Employing Non-EU/EEA Nationals in the Netherlands

The Netherlands hosts one of the world’s most diverse populations. It is therefore not unusual for a company to hire foreign employees. In order to legally work in paid employment, the employee needs a residence permit. What are the requirements? In this blog our HR Consultant, Marina Babic Walton, will share some insights on the topic.

There are many types of residence permit that apply to different employment situations. One of the most common residence permits for white-collar workers is the residence permit for highly skilled migrants. Besides the standard conditions that apply to everyone coming to the Netherlands, there are additional conditions that both the employee and employer have to meet.

Firstly, the employer has to be a recognized sponsor by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). This means that the company becomes the employee’s sponsor. To be a recognized as a sponsor, the employer has to undergo a process where the IND checks, among others, the reliability, continuity and solvency of the company.

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The second requirement is that the employee is going to earn sufficient income. For employees of 30 years old or older, they need to earn at least €4,612 per month. For employees of younger than 30 years old, they need to earn at least €3,381 per month. If the employee has previously studied in the Netherlands, it is possible that the reduced salary criterion applies. In this case, the minimum monthly salary is €2,423. Next to the gross base salary, the salary criterion includes reimbursements and allowances that are stated in the employment contract and paid out monthly. However, this does not include vacation allowance, the value of payment made in kind and uncertain, non-regular pay elements such as overtime allowances and bonuses.

Lastly, the agreed wage has to be in accordance with market conditions.

If all the requirements are met, the employer can apply for the residence permit, either by sending the application form and documents through postal service or online. After the application, the IND has 90 days until they make a decision. If the decision is positive, the IND will inform the employer about this decision and how the employee can collect his/her residence permit.

To conclude, the Netherlands is considered to be one of the easiest countries in Europe to get a work visa. With its big community of expats and government’s support for foreign talents, the Netherlands is an ideal country for international employment.

Interested to learn more about employing non-EU/EEA nationals in other European countries? Please do not hesitate to contact one our of European HR experts! 

About EuroDev

EuroDev, established in 1996 with offices in The Netherlands, has a single, defined purpose to help mid-sized North American companies expand their business in Europe. We have created a proven, successful business development model and since our founding, have partnered with over 300 companies to help them define and meet their European business goals. Services provided include Sales Outsourcing, HR Outsourcing and Digital Marketing.