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European Blue Card residence permit

Last update: 2 April 2025

With a European Blue Card, you can work in the Netherlands as a highly educated migrant. Find out what the requirements are and how your employer can apply for the 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 do not yet have a European Blue Card or you have had a European Blue Card for less than 12 months in one of the EU countries that participate in the European Blue Card scheme. You want to apply for a European Blue Card to work in the Netherlands.
  • You live with an asylum permit in one of the EU countries that use the European Blue Card. You now want to work in the Netherlands with a European Blue Card.
  • You have lived for at least 12 months in one of the EU countries that participate in the European Blue Card scheme, with a European Blue Card. You now want to work in the Netherlands with a European Blue Card. We call this long-term mobility.

Short-term mobility

Do you want to come to the Netherlands for work activities, such as visiting a conference or a short project? And will you not stay in the Netherlands for a total of more than 90 days within a 180-day period? Then you do not need to apply for a work and residence permit.

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.

Difference between European Blue Card and highly skilled migrant residence permit

  • With a European Blue Card, it is easier to apply for a residence permit in a different EU-country.
  • With a European Blue Card, you can in some cases apply for long-term EU residency after 2 years instead of 5 years. Visit the page Exceptions to 5-year term for permanent residency.
  • The reduced salary criterion is higher for the European Blue Card in comparison to the criterion for highly skilled migrants.
  • Your employer does not need to be a recognised sponsor in order to apply for a European Blue Card. For a highly skilled migrant application, this is mandatory. 
 

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 will be doing highly qualified work in the Netherlands and:
    • 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, or
    • you have a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience. Your work experience is at the level of a higher education diploma. Are you an IT manager or IT professional? A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required during the period of 7 years before the application.
  • You meet the income requirements.
  • Your employment contract is valid for at least 6 months.
  • Your employer's company carries out economic activity.
  • Your employer has not been fined in the past 5 years for violating one of the following laws:
    • Foreign Nationals Employment Act (in Dutch: Wet arbeid vreemdelingen or Wav);
    • Working Hours Act (in Dutch: Arbeidstijdenwet or Atw);
    • Dutch Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act (in Dutch: Wet allocatie arbeidskrachten door intermediairs or Waadi);
    • Working Conditions Act (Arbowet);
    • State Taxes Act (in Dutch: Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen or Awr);
    • Minimum Wage Act (in Dutch: Wet minimumloon or Wml).
  • 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.
  • Are you going to work in individual healthcare? And do you practise a medical profession that is listed in Article 3 and Article 36a of the Individual Healthcare Professions Act (BIG Act)? If so, you must be registered in the BIG register. Do you have a recognised foreign diploma and do you first have to work under the supervision of a BIG-registered healthcare provider in the same profession for 3 months? Then, you must be in the BIG register with a conditional registration. Read more about working under supervision (only available in Dutch) on the BIG register website. Go to the BIG register website for the overview of healthcare professions subject to BIG registration.

Would you like to work on assignment for a BIG-registered healthcare provider? You cannot get a residence permit for this. Only if you are already in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit you can work on assignment (only available in Dutch).

 

Process and costs

These are the steps in the application process for the residence permit:

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Application forms

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

Written application forms

I am an employer and recognised sponsor:
I am an employer and non-recognised sponsor:
I am an employer and recognised sponsor:
I am the employee and am applying myself:

Written application forms

I am an employer and recognised sponsor:
I am an employer and non-recognised sponsor:
I am an employer and recognised sponsor:
I am the employee and am applying myself:

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:

Appendix TB test referral form 7604(PDF, 125.71 KB)

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 also 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 and finding a new job

What if you become unemployed and your residence permit is still valid?  You will be given a maximum of 3 months to look as a holder of a European Blue Card for a new job. Have you had your permit for 2 years or longer? You will then be given a maximum of 6 months to find a new job. This is called the search period. The search period starts from the day your contract has ended. 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, keep records and duty of care. 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 5 years at most.

Type of residence permit

The residence permit is type I, temporary regular residence permit.

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

Laws and regulations

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