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The salary threshold is stricter than it looks.For 2026, the Blue Card requires at least € 5,942 gross per month, or € 4,754 for recent graduates, and the 8% holiday allowance does not count towards it. The IND re-indexes the figure every January, so a salary set exactly on the line can fall short before the start date.
The diploma evaluation, not the IND, usually sets the timeline. The IND has up to 90 days to decide, but a Nuffic credential evaluation currently takes around 16 weeks on its own. Starting it the day the offer is agreed is the simplest way to protect a start date.
You do not need a Dutch entity to hire a Blue Card holder.The application needs an employer in the Netherlands, but that employer can be an Employer of Record. Working through an IND recognised sponsor such as ThisWorks also gives access to the faster IND procedure and keeps the Highly Skilled Migrant permit open as an alternative.
You have found the right person for the role. The catch is that they live outside the EU, and bringing them to the Netherlands means an IND application, a salary threshold that changes every year, and a choice between two permits that look confusingly alike. For university-educated professionals, one of those routes is the EU Blue Card: a combined residence and work permit that also opens the door to working elsewhere in the EU.
This guide sets out the EU Blue Card Netherlands requirements for 2026, the salary threshold, how the application works step by step, what it costs, and the benefits your hire gains. It also explains how a company with no Dutch entity can still bring a Blue Card holder on board through an Employer of Record in the Netherlands.
Everything below is based on the conditions published by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and the revised EU Blue Card Directive (EU) 2021/1883, and on how these cases run in practice, based on the applications our team handles.
The EU Blue Card is a residence permit that allows a highly educated non-EU national to live in the Netherlands and work in a highly qualified role. It is issued by the IND and rests on EU law: the Netherlands brought its rules in line with the revised Blue Card Directive in November 2023, which lowered the salary bar, shortened the minimum contract and made it easier to change employer.
The card is granted for the length of the employment contract plus three months, up to a maximum of four years, and can be renewed while the conditions continue to be met. It exists in every EU member state except Denmark and Ireland, which is where its mobility rights come from. If you are hiring across Europe, our EU Blue Card Germany guide shows how the German version compares.
What makes the Netherlands different is that the Blue Card is not the only route for skilled professionals. The Dutch Highly Skilled Migrant permit often competes with it, and the right choice depends on the candidate’s education, age and salary, and on your company’s sponsor status. We compare the two later in this guide.
| EU Blue Card Netherlands at a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Issued by |
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)For employers: applications are decided by the IND. A recognised sponsor, such as an Employer of Record with that status, can apply on the employee's behalf.
|
| Legal basis |
Directive (EU) 2021/1883, implemented in Dutch immigration lawFor employers: the core conditions come from EU law, but each country sets its own salary threshold and procedure, so Dutch figures differ from those in Germany or elsewhere.
|
| Who it is for |
Non-EU nationals with a higher-education qualification and a highly qualified job offerFor employers: the role should genuinely call for the candidate's level of education. Foreign diplomas usually need a Nuffic credential evaluation, which currently takes around 16 weeks.
|
| Minimum contract |
Six monthsFor employers: fixed-term contracts are fine as long as they run for at least six months. The card is issued for the contract length plus three months.
|
| Salary threshold 2026 |
€5,942.00 gross per month (€4,754.00 for recent graduates), excluding holiday allowanceFor employers: the 8% holiday allowance does not count. The IND re-indexes the amount every January, so build in headroom if the start date could move into a new year. Check a salary below.
|
| Validity |
Contract duration plus three months, up to four years; renewableFor employers: start renewals 8 to 12 weeks before expiry, with an updated contract and proof the salary still meets the threshold.
|
| Recognised sponsor needed? |
NoFor employers: unlike the Highly Skilled Migrant permit, sponsor status is not required. Recognised sponsors do get a faster procedure and submit fewer documents.
|
| Family |
Partner and children can join straight away; partner can work with no restrictionFor employers: family members can apply at the same time as the main applicant. Each person files their own application and pays their own fee.
|
| EU mobility |
Move to another EU country after 12 monthsFor employers: holders can also travel within the EU for business for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
|
Enter the gross monthly salary, excluding the 8% holiday allowance.
To be eligible for an EU Blue Card in the Netherlands, a candidate needs three things: a recognized higher-education qualification, a highly qualified job, and a salary at or above the applicable threshold. The core EU Blue Card requirements in the Netherlands are:
There is no labour market test for the Blue Card, so you do not have to show that the role could not be filled from within the EU.
For a diploma from outside the Netherlands, the IND will usually want to see a credential evaluation from Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, which assesses foreign qualifications on behalf of the government. The evaluation confirms that the foreign qualification is comparable to a Dutch bachelor’s or master’s degree.
A credential evaluation currently costs €148.83, including VAT. The Information Centre for Diploma Evaluation (IcDW)’s current processing time is around 16 weeks: an initial check takes place approximately 6 weeks after the application is submitted, followed by an evaluation phase of approximately 10 working weeks, provided all required documents are submitted correctly from the start.
No, and this is one of the Blue Card’s real advantages over the Highly Skilled Migrant permit. Any employer in the Netherlands can support a Blue Card application. Recognized sponsor status, which employers apply for through the IND and which appears in the public register of recognised sponsors, still makes a practical difference:
| Recognised sponsor | Not a recognised sponsor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who submits the application | The employer, on the employee's behalf | The employer or the employee |
| Supporting documents | Fewer; the employer declares that conditions are met | Fuller evidence pack, including employer documents |
| Processing | Faster track for recognised sponsors | Usually takes longer |
| Ongoing duties | Information and administration duties towards the IND | Standard employer obligations |
The Blue Card is for highly qualified work, so the job should be one that genuinely calls for the candidate’s level of education. A clear job description in the contract makes that link easy for the IND to see.
Some professions, such as doctors, dentists and nurses, also need Dutch professional registration (for healthcare, the BIG register) before the person can practice. Where that applies, the registration is needed alongside the Blue Card.
“Most of the problems we catch happen before the offer goes out, not after. The most common is a salary that only clears the threshold once holiday allowance is added, which the IND does not count. The second is a diploma that has not been sent to Nuffic yet, and at around 16 weeks that can easily become the longest part of the whole process. Every so often we also see a contract drafted for less than six months. All three are simple to fix at the offer stage, and much harder to fix once the application is in”
— Juul Seuren, HR Consultant at ThisWorks
The salary threshold is the requirement employers most often get wrong, usually because of how the figure is calculated rather than the figure itself. For 2026, the EU Blue Card Netherlands salary threshold is:
The threshold is not a round number because the IND re-indexes it every year on 1 January. That is why guides with undated figures go out of date within months, and why the Netherlands EU Blue Card salary threshold for 2026 differs from the one for 2025. Always work from the figure for the year in which the job starts.
Two practical points that catch employers out:
First, the 8% holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) is not counted, so a salary that only reaches the threshold once holiday pay is included will not qualify.
Second, the threshold has to be met for as long as the permit runs. A salary set comfortably above the figure, rather than exactly on it, gives headroom if the start date slips into a new year or if the next indexation lifts the bar at renewal.
Many Blue Card hires will also be eligible for the Dutch 30% ruling, a tax facility for employees recruited from abroad. It has its own salary criteria and is being reformed, with the maximum set to become 27% from 1 January 2027. Treat it as a separate check rather than assuming a Blue Card salary automatically qualifies.
“When we set a Blue Card salary with a client, we start from the threshold for the year the person will actually start, not the year the offer is made. The IND updates the figure every January, and holiday allowance does not count towards it, so a salary that looks comfortable in October can fall short by January. We usually recommend building in some headroom above the threshold, because it protects the renewal as well as the first application.”
— Imke van Rengs, Team Lead NL at ThisWorks
Ready to hire in the Netherlands? No Dutch entity? No problem. Our immigration specialists can check whether your new hire qualifies for an EU Blue Card and act as their Dutch employer through our Employer of Record service.
The steps to get an EU Blue Card in the Netherlands are published by the IND, so the process itself is no secret. What decides whether a case runs smoothly is the detail around those steps: a salary calculated without holiday allowance, a diploma evaluation started early, and an application pack that matches the employer’s sponsor status. That detail is where cases slow down, and where getting it right the first time pays off.
Most non-EU nationals need a provisional residence permit (MVV), a long-stay entry visa, to travel to the Netherlands. Where an MVV is needed, the employer can usually request the MVV and the residence permit together in a single procedure, known as the Entry and Residence (TEV) procedure.
Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City do not need an MVV and can apply for the residence permit directly.
Agree the offer and put the paperwork in place before anything is submitted.
The application is submitted online to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
The IND checks the application against the Blue Card conditions and pays particular attention to salary, contract length and qualifications.
If the candidate needs a provisional residence permit (MVV), they collect it before travelling.
After arrival, the Blue Card is collected in person.
The last step unlocks payroll, banking and healthcare.
Each application has its own checklist on the IND form, so always work from the current version. A typical Blue Card file includes:
| Document | Provided by | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | The card cannot run beyond the passport's validity, so renew first if it expires during the contract | |
| Employer | Must show salary, role and duration (at least six months) | |
| Candidate | Confirms the foreign degree is comparable to a Dutch one | |
| Candidate | Signed declaration on criminal history | |
| Candidate | Only for nationalities on the IND's TB list | |
| Employer | Needed where the employer is not a recognised sponsor |
Once in the Netherlands, the priority is registering at the municipality, which is required when someone will stay longer than four months. The BSN that follows unlocks payroll, banking and health insurance. Anyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must take out Dutch basic health insurance (Government.nl). With an Employer of Record, payroll setup, tax registration and much of the onboarding are handled on the employee’s behalf. Read more about hiring in the Netherlands.
The IND application fee is the smallest and most predictable part of a Blue Card budget. The costs that actually shape the decision sit in four places.
The salary is the main one. A Blue Card is only granted if the role pays at least the 2026 threshold, excluding holiday allowance. This is a legal condition of the permit rather than a market rate you can trim, which is why the Blue Card suits senior and specialist hires.
Diploma evaluation. A Nuffic credential evaluation carries its own fee and processing time. It applies to most foreign diplomas and is worth budgeting for early.
Sponsor status. The Blue Card does not require recognized sponsor status, but applying without it usually means more paperwork and a slower decision. Becoming a recognized sponsor involves a one-off IND fee and ongoing administrative duties, which is hard to justify for one or two hires.
Family applications. Each family member applies separately and pays their own fee, so a family move multiplies the administrative cost even though the salary bar does not rise.
| Blue Card cost driver | What to expect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salary Main cost | From €5,942.00 per month | A legal condition of the permit |
| Nuffic credential evaluation | €148.83 | Diplomas from outside the Netherlands |
| Family member permit | A separate fee per dependant | Spouse and each child apply individually |
| Recognised sponsor application | €5,080.00 | One-off; reduced fee for smaller companies €2,539.00 |
Processing times are where honesty matters more than a headline number. The IND has a legal decision period of up to 90 days from a complete application. In practice, applications filed by a recognized sponsor are usually decided much faster, while applications from non-recognized employers tend to take longer. Allow time for the Nuffic evaluation before filing and, where needed, the MVV appointment afterwards.
The Blue Card is more than a work permit. For a candidate weighing an international move, and for an employer competing for that candidate, these are the benefits that tend to decide it.
Family rights are one of the Blue Card’s strongest selling points, and often the deciding factor for a candidate. A partner and children can apply at the same time as the main applicant, so the family travels together, or they can join later. Family reunification does not depend on a minimum period of residence, and the partner can work in the Netherlands without needing a separate work permit (Article 17). Each family member files their own application and pays their own fee.
“For many candidates, the family question decides the move. Knowing that a partner can work from day one, and that the family can travel together rather than follow months later, often matters as much as the salary. We plan the family applications alongside the main one from the start, so everyone’s documents are ready at the same time and nobody is left waiting.”
— Juul Seuren, HR Consultant at ThisWorks
A Blue Card is extended before it expires, as long as the holder still meets the conditions, and we recommend starting 8 to 12 weeks ahead with an updated contract and proof that the salary still meets the threshold.
Changing employer has also become easier: since 22 May 2026, the IND has applied new EU rules from the recast Single Permit Directive that give Blue Card holders more freedom to move to a new employer. The IND must be informed of the change and can take up to 45 days, extendable once by 15 days in exceptional cases, to check that the new job still meets the Blue Card conditions, including the salary threshold. If the IND raises no objection within that period, the holder can start working for the new employer for the remaining validity of their current permit. Any change in pay or hours, with a new or existing employer, should be checked against the current threshold before it is agreed.
In the Netherlands, the real question is often not how to get an EU Blue Card, but whether the Blue Card or the Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) permit is the better fit. Both lead to a residence permit for skilled work, but they suit different candidates and different employers.
| EU Blue Card | Highly Skilled Migrant permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Recognised sponsor required | No | Yes |
| Degree required | Yes, higher education of 3+ years | No |
| Salary threshold 2026 |
|
|
| EU mobility | Yes, after 12 months | No |
| Partner can work | Yes | Yes |
| Best suited to | Candidates planning EU-wide moves | Most standard Dutch hires |
As a rule of thumb, the HSM permit is often the simpler route when the employer is already a recognized sponsor and the candidate is under 30 or has no degree. The Blue Card tends to win when the candidate holds a recognized degree, the employer does not have sponsor status, or EU mobility matters. Read our full guide to the Highly Skilled Migrant permit in the Netherlands or see how our work permit support covers every Dutch route.
“Because we are an IND recognized sponsor, both routes are open for every hire we make in the Netherlands, so the choice comes down to the candidate rather than the paperwork. A candidate without a qualifying degree, or one under 30, will usually be better served by the Highly Skilled Migrant permit, because there is no degree requirement and the salary bar for under-30s is lower. For a degree-holder earning above the Blue Card threshold, the deciding question is often whether they might move to another EU country later, since only the Blue Card carries that mobility. We check the salary against both thresholds before recommending either.”
— Imke van Rengs, Team Lead NL at ThisWorks
Here is the constraint that stops many international hires before they start: a Blue Card application needs an employer in the Netherlands. A company without a Dutch entity cannot fill that role itself, which leaves two options.
| Set up a Dutch entity (BV) | Use an Employer of Record | |
|---|---|---|
| What is involved | Notary incorporation, Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and tax registration, payroll setup; optionally recognised sponsor status | ThisWorks becomes the Dutch legal employer for your hire |
| Time before you can hire | Up to 4 weeks for complete incorporation of the company | A few working days after all information is provided |
| Upfront cost | Incorporation, advisory and registration costs of around €2,000, plus ongoing bookkeeping and administrative costs | No entity setup cost |
| Payroll, tax and social security | Your responsibility | Handled by ThisWorks |
| Best for | Long-term market entry with a larger team | One or a few hires, or testing the market |
That second route is what an Employer of Record is built for. ThisWorks employs your candidate on your behalf under a compliant Dutch employment contract, runs local payroll, tax and social security, and acts as the Dutch employer for the Blue Card application. Your hire gets a well-prepared application, and you keep the person you spent months finding, without incorporating.
If you are weighing a Blue Card hire and do not yet have a Dutch entity, our team can walk you through what is realistic for your specific case and timeline.
A higher-education qualification of at least three years, an employment contract of at least six months, a gross monthly salary at or above the 2026 threshold (excluding holiday allowance), a valid passport and a TB test for certain nationalities. Foreign diplomas usually need a Nuffic evaluation.
€5,942.00 gross per month, or €4,754.00 for candidates who graduated within the last three years. Both figures exclude the 8% holiday allowance and are indexed by the IND every January.
The IND’s legal decision period is up to 90 days from a complete application. Applications from recognized sponsors are usually decided much faster. Allow extra time for the diploma evaluation and, where needed, the MVV appointment.
Yes. A partner and children can apply at the same time or join later, with no minimum residence period, and the partner can work without a separate work permit. Each family member submits their own application and fee.
Yes. The new role must meet the Blue Card conditions, including the salary threshold, and the change must be reported to the IND. A new permit application is not needed.
The Blue Card requires a degree and a contract of at least six months but no recognized sponsor, and adds EU mobility. The HSM permit requires a recognized sponsor but no degree, with lower age-based thresholds for candidates under 30.
Not directly, because the application needs an employer in the Netherlands. A company without a Dutch entity can set one up or use an Employer of Record, which becomes the compliant Dutch employer for the hire.
Hiring internationally doesn’t have to mean setting up a local entity, building payroll infrastructure or navigating complex employment legislation on your own. Whether you are hiring your first remote employee or expanding an international team, our specialists can support a smooth, compliant onboarding process in just a few days.
