Netherlands · Work

Residence permit highly skilled migrant

Residence permit highly skilled migrant is issued by Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND). VisaAI tracks 13 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.

Last verified against the official source on .

VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.

Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)’s own page before you apply.

Conditions you must meet

  • Meet the general requirements that apply to everyoneIND links a separate general-requirements page, which is not a registered source.
  • Hold an employment contract with a Dutch employer or research institution
  • The employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor, listed in the public register
  • Meet the income requirementsNo figure recorded. IND links a separate income page that is not a registered source, and the highly skilled migrant salary thresholds change every January. Recalling a euro amount here would be a fabricated threshold.
  • The agreed salary must be in line with the market rate
  • Healthcare professionals must be registered in the BIG registerOccupation-specific. VisaAI has an occupation fact but not one that maps to the BIG Act's article 3 and 36a lists, so no rule is attached rather than gate it wrongly.
  • Foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German
  • Your employer holds the list of documents you needIND publishes no applicant-facing document list for this route; the recognised sponsor holds it. This is a FACT ABOUT THE PROCESS, not a document the applicant obtains, so it must not appear as a checklist row — see the note in 20260821490000.
  • If you are already in the Netherlands, your employer must apply within 3 months of your arrival
  • Transferees from a company outside the EU are intra corporate transferees, with different requirementsRecorded so someone on a transfer is not led through the wrong route. IND treats it as a separate permit.

Steps in the process

  • Only an employer recognised by the IND can apply for your permitStructural, as with the student permit: the applicant cannot lodge this themselves.
  • Your employer applies for the mvv and the residence permit at the same time

Government fees

  • Application feeEUR 423Paid by the employer by direct debit, not by the applicant.

Official sources

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