Highly skilled migrant visa in the Netherlands: Requirements and salary thresholds

The Dutch highly skilled migrant permit, also known as the Kennismigrant permit, allows a third-country national to live and work in the Netherlands. In most cases, you need a contract of employment with a recognised sponsor approved by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), and your earnings must meet the minimum salary threshold. Read on for the exact 2026 requirements, documents and application steps.

Who counts as a highly skilled migrant

A highly skilled migrant is generally a third-country national employed by an IND-approved employer in the Netherlands. The IND doesn’t use a general points system or require every applicant to prove a particular education level. In practice, your eligibility for the Kennismigrant permit is mainly based on:

• a contract of employment or appointment with a Dutch employer or research institution;
• an employer recognised by the IND;
• the applicable minimum salary threshold;
• a salary that is appropriate for the role;
• the general conditions for a Dutch residence permit.

Scientific researchers, guest lecturers and doctors training to become specialists may also apply under this route. They have specific employment conditions and a separate income criterion.

“The success of the Netherlands is driven by an interconnected ecosystem, and being able to attract global talent is key to keeping us at the forefront of European tech leadership.” – Mona Keijzer, former State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

Now, let’s go through the application process.

Phase 1: Eligibility and requirements for the Kennismigrant permit

To qualify, you need skilled migrant sponsorship from an IND-approved employer, an eligible employment arrangement and sufficient salary.

Your employer must be a recognised sponsor

You can check your employer status in the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors under the work category. Check the legal company name shown in your contract, as it may differ from the employer’s public-facing brand name.

Usually, you can’t submit a highly skilled migrant application yourself. The approved employer applies to the IND on your behalf as part of the skilled migrant sponsorship process.

Exception for Turkish nationals: an employer doesn’t always have to hold recognised-sponsor status when the employee is a Turkish national covered by the EU–Turkey Association Agreement. However, using an IND-approved employer usually makes the procedure faster. The applicant must still meet the other conditions for the residence permit.

Your salary must meet the threshold

Your gross monthly salary must meet the minimum salary threshold that applies to your age and circumstances – between 1,635.90 and 5,942.00 EUR in 2026. Holiday allowance isn’t included in these figures.

These amounts apply throughout 2026. You can always check the up-to-date figures on the official IND page.

The reduced salary criterion may apply if you currently hold, previously held or qualify for the Dutch orientation-year permit. Examples are:

• a graduate who finds qualifying work during a Dutch orientation year;
• a former orientation-year holder applying within the relevant three-year period;
• a person who did not apply for an orientation year but meets its conditions and applies within three years.

If that’s you, you should make the highly skilled migrant application within three years of completing the qualifying study, doctoral programme or research period.

Completing just any degree abroad doesn’t automatically qualify you for the reduced threshold.

Your salary must be in line with the market rate

You should earn the same as other people in your position do, on average. If your salary is much lower or higher than the official numerical threshold, the IND may consider:

• the job title and responsibilities;
• the employee’s qualifications and experience;
• salaries for comparable positions;
• any applicable collective labour agreement;
• the employer’s sector.

The salary must also be transferred to a bank account held in your name.

Some fixed allowances can count

A fixed allowance or contractual thirteenth-month payment may count towards the threshold if it’s guaranteed in the contract and paid monthly.

For example, a guaranteed thirteenth month may count if it’s divided into 12 equal payments and transferred monthly. Discretionary bonuses, tips and non-guaranteed overtime generally don’t count in the threshold.

Phase 2: Preparing your documents

The document requirements depend on your circumstances, but you normally provide the required records to your employer, who later includes them in the IND application.

You’ll need:

• Valid passport or other accepted travel document;
• Employment contract;
• Tuberculosis (TB) test declaration (exceptions apply);
• Antecedents certificate;
• Foreign official documents;
• Profession-specific evidence.

Antecedents Certificate

Applicants aged 12 or older must complete an Antecedents Certificate. This form asks whether you have been involved in criminal offences, received an entry ban, stayed in the Netherlands illegally or provided incorrect information in an earlier Dutch residence application.

You must answer every question honestly. If you answer “yes”, you should explain what happened. Giving false or incomplete information can affect your application and may also lead to penalties.

Foreign official documents

Foreign official documents required for your application may need to be legalised. For example:

• birth or marriage certificates;
• diplomas where required;
• professional registration documents;
• other official records for your particular case.

Documents that are not in Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a authorised or sworn translator.

Profession-specific evidence

Additional document requirements may apply to regulated or specialised work:

• Healthcare professionals: BIG registration is required if you will practise a regulated healthcare profession covered by the relevant provisions of the Individual Healthcare Professions Act.
• Scientific researchers: the contract or appointment may need to specify the research role and the applicable university job-classification code.
• Doctors in specialist training: evidence may be required that the training programme or institution is recognised by the relevant Dutch medical registration body.

Phase 3: Application process

Your employer submits the application directly to the IND. You don’t begin the highly skilled worker visa process by visiting a visa centre.

Step 1: Your employer submits the application

If you need an MVV, your employer usually submits a combined application for:

• the MVV, which allows you to enter the Netherlands for a long stay; and
• the Kennismigrant permit, which allows you to live and work there.

This combined process is commonly called the TEV procedure.

If you are exempt from the MVV requirement, your employer applies only for the residence permit.

MVV exemptions include, among others, nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other exemptions may apply, depending on an existing residence permit, long-term resident status in another EU country or specific personal circumstances.

"The Kennismigrant (highly skilled migrant) visa is employer-sponsored, which means the company handles most of the paperwork, and it's one of the more straightforward work permits in the EU. The key thing is you don't need Dutch to work here, especially in tech, finance, or anything international."  – expat Early_Switch1222 on  Reddit.

Step 2: Your employer pays the application fee

The 2026 application fee for a highly skilled migrant is 423 EUR. Usually, the employer pays it to the IND by direct debit.

A reduced fee of 85 EUR may apply to Turkish nationals whose application falls under the EU–Turkey Association Agreement.

The fee covers the processing of the application and is generally not refunded if the application is refused.

Step 3: The IND processes the application

The formal decision period for an IND application is 90 days. Complete applications submitted by approved employers are often processed considerably faster, sometimes within a few weeks, but it’s not guaranteed.

The process may take longer if documents are missing, the salary needs further assessment, or the IND requests additional information.

Step 4: You collect the MVV if needed

After a positive decision, applicants who need an MVV must visit the Dutch embassy or consulate specified in the decision.

At the appointment, you may need to:

• submit your passport;
• provide fingerprints and a photograph;
• sign required documents;
• have the MVV sticker placed in your passport.

The MVV is an entry document. It’s not the same as the residence card you collect after arriving in the Netherlands.

Phase 4: After arriving in the Netherlands

After arrival, a third-country national needs to collect the residence card, register with the municipality, check the TB requirement and arrange health insurance.

Collect your residence card

After your application is approved, make an appointment to collect your physical residence card from an IND desk or a participating expat centre.

Bring your passport and follow any instructions in the IND approval letter. If the IND doesn’t yet have your fingerprints, photograph or signature, you may need to provide this biometric data before the card can be issued. This often happens when biometrics weren’t taken at the embassy or consulate.

Check that the details on the card are correct when you receive it, including your name, date of birth and permit validity dates.

Register your address

If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, you must register your address with the municipality where you live. Your details will be added to the Personal Records Database, known as the BRP.

You should usually register within five days of arriving in the Netherlands. You may need to make an appointment and bring documents such as your passport, residence permit, birth certificate and proof of address. The exact requirements vary by municipality, so check its website before your appointment.

After registration, you will receive a citizen service number, or BSN, if you don’t already have one. You will need this number for many everyday matters, including starting work, paying taxes, arranging health insurance and opening certain bank accounts.

Take a TB test if required

You must take a tuberculosis test only if the requirement is stated during your application. Make an appointment with the municipal health service, or GGD, and complete the test within three months after receiving the residence permit.

Examples of people who may be exempt include:

• nationals of countries on the official TB-exemption list;
• children under 12;
• people who hold certain EU or long-term residence statuses;
• applicants who have recently completed an accepted TB test in the Netherlands.

Follow the instructions in your application form or IND decision rather than assuming that every highly skilled migrant needs the test.

Arrange Dutch health insurance

Dutch basic health insurance covers essential healthcare, such as visits to a GP, hospital treatment and prescription medicines included in the standard package.

Arrange your insurance as soon as possible. You have up to four months from the date your Dutch insurance obligation starts, but your policy may need to cover you from that earlier date. The exact start date doesn’t always match the day you arrived in the Netherlands. It may depend on when you started living or working there. Check your situation with the Dutch Social Insurance Bank, known as the SVB, or with a Dutch health insurer if you are unsure whether the obligation applies to you.

Open a bank account and stay connected with home

Once you receive your BSN, opening a Dutch bank account will make everyday life much easier. You can use it to receive your salary, pay rent and bills, set up direct debits and manage regular expenses. Banks may ask for your passport, residence permit, BSN and proof of address, although the exact requirements differ.

Tips: Dutch DigiD guide – How to get & use it for banking.

Your new account can also help you support your family and manage expenses back home. With Profee, you can send money from the Netherlands to over 90 countries through the website or app. You can see the exchange rate, transfer fee and expected recipient amount clearly during the process, while more than 90% of Profee transfers arrive within a couple of minutes.

FAQ about the highly skilled migrant permit in the Netherlands