Netherlands · Work authorisation
Issued by The IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst). It is checked against conditions rather than scored, so the question is whether you meet each one, not how many points you gather.
Conditions
The IND states plainly that recognition as a sponsor is not required for a European Blue Card — the one point where this route is the deliberate opposite of the Highly Skilled Migrant scheme above. Using a recognised sponsor still buys a faster decision, 30 days instead of 90. The IND does require that the employer's company carries out economic activity in the Netherlands.
EUR 5,942 a month
The IND's standard gross monthly floor, valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and excluding the 8% holiday allowance. A reduced floor of €4,754 applies to a graduate of a higher-education degree, provided the sponsor applies within three years of the graduation or doctoral defence date. The IND states these amounts change every year on 1 January; confirm the figure in force on the date of your application before relying on it.
A figure without the year it belongs to and the condition attached to it is how someone rules themselves out of a permit they qualify for. Both are above.
A higher-education diploma from a course of study lasting at least three years, appropriate to the job, evaluated by Nuffic if issued outside the Netherlands — or, in its place, at least five years of relevant work experience at the level of a higher-education diploma. The IND publishes a shorter three-year experience window for a defined list of occupations; ask the IND or your employer whether your case falls on that list before relying on it.
Credential evaluation (diploma waardering) for a foreign diploma, issued by IDW (International Credential Evaluation), operated jointly by Nuffic and SBB.
This compares your degree to a local one. It is an academic statement and it does not authorise you to practise any profession.
Credential evaluation (IDW): €148.83. At least 10 working weeks
The procedure
Cost and time
Published processing times, not a prediction about your case.
Both halves together
Each one takes a profession into Netherlands and runs the recognition branch and the authorisation branch side by side, including what your country of qualification adds.
Evidence
3 official pages, each with the jurisdiction it speaks for and the date a human last opened it. The oldest is 2026-08-09, and that is the date this page is only as fresh as.
Is this the right permit for you?
The planner compares every route Netherlands opens to your country of qualification, and adds the recognition branch when your profession has one.