Highly skilled migrants in the Netherlands (kennismigrant): salary thresholds, conditions and permit

A highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) is a non-EU employee who comes to work in the Netherlands for an employer that the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has recognised as a sponsor, at a salary above a set threshold. In 2026 the threshold is EUR 5,942 gross per month for employees aged 30 and over, EUR 4,357 under 30, and EUR 3,122 for recent graduates, excluding holiday allowance. There is no labour market test and no separate work permit: the residence permit itself allows the work. The employer applies, and the permit is valid for the length of the employment contract, up to five years.

The highly skilled migrant scheme at a glance

• Recognised sponsor: only an employer recognised by the IND can apply.
• Salary: at least the IND threshold for the employee's age or situation, and in line with the market rate for the job.
• No labour market test and no work permit (TWV) for the work with the sponsor.
• Validity: the duration of the employment contract, up to five years.
• Job loss: three months to find a new sponsor, or six months in certain cases from 22 May 2026, according to the IND.
• Decision period: the IND has a statutory period of 90 days.
• Dutch employment law applies in full, including dismissal protection and the transition payment.

On this page

What Is the Salary Threshold for a Highly Skilled Migrant in 2026?

The thresholds are gross monthly amounts, excluding the 8% holiday allowance. They apply for 2026 and are indexed each year.

Source: IND, required amounts and income requirements. The amounts change on 1 January each year, so check the current figure before an application. Meeting the threshold is not enough on its own: according to the IND, the salary must also be in line with the market rate, meaning what people in the same job earn on average.

What Are the Conditions for a Highly Skilled Migrant Permit?

According to the IND, the employer must be a recognised sponsor, there must be an employment contract with an employer or research institution in the Netherlands, and the salary must meet the threshold and the market rate.

• Recognised sponsor (erkend referent). The employer must first be recognised by the IND, in a separate procedure.
• Employment contract with the sponsor. The highly skilled migrant is an employee under Dutch law, not a contractor.
• Salary at least at the applicable threshold and at market level.
• General residence conditions that apply to every residence permit, such as a valid passport, also apply.

Who Applies, and How Long Does It Take?

The recognised sponsor submits the application to the IND, online or on paper. The IND has a statutory decision period of 90 days.

Depending on nationality, the employee may also need a provisional residence permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, mvv) to enter the Netherlands. The IND's page on the highly skilled migrant permit sets out the current requirements and forms.

How Long Is the Permit Valid, and What If the Job Ends?

The permit is valid for the duration of the employment contract, up to five years. It is tied to the recognised sponsor.

Changing employer. A highly skilled migrant can change employer, but the new employer must also be a recognised sponsor, and the change goes through the IND. Check the IND's current requirements before the new job starts.

Losing the job. According to the IND, a highly skilled migrant who loses the job has up to three months to find new work as a highly skilled migrant. Someone who becomes unemployed on or after 22 May 2026 and has held the status for at least two years is given up to six months. The search period cannot run beyond the end of the residence permit.

After five years. Under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act, a foreign national who has held a residence permit for work for five uninterrupted years can receive a residence permit on which work is permitted without restriction; from then on no work permit is needed.

How Does the Scheme Compare with a Regular Work Permit?

The difference is the labour market test. For a regular single permit (GVVA) or work permit (TWV), the employer must show that no suitable candidate with priority is available and must have reported the vacancy to UWV at least five weeks in advance. The highly skilled migrant route has no such test.

More on the regular route: work permits in the Netherlands (TWV and GVVA).

Which Employment Law and Tax Rules Apply?

A highly skilled migrant is an ordinary employee under Dutch law. The immigration status does not change the employment contract.

Dutch rules on dismissal, notice periods, the transition payment, holiday entitlement and sick pay apply in the same way as to any other employee. A dismissal that is valid under employment law can still have immigration consequences, through the search period described above, which is one reason why the timing of a termination matters more for a highly skilled migrant.

Many highly skilled migrants also qualify for the tax facility for employees recruited from abroad, known as the 30% ruling, which is subject to its own separate salary requirements; see the 30% ruling.

Hiring a Highly Skilled Migrant: A Checklist

1. Is the employer a recognised sponsor with the IND, or does it need to apply for recognition first?
2. Which threshold applies: 30 and over, under 30, or the reduced criterion?
3. Is the gross monthly salary, excluding holiday allowance, at least that threshold, and is it at market level for the job?
4. Is there a Dutch employment contract with the sponsor?
5. Does the employee need a provisional residence permit (mvv) to enter?
6. Does the employee also qualify for the 30% ruling?
7. In case of a later change of employer or dismissal: is the new employer a recognised sponsor, and how much of the search period and permit validity remains?

For specific cases, see employing expats in the Netherlands or a Dutch employment lawyer.