A highly skilled migrant is a migrant who comes to the Netherlands to be employed, and has a gross annual income of at least €47,565, or €34,881 if he/she is under thirty.  This income requirement does not apply if the employee enters service for certain functions in an educational or research institution.  For information on the specific functions to which this clause applies, you can inquire at the IND office for labor and highly skilled migrants.  When a foreign national has been granted residence in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant, the employer of the highly skilled migrant is not required to be in possession of a work permit for that foreign national.  
Professional soccer players, ministers of religion, teachers of religion and prostitutes are not eligible for a residency as highly skilled migrant. 

Important!
The amounts stated above are subject of change and will be indexed every year as of 1 January. 

 

 

You and your employee should meet a number of conditions, and be in possession of the documents referred to below:

For the employer

• You must sign a declaration for the admission of highly skilled migrants. This is a non-recurring declaration, which will apply to all applications you make in the future in the context of the highly skilled migrant procedure. 
• You must have been granted access to the highly skilled migrant procedure by the IND. 

  
For the employee

• The employee must be in possession of a valid passport
• The employee must be in possession of health insurance that provides cover in the Netherlands
• The employee shall not constitute a danger to public order
• The employee must be willing to undergo a test for tuberculosis
• Depending on the situation: the migrant will have an employment contract for paid employment or an appointment decision or an employers’ declaration from the foreign employer.
• The employee must have a gross income of at least €47,565, or € 34,881* if he/she is under thirty.  This income requirement does not apply if the employee will be employed in certain functions within an educational or research institution. 
   
  *These sums are applicable for 2008. The sums are index-linked every year.