Netherlands: the highly skilled migrant permit, and the 2026 salary figures

The Netherlands has the simplest sponsorship system in Europe, and the most misunderstood. Simple because there is one register, one permit and one salary test. Misunderstood because people quote last year's figures, confuse the highly skilled migrant permit with the EU Blue Card, and assume they need Dutch. This is the whole thing in one page.

Only a recognised sponsor can bring you in

The IND, the Dutch immigration service, publishes a public register of recognised sponsors. A company that wants to hire you as a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) must be on it. There is no way round this: an employer that is not recognised has to become recognised first, which takes time and costs the company money, and most will not do it for one candidate.

Around 13,000 organisations are on the register today. This site downloads the whole register every morning and matches every Dutch job ad against it, so a job shown here is from a company that can actually apply for you. A company you cannot find on the list cannot sponsor you as a highly skilled migrant, however keen the recruiter sounds.

The 2026 salary criteria, from the IND

The IND publishes required amounts as gross monthly salary, excluding the 8% holiday allowance, and changes them every 1 January. For 2026:

• Highly skilled migrant, 30 years or older: €5,942 a month.
• Highly skilled migrant, under 30: €4,357 a month. This keeps applying after you turn 30 as long as you stay with the same employer on the same permit.
• Reduced criterion for recent graduates and orientation-year holders: €3,122 a month.
• EU Blue Card: €5,942 a month, or €4,754 for graduates applying within three years of graduating.

The reduced criterion is the door most people miss

If you graduated from a higher education programme in the last three years, at a recognised university anywhere in the world, you may qualify for the reduced criterion of €3,122 a month even if you never held a Dutch orientation-year permit. The IND page says the reduced rate applies to someone who has never had the orientation year but meets its requirements. That is a €2,800 a month difference in what an employer has to pay you.

Employers often do not know this. If you are a recent graduate and a company tells you it cannot meet €5,942, ask them to check the reduced criterion with the IND before they close the door.

How long it takes, and what you do

Because the sponsor is already recognised, the IND handles these applications quickly: the published aim is a decision within two weeks for a complete application from a recognised sponsor. The employer submits everything. You provide a passport copy, a signed antecedents declaration, and whatever the employer asks for to prove your qualifications.

You can be anywhere in the world when the application goes in, including the UK. When it is approved you collect an entry visa (MVV) at the Dutch embassy or consulate, or if your nationality does not need one, you simply travel and collect the residence card in the Netherlands.

The 30% ruling

A tax advantage for people recruited from abroad with specific expertise: part of your gross salary can be paid tax free for a limited number of years. The rules have been tightened more than once and the percentage and duration are not what they were. If a job ad mentions the 30% ruling it is a strong sign the employer is used to hiring from abroad, which is why this site treats it as a positive signal. Check the current rules on the Belastingdienst site before you count the money.

Do I need Dutch?

For most tech, engineering, finance and research jobs in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Utrecht, no. English is the working language at hundreds of recognised sponsors. Healthcare is different: nursing and care roles almost always need Dutch, and the BIG registration for regulated health professions requires it. The job ad will tell you; we show the ad.