In the Netherlands, the highly skilled migrant scheme serves to attract professionals with expertise employers are unable to find within the Dutch or the European labour market.
The scheme is a way to strengthen the Dutch economy while providing an attractive salary and tax incentive to the potential employee.
Today, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), around 40,020 highly skilled migrants from outside the EU/EFTA were living in the Netherlands for 2022.
If you are:
understanding the highly skilled migrant scheme and whether you can apply, will open new doors to professional and economic opportunities.
What is a Highly Skilled Migrant?
Highly skilled migrants (HSM) in the Netherlands are defined by the IND as “an employee who works for a recognised sponsor on the basis of a work contract and fulfill specific age, salary and experience requirements.”
Additionally, highly skilled migrants are immigrants from outside the EU (incl. the EFTA countries; Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland) who have permission to work in the Netherlands because of their (scientific), professional, and academic knowledge or skill.
To be a HSM (qualify to receive a residence permit for highly skilled migrants) the applicant and the employer must meet a number of prerequisites. These requirements need to be reviewed again upon application extension residence permit of when changing employer (sponsor).
Applying for a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa
If you are wondering whether you can apply (or qualify) to be a HSM in the Netherlands, you must meet the below requirements:
Besides the requirements, it’s important to comply with:
If you want to work for a company that is not (yet) a recognised sponsor of the IND, then All About Expats can help by taking over the IND sponsorship.
Sponsoring Highly Skilled Migrants
If you are a Dutch company that requires employees with a specific skillset for vacancies you have been unable to fill with the current workforce in the Netherlands and EU, you might need to consider recruiting from outside the EU/EEA or Switserland.
In order to legally hire and sponsor highly skilled migrants, your company must:
If your company is not (yet) a recognised sponsor of the IND, then (temporary) outsourcing of the employership with our payrolling services (EOR) provides a solution for your organization.
Salary 2025 Criteria to Work as a Highly Skilled Migrant
The highly skilled migrant must meet the minimum monthly income requirements which (as of January 1, 2025) are:
| Type of highly skilled migrant (HSM) | First residence permit for HSM | Extension residence permit HSM | When changing employer (sponsor) |
|---|---|---|---|
| With reduced salary criterion | € 2,989.00 | € 2,989.00 | € 2,989.00 |
| Under 30 years old | € 4,171.00 | € 4,171.00 * | € 4,171.00 |
| 30 years or older | € 5,688.00 | € 5,688.00 | € 5,688.00 |
Type of highly skilled migrant (HSM)
First residence permit HSM or extension residence permit HSM / When changing employer (sponsor)
With reduced salary criterion
€ 2,801.00
Under 30 years old
€ 3,909.00 *
30 years or older
€ 5,331.00
* This amount also applies when the HSM has turned 30 years or older. Has the HSM changed employers since the first permit was issued? Then this must have happened when the HSM was still under the age of 30.
The following pay elements are not included in the salary criterion:
IND Recognised Sponsor
A vital requirement of the Dutch highly skilled migrant permit is that the employer must be a recognised sponsor by the IND. If the employer is not recognised by the IND, it cannot have any highly skilled migrant on their payroll.
For the EU Blue Card and the ICT permit, the company does not need to be recognised as a sponsor.
If you are interested in hiring highly skilled migrants but are not currently a recognised sponsor with IND, check out our article on becoming a recognised sponsor.
Conclusion
The highly skilled migrant scheme is a great way to attract exceptional foreign talent but the application process is time consuming and requires the employer to be a sponsor recognised by the IND.
We offer employer of record (payrolling) services for Dutch companies not being a recognised sponsor by the IND, that want to hire highly skilled migrants.
If desired, we can handle your application to become an IND recognised sponsor as part of our immigration service.
Many organizations find that outsourcing sponsorship and the residence permit application for the foreign employee is not only cost-effective but allows for a smoother transition and relocation for the employee.
If you want to work for a company that is not (yet) a recognised sponsor of the IND, then we can help you by taking over the IND sponsorship.
Are you an expat currently living in the Netherlands and in need of advice about your situation? We can offer you a one-on-one consultation session with our team for a fair and affordable price.
Be sure to add us on LinkedIn so you can stay up to date on topics pertinent to living in the Netherlands as an expat and highly skilled migrant.
