Intra-corporate transferee residence permit (Directive 2014/66/EU)
What is an intra-corporate transferee residence permit?
An intra-corporate transferee residence permit is a work and residence permit for managers, specialists and trainees who are nationals of countries outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. In these situations, your employer can apply for an intra-corporate transferee residence permit on your behalf:
- You live and work for a company established outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland. You will be transferred to a branch of that company in the Netherlands. Or to another company in the same group.
- You live and work for a company within the EU. You have an intra-corporate transferee residence permit from another EU country. You will be transferred to the Netherlands for more than 90 days. You start working for a branch of that company in the Netherlands. Or at another company in the same group. We call this long-term mobility (Mobile ICT).
Will you be transferred to branches in several EU countries? If so, your employer must apply for your residence permit in the country where you will be working the longest.
No residence permit for short-term mobility
An employee coming for short-term mobility does not need a residence permit. Short-term mobility applies if you have an intra-corporate transferee residence permit from another EU country. And if you will be working in the Netherlands for less than 90 days out of a total of 180 days.
Report short-term mobility to the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV)
Are you coming for short-term mobility? Your employer must notify the Employee Insurance Agency (in Dutch: Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen or UWV). Your employer can use the UWV notification forms to inform them that you are going to work temporarily in the Netherlands.
Employer: sponsor or recognised sponsor
Your employer is your sponsor. An employer can apply to the IND to become a recognised sponsor. It is quicker and easier for a recognised sponsor to apply for a residence permit. A sponsor without recognition can also apply for the residence permit.
Requirements
These are the requirements for an intra-corporate transferee residence permit:
- You meet the requirements that apply to everyone.
- You live in a country outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland at the time of application. Or you live in an EU country with an intra-corporate transferee residence permit. You are being transferred to the Netherlands for a period of more than 90 days.
- You are going to work in the Netherlands as a manager, specialist or trainee. Read the definitions of manager, specialist and trainee.
- You are being transferred to a branch of the same company in the Netherlands.
- You have already worked for the company outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland for at least 3 months.
- You have a valid employment contract with the company outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland. The employment contract or letter of engagement will state the following:
- the duration of the transfer and the location of the branch in the Netherlands;
- that you will be working as a manager, specialist or trainee;
- the salary and employment terms and conditions during the transfer; and
- that you will be able to work in a branch outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland at the end of the transfer.
- The conditions of employment, employment relationships or working conditions comply with Dutch law. And they are at least on the level that is customary in the business sector.
- Your salary is in line with the market. The salary is in line with the market if it meets the salary criterion for highly skilled migrants.
- The branch in the Netherlands has not been set up to facilitate the transfer of employees to the EU. The branch in the Netherlands carries out economic activities.
- You have not been transferred to the Netherlands in the past 6 months. Or you have not yet reached the maximum length of stay during a previous transfer. The maximum duration of a transfer to the European Union, including transfers between Member States, may not exceed three years. For a trainee, this is 1 year.
- Your employer must not have been fined in the 5 years before the application. This means a fine for violation of Section 2 of the Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act (Wav). Or a fine for not paying or not paying enough income tax or employee or national insurance contributions.
- Do you have a protected profession such as a doctor or architect? If so, you must show that you are allowed to practise that 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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1. Check requirements open minusA valid provisional residence permit (MVV) is needed for this application
Make sure you meet the requirements.
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1. Check requirements open minusMake sure you meet the requirements.
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2. Collect documents open minusThe application form lists which documents you need. Collect all documents before you apply.
Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.
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2. Collect documents open minusThe application form lists which documents you need. Collect all documents before you apply.
Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.
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3. Apply open minusYour employer applies for you. Your employer applies to the IND for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time. Your employer must do this in writing by post.
Application by recognised sponsor
Is your employer a recognised sponsor? Then your employer can also apply online in the Business Portal.
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3. Apply open minusYour employer applies for you. Your employer must do this in writing by post.
Application by recognised sponsor
Is your employer a recognised sponsor? Then your employer can also apply online in the Business Portal.
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4. Pay for application open minusThe application costs € 405,00. For all fees and exceptions, visit our web page Fees: costs of an application.
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4. Pay for application open minusThe application costs € 405,00. For all fees and exceptions, visit our web page Fees: costs of an application.
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5. Wait for decision on application open minusThe IND must take a decision within 90 days. This is called the decision period.
We can extend the decision period if it takes longer to decide. For example, because the application is not complete. You will then receive a letter.
UWV advice
In some situations advice from the UWV is needed for the decision. UWV assesses whether the work meets the conditions of the Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act (Wav). Does UWV need more information? Then UWV will contact your employer directly. UWV has a statutory period of 5 weeks to provide advice.
Follow the application in My IND.
What if the IND decides late
Has the decision period passed and you still do not have a decision on your application? Find out what you can do if the IND is late with its decision.
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5. Wait for decision on application open minusThe IND must take a decision within 90 days. This is called the decision period.
We can extend the decision period if it takes longer to decide. For example, because the application is not complete. You will then receive a letter.
UWV advice
In some situations advice from the UWV is needed for the decision. UWV assesses whether the work meets the conditions of the Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act (Wav). Does UWV need more information? Then UWV will contact your employer directly. UWV has a statutory period of 5 weeks to provide advice.
Follow the application in My IND.
What if the IND decides late
Has the decision period passed and you still do not have a decision on your application? Find out what you can do if the IND is late with its decision.
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6. Decision on application open minusYou will receive a message with the decision. The decision will be positive or negative.
- Positive decision: you will get an MVV and a residence permit.
- Negative decision: you will not receive an MVV and residence permit. You can object against this decision.
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6. Decision on application open minusYou will receive the decision in a letter. The decision will be positive or negative.
- Positive decision: you will get a residence permit.
- Negative decision: you will not receive a residence permit. You can object against this decision.
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7. Make appointment for MVV visa sticker and travel to the Netherlands open minusYour can travel to the Netherlands with the MVV.
Make appointment within 3 months of decision
You will have to make an appointment at the Dutch representation. This is the embassy or consulate that you filled in on the application form. You have to make the appointment within 3 months after the IND has taken a decision on your application.
Biometrics
You must provide biometric data during the appointment at the Dutch representation. You will put a signature and the Dutch representation will take fingerprints. You also needs to bring 1 new passport photo. Go to netherlandsworldwide.nl for information on requirements for ID photos.
Valid passport required
Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months when the Dutch representation places the MVV visa sticker in the passport. The MVV is valid for 90 days.
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8. Collect residence permit open minusWhen the residence permit is ready at an IND desk, you will receive a letter. You must make an appointment to collect it. Make an appointment to collect the residence document.
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7. Collect residence permit open minusWhen the residence permit is ready at an IND desk, you will receive a letter. You must make an appointment to collect it. Make an appointment to collect the residence document.
Application forms
Recognised sponsors can apply online. The online application forms can be found in the Business Portal.
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 ask you to take a TB (tuberculosis) test at the time of the application? If so, 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 the residence permit
With the intra-corporate transferee residence permit, the employee may work at the company's branch in the Netherlands. On the back of the residence permit it says: ‘Arbeid wegens overplaatsing binnen een onderneming en arbeid als zelfstandige toegestaan, andere arbeid toegestaan met TWV’ (Work as an intra-corporate transferee and on a self-employed basis permitted, other work permitted with a TWV). TWV is the abbreviation for tewerkstellingsvergunning (work permit).
Working on a self-employed basis
The intra-corporate transferee residence permit allows you to work as a self-employed person in addition to working for your employer. However, you must still meet the requirements for the permit.
Work permit needed for a different employer
Do you want to work for a another employer? That employer will need 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.
Legal obligations
As a recognised or non-recognised sponsor, your employer has an obligation to provide information and keep records. You only have an obligation to provide information.
Find out more about the legal obligations of the sponsor or recognised sponsor and the foreign national’s obligation to provide information.
The IND will check whether you fulfill your obligations. If you do not, you may get an administrative fine.
Validity of residence permit
The residence permit for managers and specialists is valid for a maximum of 3 years. The residence permit for trainees is valid for a maximum of 1 year. The maximum period of validity includes transfers between EU countries.
Type of residence permit
The residence permit is type I, temporary regular residence permit.
Other applications
Replacement of residence permit
Has your residence permit been damaged, lost or stolen? Visit the web page Residence permit damaged or change of personal details or Residence permit lost or stolen.
Extension of residence permit
Has your residence permit been valid for less than 3 years (less than 1 year for trainees)? Only then can you extend the residence permit. But only if your Dutch work contract or trainee contract has not yet expired.
Change of residence permit
Will you continue to work for the same employer and do you want to change your residence permit to highly skilled migrant? This is possible after 3 years for managers or specialists, or after 1 year for trainees. However, you must meet the requirements for the highly skilled migrant scheme. The Dutch branch of the organisation you work for must be a recognised sponsor.
For more information, see the page Highly skilled migrant.
Intra-EU mobility to a different EU country
As an intra-corporate transferee you can also be transferred to a branch in another EU country. This is known as intra-EU mobility. There are 2 types of intra-EU mobility:
- Short-term mobility for a transfer of a maximum of 90 days out of 180.
- Long-term mobility for a transfer of more than 90 days out of 180. Your employer must apply for a separate residence permit in the other country.
For more information, your employer can contact the immigration service in the country to which you will be transferred. Denmark and Ireland do not participate in this scheme, so you cannot be transferred to these 2 countries under Directive 2014/66/EU.
See also
- Living in the Netherlands
- Travelling with a residence permit and a return visa
- Information and themed meetings for recognised sponsors
- Frequently asked questions Work
Rules and regulations
- Directive 2014/66/EU
- Section 3.30d Aliens Decree 2000 (only available in Dutch)
- B6/2.7 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (only available in Dutch)
- B6/3.1.6, 3.2.6, 3.3.6 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (only available in Dutch)
- B6/4.7 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (only available in Dutch)
- Section 2.6 Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act (Implementation) Decree (only available in Dutch)
- Article 3 BIG Act (only available in Dutch)
- Article 36a BIG Act (only available in Dutch)
Responsible organisation
Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst
Questions?
