Dutch Residence Permits in 2026: Highly Skilled Migrant at €5,942, Blue Card, DAFT, Family and the Road to Permanent Residence

Almost every big decision in an international's life in the Netherlands runs through a residence permit. Changing jobs, bringing a partner over, going freelance or thinking about staying for good: each one raises the same question. What does my current permit allow, and what do I need to apply for next?

This guide starts from DutchReview's Permits and visas for the Netherlands: ultimate 2026 guide, published on 26 October 2026. That article lists the main routes, from short-stay visas to treaty-based permits. We have added what it leaves out, such as permanent residence, fees and decision periods. We then checked every figure against the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, the Dutch immigration service) and compared it with coverage from IamExpat, Expatica, DutchNews, NL Times, ACCESS, Xpat.nl and The Hague International Centre.

Main sources for this guide

• IND, "Required amounts income requirements" and "Fees: costs of an application" (2026 figures)
• IND, "Highly skilled migrant" (updated 11 September 2026) and "Residence permit self-employed person" (updated 13 October 2026)
• IND, "MVV exemptions" (updated 6 May 2026) and "Decision periods" (updated 1 October 2026)
• IND, "Permanent residence permit" (updated 20 May 2026) and "Apply for a residence permit for long-term EU residents" (updated 23 October 2026)
• DutchReview's original guide and related coverage in IamExpat, Expatica, DutchNews and NL Times

1. What is changing in 2026

Thresholds rose by roughly €200–250 in a year

The IND's 2026 thresholds for highly skilled migrants are €5,942 gross per month for those aged 30 or over and €4,357 for those under 30. Both exclude holiday allowance (vakantiegeld, normally 8%). According to IamExpat (8 July 2025), the 2025 figures were €5,688 and €4,171.

We could not confirm the 2025 reduced and Blue Card figures in a primary source, so those cells are left blank. All 2026 figures come from the IND's table.

The media don't all quote the same numbers

Even for 2026, the figures vary slightly between sources. IamExpat's residence permit guide (updated 15 December 2025) gives €5,937 for those 30 and over, €4,354 for under-30s and €3,120 for the reduced criterion. The IND's table says €5,942, €4,357 and €3,122.

If your contract sits right at the threshold, a few euros decide the outcome. Always check the IND's table before signing.

A tighter scheme is on the way

On 4 July 2025 the government announced plans to tighten the highly skilled migrant scheme. It is considering raising the under-30 threshold to 1.1 times the average gross salary and making it harder for companies to become recognised sponsors (erkend referent). No start date was given, and we found none as of 26 October 2026.

Fewer highly skilled arrivals, and fewer penalties for delays

NL Times, citing Statistics Netherlands (CBS), reported that 14,000 relatively well-paid specialists arrived from outside the EU in 2025, down from 26,000 in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Senate voted on 13 October 2026 to end court-ordered penalty payments when the IND decides late. DutchNews reports a ministry spokesperson saying this covers regular permits too, including highly skilled migrants, students and family members. We cover that change in our article on IND delays.

2. The big picture: a map of Dutch permits

Dutch permits are organised by purpose of residence (verblijfsdoel). The purpose decides the conditions, the fee and, later on, how your years count towards permanent residence.

The main permits at a glance

We took DutchReview's list and added the IND's durations and fees.

Durations and fees are from the IND's pages and fee table, checked on 26 October 2026. Fees are not refunded if your application is refused.

Temporary versus non-temporary purposes

The distinction most people miss is whether a purpose is temporary (tijdelijk) or non-temporary (niet-tijdelijk). According to the IND (updated 17 September 2026), study, the orientation year, intra-corporate transfer (ICT) and seasonal work are temporary. Highly skilled migrant, EU Blue Card and self-employment are non-temporary.

This matters five years later. The national permanent permit requires you to hold a non-temporary permit when you apply. For long-term EU residence, years on a study permit count for half and other temporary purposes do not count at all.

Two things to read carefully in the original guide

DutchReview's overview is handy, but it can be read as saying the regular self-employed permit requires a €4,500 investment. In the IND's guidance, that amount belongs to the US and Japanese treaty route; the regular route uses a points test.

It also expects ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, in 2027, but no start date is confirmed (see our ETIAS warning).

3. MVV and TEV: what you need before arrival

Non-EU nationals who will stay more than 90 days usually need an MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf), a long-stay visa sticker in the passport, before travelling.

One procedure for the visa and the permit

According to the IND (updated 22 July 2026), you apply for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time. This combined route is the entry and residence procedure, or TEV (toegang en verblijf). In most cases the sponsor in the Netherlands, such as an employer, school or partner, submits it.

Xpat.nl describes the rest of the flow. Once approved, you collect the MVV at the Dutch embassy, travel to the Netherlands, and then visit the IND for fingerprints and a photo before picking up your residence card.

Who is exempt

The IND's list of MVV exemptions (updated 6 May 2026) is based on nationality. It covers EU/EEA nationals, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City.

The civic integration exam abroad

People joining a partner or family member who need an MVV usually sit the Basisexamen inburgering buitenland before arrival. The IND says the result is valid for one year, and you must apply for the MVV within that year. DutchReview puts the exam fee at €150. The same nationalities exempt from the MVV are exempt from this exam.

4. Working for an employer: highly skilled migrant and EU Blue Card

If a Dutch employer is hiring you, the highly skilled migrant permit is the default route.

Highly skilled migrant: the conditions

According to the IND (updated 11 September 2026), your employer must be a recognised sponsor listed in the public register, and your salary must meet the threshold and be in line with the market. The employer submits the application, not you.

The permit lasts as long as your contract, up to five years. The statutory decision period is 90 days, but the IND aims to decide within two weeks on complete applications from recognised sponsors. The fee is €423.

Fixed allowances that are in the contract and paid monthly can count towards the salary. Holiday allowance and payments in kind do not. Researchers and doctors in training only need to earn at least the minimum wage.

Who can use the reduced criterion

The €3,122 reduced criterion applies to people who graduated from a Dutch university, hold an orientation-year permit, or earned a master's or PhD at a designated foreign institution, generally within three years of graduating.

A longer job search after losing your job

If you lost your job on or after 22 May 2026 and had held the permit for at least two years, you now have up to six months to find a new employer instead of three. Everyone else still has three months, and the period can never run beyond your permit's expiry date.

The EU Blue Card

The Blue Card is the EU-wide permit for highly qualified workers. The 2026 threshold is €5,942, or €4,754 for recent graduates. IamExpat explains that 2024 reforms cut the minimum contract from 12 months to six and allow five years of relevant experience instead of a degree.

The employer does not need to be a recognised sponsor, but processing is faster if it is. The real advantage is mobility within the EU and the option to combine years in different EU countries towards long-term EU residence.

If you are under 30, the highly skilled migrant permit is easier to qualify for. If you are over 30 and might work in another EU country later, the Blue Card is worth a look.

Intra-corporate transfers: watch the clock

If your employer abroad sends you to its Dutch branch while you stay on the home payroll, you may be on an ICT permit. IND forms set the maximum at three years for managers and specialists and one year for trainees.

ICT is a temporary purpose. Years on it don't count towards long-term EU residence, and you can't apply for national permanent residence while on it. If an assignment becomes a move, switching to a local contract and a highly skilled migrant permit opens the path to settlement.

5. Running your own business: self-employed, start-up and DAFT

The regular self-employed permit

The IND's self-employed page (updated 13 October 2026) requires that your business serves an essential Dutch interest (wezenlijk Nederlands belang). RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, scores your experience, business plan and added value for the Netherlands. You generally need at least 30 points in each area.

You must also be registered with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), hold any licences your profession needs, and show in your business plan that you will meet the income requirement. For the second half of 2026, that is €1,766.77 gross profit per month including holiday allowance. The permit lasts up to two years and costs €423.

DAFT and the Dutch-Japanese treaty

US nationals can use the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), and Japanese nationals an equivalent trade treaty. The IND handles both on the same page. You must trade between the Netherlands and the US or Japan, or develop and lead a business in the Netherlands. Key-position holders at a US or Japanese company and independent professionals (not in government or healthcare) can also qualify.

The IND says you must register with the KvK and make the investment within six months of the date on your decision letter, or the permit may be revoked. When you extend, you show annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement proving the business is active and the capital is still in it.

Start-up permit

The start-up permit lasts up to one year and requires working with a recognised facilitator, essentially a business mentor. Afterwards you switch to the self-employed permit, which costs €423 according to the IND's fee table.

6. Living with family: partners and children

Partner permits

You need to be married, in a registered partnership, or in a lasting relationship. Both partners must normally be 21 or older if the relationship is formed after the sponsor came to live in the Netherlands, or 18 if the marriage already existed. Expatica (updated 13 May 2026) also cites the 21-year rule.

The sponsor must meet an income requirement. For 1 July to 31 December 2026, the IND sets it at €2,337 a month excluding holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including it, for living with a partner. The income must be sustainable.

A highly skilled migrant salary clears this bar easily.

Can family members work?

The IND's guidance for employers says family members of highly skilled migrants, ICT permit holders and Blue Card holders do not need a work permit (TWV). If your card says "Arbeid vrij toegestaan. TWV niet vereist" (work freely permitted, no work permit required), an employer can hire you without extra paperwork.

Different fees in different sources

The IND's fee table lists €254 for a partner. Expatica's family visa article (updated 13 May 2026) says €207, and another Expatica guide says €228. These are probably older fees left on the page. Use the IND's table.

7. Students, the orientation year and working holiday

Study permits

Universities (WO) and universities of applied sciences (HBO) act as recognised sponsors and apply on the student's behalf after enrolment is confirmed in Studielink. The Hague International Centre confirms that students are sponsored by their institution.

For 2026, the IND requires university and HBO students to show €1,130.77 a month for living costs. The fee is €254 and the statutory decision period is 60 days, with a two-week target for complete applications from recognised sponsors.

The orientation year (zoekjaar)

The orientation year for highly educated persons lets recent graduates live in the Netherlands for up to one year to look for work or work. It is open to graduates of Dutch institutions and to people with a master's or PhD from a top-200 university abroad. You apply yourself, without a sponsor, within three years of graduating.

During the year you can work freely and employers don't need a work permit. The fee is €254. Land a job and you can use the €3,122 reduced criterion. Expatica and The Hague International Centre describe the same route.

Working holiday

DutchReview lists working holiday schemes for nationals of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Uruguay aged 18 to 30. Each country has its own agreement, so conditions and quotas differ. The IND's Japan page (updated 9 October 2026) is a good illustration.

If your country has a cap, plan to apply as soon as the year opens. The IND asks you not to apply more than 90 days before travelling.

8. IND fees and decision periods

2026 fees

The IND sets its fees every 1 January, valid until 31 December.

Employers pay separately to become recognised sponsors: €5,080, or €2,539 for organisations with no more than 50 people.

Statutory decision periods

The IND's decision periods page (updated 1 October 2026) lists these deadlines. They can be extended, for example if documents are missing, and first applications for work can be extended by 30 days.

For partner and family applications, sources disagree. Expatica says the IND processes them within 90 days, while DutchNews writes that residence applications should be decided within six months. Your confirmation of receipt (ontvangstbevestiging) states the deadline that applies to you.

If the IND is late

Once the deadline passes, you can send a notice of default (ingebrekestelling) and go to court two weeks later. Penalty payments are on their way out, but the court can still set a deadline. The full steps are in our IND delays guide.

9. Extending and switching without gaps

Extend from three months before expiry

The IND sends a reminder about three months before your permit expires. Applications submitted earlier than three months before expiry are not accepted. If you apply on time, you can normally stay and work under the same conditions until the IND decides.

ACCESS warns that a gap in your permit breaks the "five consecutive years" needed for permanent residence and naturalisation.

Changing purpose (wijziging verblijfsdoel)

Moving from study to the orientation year, or from a partner permit to your own work permit, counts as a new application for the new purpose and costs the new purpose's fee.

Changing employer

A new employer must also be a recognised sponsor and must notify the IND. The threshold is based on your age and the rates on the date the new contract starts, so a job change just after your 30th birthday can mean a higher bar.

10. The road to permanent residence

After five years you can apply for a permit without an end date. There are two types. The IND first checks whether you qualify for long-term EU residence and, if not, considers the national permanent permit.

Two permits compared

The national permanent permit (type II) and the long-term EU resident permit (type V) both have no expiry date. The card itself is renewed every five years for €85.

The EU permit makes it easier to apply for residence in another EU country, though you still need to meet that country's conditions.

Income and integration

For the second half of 2026, the income requirement is €1,635.90 a month excluding holiday pay if you rely on your own income. The bigger hurdle for many internationals is civic integration. The IND's permanent residence page (updated 20 May 2026) requires a pass at A2 or an exemption.

Exemptions include holding a civic integration diploma, Belgian or Luxembourg nationality, being under 18 or over state pension age, and having lived in the Netherlands for eight years during school age. Certain Dutch diplomas can also qualify. Being exempt from the exam abroad does not exempt you here. Our guide to learning Dutch covers the exams, costs and timelines.

Timing and naturalisation

You can apply for long-term EU residence from three months before your current permit expires, or at any time once you have lived here more than five years. The decision period is six months.

Naturalisation is a separate, optional step with a one-year decision period. Some countries don't allow dual nationality, so check your home country's rules before applying.

11. Common pitfalls

12. What to do this week

1. Check your residence card: note the purpose of stay, whether it says "Arbeid vrij toegestaan", and the expiry date.
2. Put a reminder three months before expiry: don't rely on the IND's letter alone.
3. Compare your salary with the 2026 table: use the IND's "Required amounts" page for your age group.
4. Check whether your purpose is temporary: ICT, study and orientation-year holders should plan their switch.
5. Prepare family documents early: birth and marriage certificates often need legalisation or an apostille and translation.
6. Plan your A2 exam: if you want to stay, start around year three.

13. Three example cases

These are fictional people, used to show how the same rules give different answers.

A 28-year-old software engineer

Hired locally by an Amsterdam tech company (a recognised sponsor) at €4,600 gross a month, she clears the €4,357 under-30 threshold. But if she changes jobs after turning 30, the €5,942 rate applies, and the new employer can't sponsor her below it.

A 45-year-old manager on secondment

He was sent from headquarters in Singapore on an ICT permit. The assignment keeps getting extended and the family wants to stay. ICT years don't count, so a move to the Dutch entity's payroll and a highly skilled migrant permit would open the route to permanent residence. His family's permits follow his, so the timing should fit the children's school year.

A 35-year-old American designer going freelance

After four years as a highly skilled migrant, she wants to work for herself. As a US national she can use DAFT, with no points test. She invests at least €4,500, registers with the KvK within six months, and pays €423 for the change of purpose. Both permits are non-temporary, so her years keep counting, provided there's no gap.

14. Things not to do

15. Summary

• Your nationality decides whether you need an MVV, but every non-EU/EEA/Swiss resident needs a permit for stays over 90 days
• 2026 highly skilled migrant thresholds: €5,942 (30+), €4,357 (under 30), €3,122 (reduced). Media figures can differ slightly from the IND's
• DAFT and the Japanese treaty route need a €4,500 investment and KvK registration within six months, with no points test
• Fees are €423 for work permits, €254 for family, study and permanent residence, and €85 for children and working holiday
• ICT, study and orientation-year time counts differently, or not at all, towards permanent residence
• Permanent residence needs five years, sufficient income and A2 civic integration

This guide reflects public information as of 26 October 2026 and is not legal advice. For individual cases, consult an immigration lawyer (advocaat) or the free legal help desk Juridisch Loket.

Sources

Official sources

• Required amounts income requirements — IND: 2026 salary and income thresholds
• Fees: costs of an application — IND: 2026 fees and sponsor costs
• Highly skilled migrant — IND: conditions, 90-day period, 3/6-month job search
• Residence permit self-employed person — IND: points test, DAFT and Japanese treaty route, €4,500
• Provisional residence permit (MVV) — IND: applying for MVV and permit together
• MVV exemptions — IND: exempt nationalities and situations
• Civic Integration Exam Abroad — IND: who takes it, one-year validity
• Residence permit Working Holiday — IND: caps, age limits, 2026 status
• Permanent residence permit — IND: conditions, A2, six-month period
• Long-term EU residents — IND: counting study as half, absence limits
• Temporary and non-temporary purposes — IND: classification of purposes
• Civic integration for a more secure permit — IND: exemptions
• Decision periods — IND: statutory deadlines
• Residence permit for partner — IND: partner conditions
• Regular temporary residence permit extension — IND: when and how to extend
• Employing a foreign national — IND: work rights of family members
• Application for Intra Corporate Transfer (7560) — IND: ICT maximum durations
• Kabinet scherpt kennismigrantenregeling aan — Rijksoverheid: plans to tighten the scheme

Expat media and news

• Permits and visas for the Netherlands: ultimate 2026 guide — DutchReview: starting point for this guide
• Residence permit in the Netherlands — IamExpat: 2026 thresholds quoted as €5,937 etc.
• Dutch government to raise salary requirements — IamExpat: 2025 thresholds and plans
• Major changes to EU Blue Card explained — IamExpat: 2024 Blue Card reforms
• 30% ruling changes in 2027 — IamExpat: the move to 27%
• Family and partner visas — Expatica: €207 fee, 21-year rule, 90-day processing
• Dutch visas guide — Expatica: overview, €228 family fee
• Orientation year visa — Expatica: eligibility
• Internationals lose right to IND payouts — DutchNews.nl: penalty payments and regular permits
• Immigration falls for third year — NL Times: CBS figures for 2025
• Do I need a work permit? — ACCESS: work permit exemptions, job search periods
• Mind the gap in residence permit — ACCESS: gaps and the five-year rule
• Dutch Visa and Residence Permit — Xpat.nl: MVV and TEV flow
• Work and residence permits — The Hague International Centre: permit basics in The Hague region
• Orientation Year Permit — The Hague International Centre: the search year

All sources were checked on 26 October 2026. Salary thresholds and fees change every 1 January, and family income amounts also on 1 July. Check the IND's current pages before applying.

Original article

Permits and visas for the Netherlands: ultimate 2026 guide — DutchReview