Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) visa in 2026: salary, sponsors and losing your job
Most people who move to the Netherlands for a skilled job come on this permit. This guide gives the 2026 salary criteria, what your employer must do, the timeline, the 30% ruling and your options if the job ends.
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, prepares your case and matches you with a suitable independent lawyer. Legal advice comes from the independent lawyer.
Rules from the IND and Business.gov.nl · Checked 14 September 2026
Short answer
A highly skilled migrant visa (kennismigrant permit) lets a Dutch employer that the IND recognises as a sponsor hire you from outside the EU without a work permit. In 2026 you must earn at least €5,942 gross a month at 30 or older, €4,357 under 30, or €3,122 on the reduced criterion for recent graduates, holiday allowance excluded. The employer applies and pays the €423 fee; the IND has 90 days and aims to decide within 2 weeks. If you lose your job, you have 3 months to find a new sponsor, or 6 months after 2 years on the permit.
Application refused, delayed, or your job is ending?
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Key facts for 2026
- €5,942 gross a month is the 2026 salary criterion at 30 or older; €4,357 if you are younger.
- €3,122 a month is the reduced criterion during an orientation year or within 3 years of graduating.
- €423 is the 2026 IND fee, paid by your employer.
- 2 weeks is the IND’s aim for a complete application; the legal limit is 90 days.
- 3 months to find a new sponsor after losing your job, or 6 months once you have held the permit for 2 years.
- 4 weeks is the deadline for a new employer to notify the IND when you change jobs.
- 5 years is the longest a permit runs, and the time before you can apply for permanent residence.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
The basics
What the highly skilled migrant permit is
The highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant in Dutch) is a single residence permit for living and working here, applied for by an employer that the IND has recognised as a sponsor. It is the scheme Dutch employers use most to recruit from abroad (Business.gov.nl).
- No work permit. Your employer needs no TWV (Business.gov.nl), and no labour market test applies (Business.gov.nl).
- The requirements: an employment contract with a recognised sponsor, a salary at or above the criterion, and pay at the market rate for similar jobs (IND brochure 3072).
- Healthcare jobs listed in the BIG Act also need registration in the BIG register.
- Not for EU citizens. Nationals of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland need no permit to work here.
Weighing other routes? Our Netherlands work visa guide compares all of them, and our guide to every type of Netherlands residence permit puts the work permits next to the rest.
Refused, or still waiting after 90 days?
Tell Finn what your employer applied for and when. We prepare your case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Salary
Highly skilled migrant salary criteria for 2026
The IND sets a minimum gross monthly salary for each age group, and your employer must pay it every month into an account in your name. To see what that salary leaves after tax, with or without the 30% ruling, use our Dutch tax calculator. The criterion sits far above the minimum wage in the Netherlands, which is set per hour.
| Your situation | Gross a month in 2026 | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 30 or older | €5,942 | First permit, extension and change of employer |
| Younger than 30 | €4,357 | Keeps applying with the same employer after you turn 30 |
| Reduced criterion, any age | €3,122 | During an orientation year, or within 3 years of graduating, a doctorate or research |
| EU Blue Card, for comparison | €5,942 | €4,754 within 3 years of graduating |
Source: IND required amounts for 2026. The amounts change every year on 1 January.
- What counts: your gross salary plus expense and fixed allowances written into your contract. Holiday allowance, wages in kind and irregular pay such as overtime or tips do not count (IND brochure 3072).
- Turning 30 or switching jobs. The under-30 amount stays with the same employer; a new employer must pay the amount for your age on the day you switch. The reduced criterion does not depend on age and stays when you change employers.
- Recent graduates: our orientation year visa guide explains who qualifies for €3,122.
- Change ahead. The thresholds are expected to rise by more than the usual indexation in 2027, but the Senate had not passed the proposals (Business.gov.nl).
Refused, or still waiting after 90 days?
Tell Finn what your employer applied for and when. We prepare your case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Your employer
Only a recognised sponsor can hire you
Before you sign, check that the employer is in the IND’s public register for work, which lists recognised sponsors by name and KVK number and is updated once a month (IND register).
- Recognition costs the employer €5,080, or €2,539 for a business with no more than 50 people (IND fees).
- Agencies and payroll companies can be the recognised sponsor and legal employer when they place you at another business.
- Your employer’s duties: report changes that affect your permit within 4 weeks, keep records such as your contract and payslips, and keep them for 5 more years after it stops being your sponsor.
- Turkish nationals may work for an employer that is not recognised.
Our visa sponsorship jobs guide shows how to search the register and avoid fake offers.
Timeline
Application and timeline
Your employer does the application, and a complete file is usually decided within 2 weeks.
- Your employer applies for the residence permit, together with the MVV if your nationality needs one, and pays the €423 fee by direct debit. It is not refunded if the application is refused.
- Refused anyway? Object within 4 weeks; our IND rejection appeal guide covers it.
- The decision. The legal limit is 90 days (IND), and the IND aims for 2 weeks on a complete application.
- The MVV. With the sticker you may start work as soon as you arrive; our MVV visa guide explains the embassy appointment.
- Your card. Book biometrics within 2 weeks of the positive decision. If the decision letter says so, you may work for up to 4 months before the card is ready (Business.gov.nl).
- How long it lasts. As long as your employment contract, up to 5 years. Your employer can apply to extend it from 3 months before it expires (IND brochure 3072).
Refused, or still waiting after 90 days?
Tell Finn what your employer applied for and when. We prepare your case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Tax
The 30% ruling, now the expat scheme
The 30% ruling is a tax benefit, separate from your permit: your employer must apply for it with the Tax Administration, which now calls it the expat scheme (Business.gov.nl).
- Who qualifies: an employee with specific expertise that is scarce in the Dutch labour market, a salary above the scheme’s own minimum, and recruited from abroad, having lived more than 150 kilometres from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before the first working day.
- The deadline: your employer requests approval within 4 months of your first working day and gets the outcome within 8 weeks.
- How much, how long: a tax-free percentage of your salary for at most 5 years. For employees who became eligible after 1 January 2024, the maximum falls from 30% to 27% on 1 January 2027.
- New employer? The ruling does not transfer automatically; you and the new employer apply again together.
Check in six questions whether you qualify with our 30% ruling checker.
Job loss
If you lose your job
Your permit does not end the day your job does: you get a search period to find a new employer that can act as your recognised sponsor.
- 3 months, or 6 months if you have held the permit for 2 years or longer or were a victim of labour exploitation (IND brochure 3072).
- The clock starts the day your contract ends and never runs past the end date of your permit.
- Your employer must report the end of your contract to the IND within 4 weeks.
- No new sponsor in time? The IND may revoke the permit. A job below the salary criterion may still lead to a permit for paid employment after a labour market check, and a partner here may give you a family permit.
The first steps are in our guide to losing a highly skilled migrant job. Dismissed by an Amsterdam employer? Read your options after a dismissal.
Dismissed, or about to be? Talk to a lawyer
Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch immigration lawyer. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.
New job
Changing employers
You can move to another recognised sponsor without a new application; the new employer notifies the IND instead.
- The new employer must be a recognised sponsor and notify the IND within 4 weeks; the IND then checks the requirements again. You must also tell the IND yourself that you are changing employer.
- 45 days is the legal decision period for a change of employer notified from 22 May 2026, extendable by 15 days. If the IND does not decide in time, you may work for the new employer for the rest of your current permit (IND decision periods).
- The salary must meet the criterion for your age on the day you switch, unless you are on the reduced criterion.
Long term
Family and staying for good
Your family can live here on your permit, and after 5 years you can apply to stay permanently.
- Family. Your spouse, partner and minor children can get a residence permit that depends on yours. You or your employer applies, and you are their sponsor. Our family reunification guide covers the details.
- Permanent residence after 5 years. You need 5 consecutive years with a valid permit, your main residence here, the civic integration exam at level A2 or an exemption, and enough income. The fee is €254 and the IND decides within 6 months (IND). You apply yourself, not your employer.
- EU long-term resident status. When you apply for permanent residence, the IND first checks whether you qualify for this status, which makes a later move to another EU country easier.
- Dutch citizenship. After 5 years you can also apply to naturalise; see our Dutch citizenship guide.
Refused, or still waiting after 90 days?
Tell Finn what your employer applied for and when. We prepare your case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
Compare
Kennismigrant or EU Blue Card?
Both cost €423 and need no work permit; the Blue Card asks for a degree but not a recognised sponsor.
| Highly skilled migrant | EU Blue Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in 2026 | €5,942 at 30 or older, €4,357 under 30, €3,122 reduced | €5,942, or €4,754 reduced |
| Degree | Only for the reduced criterion | Higher education of at least 3 years, or relevant work experience |
| Recognised sponsor | Required | Optional |
| IND decision period | 90 days, aim of 2 weeks | 30 days via a recognised sponsor |
| Coming from another EU country | The usual MVV rules for your nationality | No MVV after 12 months as a Blue Card holder there |
The full comparison, including EU long-term residence, is in our EU Blue Card guide.
Keep reading
Related guides
More guides for highly skilled workers moving to the Netherlands.
EU Blue Card
The European permit: its own salary, a degree condition and easier moves within the EU.
WorkVisa sponsorship jobs
Search the IND register before you accept an offer.
WorkLosing your job
What to do in the first days of your search period.
VisasAll Netherlands visas
Every route to living here, with the 2026 fees.
Tax30% ruling checker
Whether the expat scheme applies to you, and what it is worth.
PayNetherlands salary calculator
Your net salary for 2026, with or without the 30% ruling.
Refused, or still waiting after 90 days?
Tell Finn what your employer applied for and when. We prepare your case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need for a highly skilled migrant visa in 2026?
From age 30 the IND asks for €5,942 gross a month, and below 30 for €4,357; holiday allowance does not count. The reduced criterion of €3,122 applies during an orientation year, or within 3 years of graduating, obtaining a doctorate or finishing research. Your pay must also match the market rate for similar jobs.
Can I apply for a kennismigrant permit myself?
No. Only an employer that the IND recognises as a sponsor can apply, and it applies for your MVV at the same time if you need one. If you later lose your job, your next employer must be able to act as a recognised sponsor too. Turkish nationals are the exception: their employer does not have to be recognised.
How long does a highly skilled migrant application take?
The IND must decide within 90 days, but it aims to decide within 2 weeks when the application is complete. After a positive decision, it tries to have your residence permit ready within 2 weeks. If you need an MVV, you first collect the sticker at the Dutch embassy named on the application.
What happens to my permit if I lose my job?
You get a search period of 3 months, or 6 months if you have held the permit for 2 years or longer or experienced labour exploitation. It starts on the day your contract ends and cannot run past the end date of your permit. If no new employer registers you in time, the IND may revoke the permit.
Can a kennismigrant switch to a new employer?
Yes, if the new employer is a recognised sponsor and pays the criterion for your age on the day you switch. The new employer notifies the IND within 4 weeks. For notifications from 22 May 2026 the IND has 45 days to decide; if it misses that, you may keep working for the new employer until your permit ends.
Do I get the 30% ruling automatically with this permit?
No. The expat scheme, still widely called the 30% ruling, is a tax benefit your employer must request from the Tax Administration within 4 months of your first working day. You need scarce expertise, a salary above its own minimum, and to have lived more than 150 kilometres from the Dutch border for 16 of the 24 months before you start.
Can my family join me in the Netherlands?
Yes. Your spouse, partner and minor children can get a residence permit that depends on yours. You apply as their sponsor, or your employer applies for them, and you then keep their documents and report changes to the IND. Foreign marriage and birth certificates may need legalising and translating, which takes time.
When can a kennismigrant get permanent residence?
After 5 consecutive years with a valid residence permit and your main residence in the Netherlands. You also need to pass the civic integration exam at level A2 or be exempt, and meet the income requirement. You apply yourself, not your employer; the fee is €254 and the IND decides within 6 months.
Job ending on a highly skilled migrant permit?
Your search period starts on the day your contract ends. Tell Finn your end date and your permit details, and we introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.
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Official sources, checked 14 September 2026
- Business.gov.nl: residence permit for highly skilled migrants
- Business.gov.nl: residence permit
- Business.gov.nl: permits for highly skilled employees
- IND brochure 3072: residence permit for work as a highly skilled migrant
- IND: required amounts, highly skilled migrant and EU Blue Card 2026
- IND: public register of recognised sponsors, work
- IND: fees for an application
- IND: decision periods
- Business.gov.nl (KVK): the expat scheme, formerly the 30% ruling
- IND: permanent residence permit
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about a highly skilled migrant permit, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service. Legal advice comes from the independent lawyer.