Context
As noted above, Dutch-based companies that have acquired official status as recognised sponsor” from the Dutch immigration authorities may benefit from expedited immigration procedures with respect to their so-called qualifying highly-skilled migrants. Because of the expedited processing times and transparent criteria, the highly-skilled migrant procedure is a very popular immigration channel for companies in the Netherlands.
The main requirement is that the employee satisfies the salary requirement which is set for his/her category as noted below.
Update to Salary Criterion for 2025
The following gross monthly salaries (excluding vacation allowance) apply as of 1 January 20251:
Highly-Skilled Migrant
- 30 years and older EUR 5,688
- Younger than 30 years EUR 4,171
- Graduated in the Netherlands EUR 2,989
EU Blue Card
- Highly-educated employees EUR 5,688
- Graduated in the Netherlands EUR 4,551
These amounts exclude the (mandatory) 8-percent vacation allowance.
The salary criterion is assessed solely in light of the salary received in cash, i.e., the fixed contractual gross salary in cash, excluding the vacation allowance payable by the employer. Non-cash salary payments and uncertain salary components such as over-time, tips, and benefit payments are therefore excluded. However, expense allowances may be included provided they are guaranteed and regularly paid each month.
It is also important that the salary be paid at least monthly into a bank account held by the employee. The pay-slips must be made available for inspection upon first request by the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) or Labour Inspectorate (“Inspectie SZW”).
Allowances
Fixed allowances such as a 13th-month payment or fixed year-end bonus may only be included in the gross salary if these are laid down in the contract and if these are paid to the highly-skilled migrant on a monthly basis. Although it is uncommon that the 13th-month’s salary payment or year-end bonus is paid on a monthly basis, in practice this is the only way it may contribute to the salary calculation.
Applicability of Salary Criterion
Applications that have been filed before 1 January 2025, are subject to the 2024 salary criterion. The 2024 criterion also applies in situations where the “Entry and Residence” (Toegang en Verblijf; “TEV”) application was filed before 1 January 2024, although the highly-skilled migrant will only arrive in the Netherlands in 2025.
The same salary criterion also applies to applications for residence permits that are filed for “intra corporate transfer” applications under the EU-ICT Directive.
In addition to these residence permit applications, the salary criterion also applies to the following types of applications for a work permit:
Short stay by highly-skilled migrants – This programme is limited to group employees in a key or specialist position who are employed by a recognised sponsor and work for a maximum of 90 days in the Netherlands within a period of six months.
Application in the context of an intra-group transfer – There are special categories for key positions, knowledge transfer, and management trainees. The salary criterion for highly-skilled migrants older than 30 years of age applies to the first two categories. For trainees, the lower criterion for migrants younger than 30 years of age applies.
Highly-skilled migrants resident in another EU member state but working in the Netherlands – This programme is particularly attractive for employers in the border region, who are thus able to employ highly-skilled migrants although they do not live in the Netherlands.
