The highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) visa, step by step

The highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant in Dutch) is the main Dutch work permit for people from outside the EU. Your employer must be an IND recognised sponsor and must pay you at least €5,942 gross a month if you are 30 or older, or €4,357 if you are under 30 (2026 amounts). The employer applies for you, the fee is €423, and the IND aims to decide within two weeks.

Rules and figures as of October 2026. Check your own situation with the IND or a qualified adviser before you act on it.

the two conditions that decide everything

• A recognised sponsor. Only an employer on the IND public register of recognised sponsors can apply for this permit. (Turkish nationals are the one exception.) You can check any company before you apply.
• A salary at or above the threshold. In 2026: €5,942 a month at 30 or older, €4,357 under 30, and €3,122 under the reduced criterion for recent graduates and orientation-year holders. Holiday allowance does not count. The salary must also be in line with the market rate. The salary guide explains what counts.

There is no separate work permit (TWV). The residence permit itself says you may work as a highly skilled migrant.

step by step, from offer to BSN

1. Get a written offer and contract from a recognised sponsor, with a monthly gross salary at or above your threshold.
2. Prepare your documents early. You need a valid passport and, for registering at your Dutch address later, a legalised (or apostilled) and, where needed, translated birth certificate. The IND advises starting legalisation in your home country several months before the application.
3. Your employer applies. If you need an MVV (an entry visa, see below), the employer files one combined application for the MVV and the residence permit, called the TEV procedure. Otherwise it applies for the residence permit only. The fee is €423 in 2026 either way.
4. The IND decides. The legal maximum is 90 days. For a complete application from a recognised sponsor, the IND aims to decide within 2 weeks.
5. Collect the MVV. Book an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate within 3 months of the decision. You give fingerprints, a photo and a signature there. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months and have 2 empty pages. The MVV is valid for 90 days, and you must travel to the Netherlands within that time.
6. Register with your municipality within 5 days. Anyone living in the Netherlands for more than 4 months must register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) in person. You get your citizen service number (BSN) when you register. You need the BSN for salary, tax, a bank account and healthcare.
7. Pick up your residence permit card. Book the IND desk appointment as soon as you can; the IND asks for it within 2 weeks of the positive decision, and desks can be busy. Your MVV must still be valid when you collect the card.
8. Take the TB test if your nationality requires it. Book the GGD (public health service) within 3 months of receiving the permit. Many nationalities are exempt, including the US, the UK and China; India, Nigeria and Pakistan are not.
9. Take out Dutch health insurance within 4 months. If you insure late, cover does not go back to your arrival date, and you can be fined.
10. Apply for a DigiD. This is your login for Dutch government services. You need your BSN and a registered address. The activation letter is posted to your registered address.

do you need an MVV?

Most non-EU nationals do. You do not need an MVV if you are a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States or Vatican City, or of an EU/EEA country. There are also exemptions for some situations, for example if you already hold a valid Dutch residence permit. Without an MVV requirement, your employer applies for the residence permit only and you travel on your passport.

what the permit lets you do

common mistakes

• Assuming any Dutch employer can sponsor you. For this permit it must be on the register. Becoming a sponsor costs the employer €5,080 (€2,539 for organisations with 50 people or fewer), so most will not do it for one hire. That is why every job on JobThing comes from an employer already on the register.
• Counting the holiday allowance or a bonus towards the threshold. The IND does not. A 13th month counts only if it is in the contract and actually paid out monthly.
• Leaving documents until after the offer. Legalising a birth certificate can take weeks, and you need it in the first days after you arrive.
• Confusing the permit with the 30% ruling. The tax benefit is a separate application to the Tax Administration. See the 30% ruling guide.