All regulations / NL · EU Talent
Dutch immigration law
Know the rule before it knows you.
Hiring from outside the EU is fast if you are a recognised sponsor, and expensive if you get it wrong.
What it is
Dutch law requires a residence permit and, in most cases, an employer that is a recognised sponsor (erkend referent) with the IND for non-EU hires: highly skilled migrants, EU Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees, researchers and orientation-year graduates. The Wet arbeid vreemdelingen makes employers liable for anyone working without the right permit.
This applies to you if
- You want to hire or relocate non-EU talent to the Netherlands
- You already sponsor permits and must keep records, report changes and meet salary thresholds
- You are a founder moving to the Netherlands
What it asks of you
- Recognised sponsor status, with duties of care, record keeping and reporting to the IND
- Salary thresholds indexed yearly; market-conform pay checks
- Right-to-work checks and copies of permits for every worker
- Timely applications for extensions, changes of employer and family members
What it costs to ignore
Fines per unlawfully employed worker under the Wav, loss of sponsor status, and permit refusals that stall hiring.
Key dates
Thresholds and the expat (30%/27%) ruling change each January; the EU Blue Card was made more accessible in the Netherlands from 2024.
How we help
Not sure which apply to you? Send us three lines about what you sell and to whom, and we will tell you which rules matter and which do not.
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