European blue card residence permit
What is a European Blue Card
A European Blue Card is a European work and residence permit for highly educated employees from outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. Your employer can apply for a European Blue Card for you in these situations:
- You are living with a European Blue Card in one of the EU/EEA countries that participate in the European Blue Card scheme. You want to work in the Netherlands with a European Blue Card.
- You do not have a European Blue Card yet. You want to apply for a European Blue Card to work in the Netherlands.
Highly skilled migrant residence permit
There is also a Dutch residence permit for highly educated employees. This is the highly skilled migrant residence permit. Other requirements apply to this residence permit.
Advantages European Blue Card
The European Blue Card has these two advantages.
- It is easier for you to move to another EU/EEA country.
- In some situations you can apply for a permanent residence permit after less than 5 years. Go to the page Exceptions to 5-year term for permanent residency.
Employer: sponsor or recognised sponsor
Your employer is your sponsor. The IND can also recognise your employer as a sponsor. It is faster and easier for a recognised sponsor to apply for a residence permit for employees and their family. Recognition is not required for a European Blue Card.
Requirements
These are the requirements for a European Blue Card residence permit.
- You meet the requirements that apply to everyone.
- You have a diploma of a programme in higher education. This programme was at least 3 years. The diploma is needed for the profession or sector and is appropriate for the profession or sector. Do you have a foreign diploma? Then Nuffic must evaluate the diploma. This means that Nuffic will examine what the foreign diploma (‘credential’) is worth in the Netherlands. Find out more about credential evaluation on the Nuffic website.
- You have a contract for highly qualified work in the Netherlands. Highly qualified work is work for which a diploma of a programme in higher education is needed.
- You meet the income requirements.
- Your employment contract is valid for at least 12 months.
- Do you have a regulated profession, such as doctor or lawyer? Then you must demonstrate that you are allowed to practice this profession in the Netherlands.
- Your employer has not been fined for one of these reasons in the 5 years prior to application:
- Your employer has breached Section 2 of the Aliens Employment Act (in Dutch: Wet arbeid vreemdelingen, or WAV).
- Your employee has not paid any or has not paid enough wage tax, or employee insurance schemes or national insurance contributions.
Process and costs
These are the steps in the application process for the residence permit:
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1. Check requirements open minus -
1. Check requirements open minus -
2. Collect documents open minus -
2. Collect documents open minus -
3. Apply open minus -
3. Apply open minus -
4. Pay for application open minus -
4. Pay for application open minus -
5. Wait for decision on application open minus -
5. Wait for decision on application open minus -
6. Decision on application open minus -
6. Decision on application open minus -
7. Collect MVV and travel to the Netherlands open minus -
8. Collect residence permit open minus -
7. Collect residence permit open minus
Application forms
Download the correct form. Fill in the form and send it by post.
Written application forms
Written application forms
The residence permit
Find out what else you need to know about the residence permit.
TB test
Did your employer indicate at the time of the application that you will take a TB (tuberculosis) test? Then make an appointment with the public health service (in Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheidsdienst or GGD). Do this within 3 months after you have received your residence permit. Take with you to the appointment:
Working with European Blue Card
With this residence permit, you may work for the employer that applied for the residence permit without a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or TWV). The back of the residence permit says in Dutch 'Arbeid als houder van de Europese blauwe kaart en als zelfstandige toegestaan, andere arbeid toegestaan met TWV' (Work as a holder of a European Blue Card and on a self-employed basis permitted; other work permitted with TWV).
Work on a self-employed basis
With a European Blue Card you may work on a self-employed basis in addition to your work for your employer. However, you must always continue to meet the requirements for the European Blue Card.
Work permit needed for another employer
Do you want to work for another employer? Then this employer needs a TWV (work permit) for you. This employer must apply to the Employee Insurance Agency (in Dutch: Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen or UWV) for the TWV. Find out more about applying for a TWV to the UWV (only in Dutch).
Unemployment
Have you lost your job and is your residence permit still valid? Then you will be given up to 3 months to find a new job. This is the search period. The search period starts on the day that your contract ends. The search period is never longer than the validity of your residence permit.
Legal obligations
As a recognised or non-recognised sponsor, your employer has the obligation to provide information and keep records. To you, only the obligation to provide information applies.
Find out more about the legal obligations of the sponsor or recognised sponsor and the foreign national’s obligation to provide information.
The IND checks whether you meet your obligations. And if you do not do so? Then, you may get an administrative fine.
Validity of residence permit
The residence permit is valid up until 3 months after the employment contract has ended. Your residence permit is valid for 4 years at most.
Other applications
Replacement residence permit
Has the residence permit been damaged, lost or stolen? Then have the residence document replaced. Visit the web page residence permit damaged or change details or residence permit lost or stolen.
Extension of residence permit
Will the residence permit expire soon? Then you can extend the residence permit.
Permanent residence permit
Have you had a residence permit for 5 years? Then you can apply for a permanent residence permit. If you have a European Blue Card, you can sometimes do this after less than 5 years. Go to the page Exceptions to 5-year term for permanent residency.
See also
- Living in the Netherlands
- Travelling with a residence permit and return visa
- Highly skilled migrant residence permit
- Employing a foreign national
Laws and regulations
- Directive 2009/50/EC
- Section 3.30b Aliens Decree 2000 (Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000, only in Dutch)
- B6/2.6 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000, only in Dutch)
- B6/3.1.5, 3.2.5 and 3.3.5 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000, only in Dutch)
- B6/4.6 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000, only in Dutch)
