Netherlands highly skilled migrant residence permit 2026

The highly skilled migrant permit is the main route for people from outside the EU and EEA to take up skilled work in the Netherlands. It is managed by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), and only an employer that the IND has recognised as a sponsor can apply for it.

To qualify you need an employment contract with an employer or research institution in the Netherlands that appears in the public register of recognised sponsors, you must meet the income requirements, and the agreed salary must be in line with the market rate for the job. Researchers and medical doctors in training follow separate income rules, and anyone who will practise a regulated healthcare profession must be registered in the Dutch BIG register.

Your employer collects the documents, applies online or by post and pays the fee, requesting the entry visa and the residence permit at the same time. Foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German. After a positive decision you collect the visa sticker at the Dutch embassy or consulate named in the application and travel to the Netherlands.

The permit is valid for the length of your contract, up to a maximum of 60 months, and allows you to work for your employer and as a self-employed person. There is no deadline: applications can be submitted all year.