Eligibility & suitability
Who can qualify
- Qualifying employees hired by an IND-recognised sponsor who meet the correct salary and scheme conditions.
- Partners and minor children with the necessary relationship, custody and household evidence.
Restrictions & unsuitable cases
- A passive investor or shareholder treating company ownership alone as qualification.
- An applicant using an ineligible employer or failing the applicable salary conditions.
- Adult relatives assumed to be automatically included under the ordinary minor-child route.
A sequence for moving to the Netherlands
The statutory or published periods below are labeled separately from preparation stages. Incomplete applications and individual circumstances can extend the process.
01Set the legal and tax routeBefore the move
02Prepare and submit the permit fileBefore travel where required; IND HSM decision period 90 days
Use the sponsor’s route, appropriate entry-visa assessment and current document checklist. Resolve translations/legalisation and missing family evidence before submission.
Documents & evidence
- Employment contract, sponsor information, passport and requested antecedent/family documents.
03Arrange a usable arrival addressBefore the registration appointment
Confirm the municipality’s evidence requirements and book the appointment. For an intended stay longer than four months, register in the BRP within five days of arrival.
Documents & evidence
- Identity, residence/status and the municipality’s address/civil-status evidence.
04Activate insurance, payroll and bankingImmediately after arrival; insurance normally no later than four months
Confirm Dutch insurance applicability and obtain the required cover from the appropriate start date. Establish payroll and account access without treating a permit as bank approval.
Documents & evidence
- BSN, insurance/coverage records, payroll data and bank identity/source-of-funds file.
05Complete the arrival tax recordAt the move and for the migration-year return
Document checklist
Track your preparation in this browser. Final requirements depend on the route and filing authority.
Who this route is for
This permission is for qualifying employment with an IND-recognised sponsor. Verify the employer’s status before accepting a relocation timetable. A business owner cannot assume that incorporating a company and paying themselves a salary automatically meets sponsorship and scheme conditions.
The salary also needs to meet the correct category and other scheme requirements. The immigration salary threshold and the Expat Scheme tax threshold are different tests, with different definitions and conditions.
2026 gross monthly thresholds
IND’s 2026 figures, excluding holiday pay, are €5, 942 for a highly skilled migrant aged 30 or over, €4, 357 for an under 30 applicant, and €3, 122 under the qualifying reduced criterion. The reduced criterion is tied to the relevant graduate/orientation-year circumstances, not offered to every young worker.
Extensions with the same employer and changes of employer after turning 30 can use different rules. Check the salary actually paid, payment frequency and qualifying fixed allowances against the live IND table. An annual package total with a discretionary bonus is not automatically equivalent to the required monthly salary.
Applications, documents and timing
The sponsor handles the relevant application. Determine whether an MVV entry visa is required, then use the current checklist and foreign-document legalisation/translation rules. Keep the employment and family applications consistent about names, dates and intended address.
IND publishes a 90-day decision period and explains that incomplete or complex files can take longer. After approval, follow the specific instructions for entry clearance, biometrics and collection; an approved application is not the same as having completed every arrival step.
A family plan must identify each relationship
A spouse, registered partner or qualifying unmarried partner can apply under the appropriate family route. The ordinary age rule is 21, with particular exceptions. A skilled migrant’s partner is generally free to work under that family permit.
Minor children must be under 18 and part of the family; parentage, custody and consent matter. Do not add adult children or parents to the plan without a separately verified basis. The family’s housing and school timetable should allow for documentary and appointment dependencies.
What happens if the job ends
IND’s current page distinguishes unemployment on or after 22 May 2026: a person who has held the permit at least two years can have up to six months to find qualifying work; the permit’s remaining validity and other conditions still matter. Earlier unemployment and other cases can have the shorter three-month period.
A change of employer also requires checking sponsor status and the current salary category. Keep the dates and notifications under control rather than assuming any new job preserves the same immigration position.
Sources & research notes11 references
Sources supporting this guide. Research draft awaiting editorial review.
- IND — highly skilled migrant permit, updated 2026 unemployment rules
- IND —2026 income requirements, age and employer-change cases
- Belastingdienst — Expat Scheme eligibility and 2026 transition
- IND — spouse, registered and unmarried partner permission
- IND — minor children joining a parent; updated 24 July 2026
- Belastingdienst — immigration tax checklist
- Belastingdienst knowledge group — Article 4.25 immigration basis and prior taxpayer election
- Belastingdienst — whether employer levy or own health contribution applies
- Government of the Netherlands — BRP registration within five days
- Government of the Netherlands — compulsory health insurance on arrival
- De Nederlandsche Bank — deposit-guarantee bank and trade-name register