so there is no gap in your residence.
Do I need an MVV as well as the permit?
Most non-EU nationals do, and we apply for both in a single combined procedure. Nationals of the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt and travel on the permit alone.
Questions we hear often
Can my partner work in the Netherlands?
Yes. Partners of highly skilled migrants receive a residence permit with free access to the labour market. No separate work permit is needed.
How long does the application take?
Applications through a recognized sponsor run on the IND’s faster track, and in practice most cases move quickly. We confirm current IND timelines and fees during your intake instead of quoting numbers that go stale.
Do I need to speak Dutch?
No. There is no language requirement for this permit, and daily life in the international communities around Rotterdam and The Hague runs comfortably in English.
Can my partner work in the Netherlands?
Yes. Partners of highly skilled migrants receive a permit with free access to the labour market, which means no separate work permit and no employer sponsorship. Children are included in the same family application.
Have an offer from a Dutch employer?
Send us the basics and we will tell you within one conversation whether the route is clear and what happens next.
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