How can a skilled worker move to the Netherlands for a job?

For a skilled worker with a job offer, the Netherlands offers two main routes. The Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant) permit is the most common: your employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and pays a salary at or above an age-based threshold, with no labour-market test and decisions often within about two weeks. The European Blue Card is the alternative for highly qualified roles; it does not require a recognised sponsor but sets a higher salary bar and asks for a recognised higher-education diploma.

Both are normally filed by the employer, and the IND has a legal maximum of 90 days to decide, though recognised-sponsor cases are usually much faster. Specialised routes also exist, such as the Intra-Corporate Transfer (ICT) permit for transfers within a multinational group.

The IND application fee for these skilled routes is EUR 423 (2026), and salary thresholds change at least once a year, so confirm the current figure on ind.nl. ACME can compare your offer against the Highly Skilled Migrant and Blue Card criteria, check your employer's sponsor status and help coordinate the filing.