Netherlands

Am I eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card?

There are certain conditions that apply to everyone applying for a regular residence permit in the Netherlands. In addition, the following conditions apply:

• you have an employment contract for a highly qualified job for at least 12 months to work for an employer in the Netherlands and you must meet the minimum salary threshold in the Member State concerned (see below);
• you must meet the wage requirement set;
• you have a diploma, showing that you have completed a higher education programme of at least 3 years. If this is a foreign higher education diploma, the Nuffic will evaluate the diploma. The evaluation must be enclosed with the application. When you have a Dutch diploma, you have to enclose a certified copy of the diploma, present a valid travel document, an application for a visa or a visa (if necessary), and a valid residence permit or a national long-term visa (if appropriate);
• if you have a (protected) profession such as doctor or lawyer, you must prove that you meet the statutory requirements for being allowed to practise this profession;
• for a period of 5 years before the application, the employer may not have been fined for having violated Article 2 of the Foreign Nationals Employment Act, or for failure to pay (sufficient) wage tax, employee insurance premiums or national insurance contributions.

Other conditions may apply for Turkish nationals and their family members.

How much do I have to earn to qualify for an EU Blue Card?

The salary criteria is updated on a yearly basis. The current required amount you have to earn to qualify for an EU Blue Card in the Netherlands can be found here.

Are there exceptions to the minimum salary requirement?

N/A.

Will EU citizens' applications be prioritised over mine?

Some Member States apply a Labour Market Test (LMT). This is a mechanism that aims to ensure that migrant workers are only admitted after employers have unsuccessfully searched for national workers, EU citizens (in EU Member States, this also means EEA workers) or legally residing third-country nationals with access to the labour market according to national legislation.

The Netherlands does not apply a labour market test for the EU Blue Card or residence permit for highly-skilled workers.

How long will my EU Blue Card be valid?

The residence permit is valid for the duration of your employment contract or assignment with an additional 3 months. With a maximum period of 4 years.

How much will it cost?

The fee for applying for an EU Blue Card residence permit can be found here.

How long will it take to get my EU Blue Card?

The IND has to make a decision within a period of 90 days.

Apply for an EU Blue Card

Apply for an EU Blue Card residence permit (IND)

Dutch government immigration website

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)

More information on migrating to the Netherlands

Information