Apply for recognition as sponsor

Last update: 25 April 2023

You would like to apply for recognition as a sponsor. A recognised sponsor is a company, school or organisation that has an interest in the arrival of a third-country national. Find out what the requirements are and how to apply for recognition.

Recognition is sometimes mandatory

Recognition is mandatory if you want to apply for these residence purposes as a company, school or organisation.

Au pair
Exchange
Study
Highly-skilled migrant
Researchers under Directive (EU) 2016/801

An exception applies to highly-skilled migrants and researchers with Turkish nationality.

And recognition is not mandatory, but it is possible for these residence purposes.

Regular work in paid employment
Seasonal work
Gaining work experience
Intra-company transfer
Holder of a European Blue Card

For these residence purposes, you can choose whether or not to have your organisation recognised as a sponsor.

Requirements

There are general requirements for applying for recognition as a sponsor that apply to all categories. In addition, extra requirements also apply to the categories research, study and exchange.

General conditions in applying for recognition as a sponsor

The following conditions apply to your organisation:

Your organisation is registered in the Commercial Register in the Netherlands (in Dutch: Handelsregister). This is not necessary if not required under the Commercial Register Act 2007 (Hrw 2007).
The continuity and solvency of your organisation is sufficiently guaranteed.
Your organisation is not insolvent or has not been granted suspension of payment.
Your organisation, directors and officers and other natural persons and legal entities involved in your organisation are reliable.
Your organisation complies with the Code of Conduct that applies to your organisation. Does your organisation carry out activities such as assigning personnel for payment? Then your organisation must be listed in the register of the Labour Standards Foundation (SNA).

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Continuity and solvency of the organisation
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Continuity means that your organisation can comply with all financial obligations in the longer term. Solvency is that the organisation has the financial health to deal with financial setbacks.

Advice from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

The IND can ask the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (in Dutch: Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland or RVO) for advice on the continuity and solvency of businesses. For start-up businesses the RVO uses a point system to assess this. A maximum of 100 points can be obtained. You need at least 50 points for positive advice.

Sections of the point system

1. Registration with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: Kamer van Koophandel or KvK)
- Is the organisation registered?
- Have there been any changes in partners, shareholders or control since the application date?
- Has there been a takeover, suspension of payment or insolvency of the organisation or of its owners/directors and officers?
2. Business Plan
- Market potential
  - Description of unique characteristics of the product or service.
  - Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the market, focusing on one’s own business environment.
- Organisation
  - Clear and appropriate organisational structure.
  - The right competencies in relation to entrepreneurship, management and subject matter.
- Financing
  - The organisation can deal with future financial setbacks for 3 full years.
  - The turnover forecast is adequately substantiated and in line with market potential.
  - The cash flow from factual business activities must be positive for 3 full years.
Reliability of the organisation
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Are your organisation and the natural persons and legal entities involved in your organisation, reliable? The IND examines this in the application for recognition. You are considered unreliable in the following situations:
- Your organisation or the natural persons and legal entities involved in your organisation became insolvent 3 times in the year before the application.
- The tax authorities gave your organisation a negligence penalty in the 4 years before the application.
- Your organisation got 3 or more penalties in the 3 years before the application. These are the penalties concerned:
  - penalty under the Aliens Act (Vw);
  - penalty under the Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act (Wav); and
  - penalty under the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act (WML).
- The IND withdrew your recognition as a sponsor in the 5 years before this new application.

Additional requirements per category

Extra requirements to become a recognised sponsor apply to the categories research, study and exchange.

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Requirements for research
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Your research institution must meet these requirements.

Public research institution
- Your research institution has been recognised by the government or receives funding or subsidies from the government. Your institution uses job profiles for researchers in paid employment under the job family ‘research and education’.
- Your institution is listed in the Annex to the Higher Education and Research ACT (in Dutch: Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek or WHW).
Private research institution
- Your research institution is listed in the National Academic Research and Collaboration System.
- Your institution has a Research and Development Statement under the Law on the reduction of income tax and national insurance contributions (in Dutch: Wet vermindering afdracht loonbelasting en premie voor de volksverzekeringen or WVA).
Requirements for study
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These requirements apply to your school.

Schools for higher education
- Your school is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation for the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).
- Your school provides higher education as referred to in the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW).
- These situations apply to your school.
  - Your school has signed the Code of Conduct for International Students in Higher Education.
  - Your school provides study programmes in the context of the development cooperation policy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  - Your school provides study programmes in the context of the Cultural Policy Act (Special Purpose Funding) (in Dutch: Wet op het specifiek cultuurbeleid).
Secondary schools
- Your school provides secondary education as referred to in the Secondary Education Act (in Dutch: Wet op het voortgezet onderwijs or WVO).
Vocational education schools
- Your school provides vocational education as referred to in the Adult and Vocational Education Act (in Dutch: Wet educatie en beroepsonderwijs or WEB).
Secondary schools that offer the international baccalaureate diploma programme
- Your school is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
- Your school is part of an international organisation that exchanges students across the world. National committees of this international organisation determine the country of placement. Your school places students in a boarding school.
Requirements for exchange
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These requirements apply to your au pair agency or exchange organisation.
- Your au pair agency is located in the Netherlands. Or in another EU or EEA country.
- Your au pair agency is registered in the Commercial Register at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. If this registration is not required by law, then this requirement does not apply.
- Your au pair agency or exchange organisation has a cultural purpose.
- Your au pair agency runs an exchange programme that has been approved by the Minister of Justice and Security. Read more about the requirements that an exchange programme must meet in
  Exchange Programme 3015 (PDF, 261.65 KB)

Process and costs

These are the steps in the application process for recognition.

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1. Check requirements open minus

A valid provisional residence permit (MVV) is needed for this application

Make sure you meet the requirements.
1. Check requirements open minus

Make sure you meet the requirements.
2. Collect documents open minus

The application form lists which documents you need. Collect all documents before you apply.
3. Apply open minus

You submit the application in writing by post.
4. Pay for application open minus

You have to pay for the application. Visit the web page Fees: application costs.

You will receive a letter explaining how you can pay.
2. Wait for decision on application open minus
5. Wait for decision on application open minus

The IND must take a decision within 90 days. This is called a decision period.

We can extend the decision period if it takes longer to decide. For example, because the application is not complete. In that case, the IND will send a message.
6. Decision on application open minus
You will receive the decision in a letter. The decision will be positive or negative.
- Positive decision: your company, school or organisation will be a recognised sponsor.
- Negative decision: your application for recognition has been rejected. You can object against this decision.
7. Entry in public register open minus

Your company, school or organisation will be entered in the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors.

Application form

Download the form. Fill in the form and send it by post.

Written application forms

Application for recognition as sponsor 7501 (PDF, 380.07 KB)

Download in MP4 HD formaat MP4 HD | 73.4 MB
c51ycn2
Video title is visible in animation: How do I apply for recognition as a sponsor?
voice-over: You are a company, educational institution or organisation and you would like to bring someone to the Netherlands for work, research, study or exchange.
In most cases, you must be a recognised sponsor for this purpose. You can apply for recognition as a sponsor from the IND, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service.
You can do this in 7 steps. Step 1. Read the conditions on www.ind.nl. You can apply for recognition as a sponsor for four categories: work, research, study and exchange.
On ind.nl you can read when recognition as a sponsor is mandatory and which conditions apply. Your company, educational institution or organisation
must be reliable. And financially healthy. Therefore, the IND will assess continuity and solvency. Registration with the Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: KvK) is also mandatory.
In addition to the conditions, our website states the advantages and obligations of a recognised sponsor. Step 2. Collect all the necessary documents.
You need to send documents with the application. Which documents depends on your situation. Our website lists what is requested. Step 3. Fill in the application form.
You can download it from ind.nl. Please enclose all requested documents and send the complete application to the IND. Step 4. Pay for the application.
On ind.nl you can find out how much an application for recognition costs. Once the IND has received your application, you will receive a letter advising how you can pay.
Step 5. Wait for the decision. Have you paid? Then the IND has 90 days to take a decision. This is called the decision period. This period can be extended. For example, because your application is incomplete.
Or in case additional research is needed. Step 6. The decision. The IND has taken a decision. Has your application been rejected, and do you disagree?
Then you can object against this decision. Is the decision positive? Then you are now a recognised sponsor. Step 7. Registration in the public register of recognised sponsors.
Have you become a recognised sponsor? Then your company, educational institution or organisation, will be included in the public register of recognised sponsors on ind.nl.
You will remain a recognised sponsor until you cancel the recognition, or until you no longer meet the conditions. Wish to apply for recognition as a sponsor? Visit www.ind.nl.
Download Audiodescriptie
Download in MP3 formaat
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- Download in MP4 HD formaat MP4 HD | 73.4 MB
Download Transcriptie

c51ycn2
Video title is visible in animation: How do I apply for recognition as a sponsor?
voice-over: You are a company, educational institution or organisation and you would like to bring someone to the Netherlands for work, research, study or exchange.
In most cases, you must be a recognised sponsor for this purpose. You can apply for recognition as a sponsor from the IND, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service.
You can do this in 7 steps. Step 1. Read the conditions on www.ind.nl. You can apply for recognition as a sponsor for four categories: work, research, study and exchange.
On ind.nl you can read when recognition as a sponsor is mandatory and which conditions apply. Your company, educational institution or organisation
must be reliable. And financially healthy. Therefore, the IND will assess continuity and solvency. Registration with the Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: KvK) is also mandatory.
In addition to the conditions, our website states the advantages and obligations of a recognised sponsor. Step 2. Collect all the necessary documents.
You need to send documents with the application. Which documents depends on your situation. Our website lists what is requested. Step 3. Fill in the application form.
You can download it from ind.nl. Please enclose all requested documents and send the complete application to the IND. Step 4. Pay for the application.
On ind.nl you can find out how much an application for recognition costs. Once the IND has received your application, you will receive a letter advising how you can pay.
Step 5. Wait for the decision. Have you paid? Then the IND has 90 days to take a decision. This is called the decision period. This period can be extended. For example, because your application is incomplete.
Or in case additional research is needed. Step 6. The decision. The IND has taken a decision. Has your application been rejected, and do you disagree?
Then you can object against this decision. Is the decision positive? Then you are now a recognised sponsor. Step 7. Registration in the public register of recognised sponsors.
Have you become a recognised sponsor? Then your company, educational institution or organisation, will be included in the public register of recognised sponsors on ind.nl.
You will remain a recognised sponsor until you cancel the recognition, or until you no longer meet the conditions. Wish to apply for recognition as a sponsor? Visit www.ind.nl.
Recognition as sponsor 3084 (PDF, 409.83 KB)
Obligations sponsor and recognised sponsor
Information and themed meetings on Knowledge and Talent

Rules and regulations

All rules and regulations are only in Dutch.

Reasons to deny recognition: Artikel 2e Vreemdelingenwet (Vw 2000)
Suspension and withdrawal recognition: Artikel 2f Vreemdelingenwet (Vw 2000)
Recognition as sponsor and application for recognition: Hoofdstuk 1, Afdeling 3 Vreemdelingenbesluit (Vb 2000)
Recognition as sponsor: Hoofdstuk 1, Afdeling 2 Voorschrift Vreemdelingen (VV 2000)
Application recognition and suspension: B1/2 Vreemdelingencirculaire (Vc 2000)

Apply for recognition as sponsor

Recognition is sometimes mandatory

Requirements

General conditions in applying for recognition as a sponsor

Continuity and solvency of the organisation

Advice from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

Sections of the point system

1. Registration with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: Kamer van Koophandel or KvK)

2. Business Plan

Reliability of the organisation

Additional requirements per category

Requirements for research

Public research institution

Private research institution

Requirements for study

Schools for higher education

Secondary schools

Vocational education schools

Secondary schools that offer the international baccalaureate diploma programme

Requirements for exchange

Process and costs

These are the steps in the application process for recognition.

Application form

Download the form. Fill in the form and send it by post.

Written application forms

See also

Rules and regulations

Apply for recognition as sponsor

Categories of recognition as sponsor

Recognition is sometimes mandatory

Advantages of recognition as sponsor

Obligations as recognised sponsor

Requirements

General conditions in applying for recognition as a sponsor

Continuity and solvency of the organisation

Advice from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

Sections of the point system

1. Registration with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: Kamer van Koophandel or KvK)

2. Business Plan

Reliability of the organisation

Additional requirements per category

Requirements for research

Public research institution

Private research institution

Requirements for study

Schools for higher education

Secondary schools

Vocational education schools

Secondary schools that offer the international baccalaureate diploma programme

Requirements for exchange

Process and costs

These are the steps in the application process for recognition.

Application form

Download the form. Fill in the form and send it by post.

Written application forms

See also

Rules and regulations