Highly Skilled Migrant Visa Netherlands: Salary Requirements and Process (2026)

Last updated: 24 September 2026

For most South Africans, and for most non-EU professionals, the highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant) is the fastest and easiest way to move to the Netherlands. If you have a job offer from the right kind of employer and the salary is high enough, the process can take just a few weeks. The employer does most of the work.

This guide explains how the highly skilled migrant permit works, the salary requirements for 2026, what it costs, how long it takes and what to do once you arrive.

Short answer: To get a highly skilled migrant permit, you need a job offer from an employer that is a recognised sponsor with the IND, and a salary above the threshold. In 2026 that is €5,942 gross a month if you are 30 or older, €4,357 if you are under 30, and €3,122 for recent graduates, all excluding holiday allowance. Your employer applies for you, and the IND fee in 2026 is €423.

Jump to: What it is | Salary requirements | Recognised sponsors | The process | Costs | Family | Changing or losing your job | EU Blue Card | FAQ

What is the highly skilled migrant permit?

The highly skilled migrant permit, known in Dutch as the kennismigrantenregeling, is a residence permit for work that lets non-EU employees live and work in the Netherlands. Unlike many work permits in other countries, there is no labour market test. Your employer does not have to prove that they could not find someone in the Netherlands or the EU. As long as the employer is a recognised sponsor and your salary meets the threshold, you qualify.

It is not the only route, and our overview of visa options for South Africans covers the others, such as the EU Blue Card, partner visas, studying and the orientation year.

Salary requirements in 2026

The IND sets minimum gross monthly salaries that change every year on 1 January. The salary must be paid into a Dutch bank account and must also be in line with what is normal for the job in the Netherlands.

The reduced criterion applies if you graduated from a Dutch university or one of the top international universities, or had an orientation year permit, and you apply within three years of graduating. The IND usually announces the 2027 amounts in December, and we will update this page when they are published.

Your salary also matters for tax. If you qualify for the 30% ruling, part of your salary can be paid tax free, but the rules are changing from 2027. Read the 30% ruling becomes 27% in 2027 for the details.

Your employer must be a recognised sponsor

Only employers that are recognised by the IND as sponsors can hire highly skilled migrants. You can check any company in the IND public register of recognised sponsors. Thousands of companies are on it, from big multinationals to small tech startups. If a company you are talking to is not on the register, they can apply for recognition, but that takes extra time and money, so ask about this early in the interview process.

The process step by step

1. You get a job offer from a recognised sponsor with a salary above the threshold, and sign the employment contract.
2. Your employer applies to the IND for your entry visa and residence permit, usually in one go. You do not apply yourself. You provide copies of your passport and, for some cases, degree documents.
3. The IND decides. For recognised sponsors the IND aims to decide quickly, often within a few weeks.
4. You collect your MVV. As a South African you need an entry visa (MVV). You make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate to have your biometrics taken and collect the visa sticker in your passport.
5. You travel to the Netherlands and make an appointment at an IND desk to collect your residence permit card.
6. You register at your municipality and get your BSN. See our guide to getting a BSN and a Dutch bank account.
7. You take a TB test if your nationality requires it. South Africans generally have to do a tuberculosis test within three months of arrival. The IND or your employer will tell you how to book it.

Many employers also work with relocation agencies or expat centres that help with the appointments, which makes the process a lot easier.

What does it cost?

Most employers pay the IND fee for the employee. Some also pay for family members, so it is worth asking. On top of this, budget for apostilled documents from South Africa, such as birth and marriage certificates, and for flights and the first months of rent.

Bringing your partner and children

Your partner and children can apply to join you, and your employer can usually submit these applications at the same time as yours. Your partner gets a residence permit that allows them to work in the Netherlands without a separate work permit, which is a big advantage. You will need apostilled marriage or partnership certificates and unabridged birth certificates for the children. Moving with kids? Our guide to schools in the Netherlands explains how school works here.

Changing jobs or losing your job

• Changing jobs: you can switch to another employer, but the new employer must also be a recognised sponsor and must report the change to the IND. The salary requirement still applies.
• Losing your job: you get a search period to find a new job as a highly skilled migrant. This is normally three months, and for people who became unemployed on or after 22 May 2026 and had held the permit for at least two years, it is six months. The search period cannot go beyond the end date of your permit.
• After 5 years: you may qualify for permanent residence or Dutch citizenship, depending on the conditions at the time.

Highly skilled migrant or EU Blue Card?

The EU Blue Card is an EU wide work permit with the same salary threshold as the highly skilled migrant permit for people aged 30 and over in 2026. It requires a higher education degree of at least three years and a contract of at least six months, but the employer does not have to be a recognised sponsor. The Blue Card can make it easier to move to another EU country later. For most people with a job at a recognised sponsor, the highly skilled migrant permit is simpler.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highly skilled migrant salary in 2026?

In 2026, the minimum gross monthly salary is €5,942 if you are 30 or older, €4,357 if you are under 30, and €3,122 under the reduced criterion for recent graduates, all excluding holiday allowance.

Do I need a degree for the highly skilled migrant permit?

No. Unlike the EU Blue Card, the highly skilled migrant permit does not require a specific degree. The salary and the recognised sponsor are what count.

How long does the highly skilled migrant process take?

With a recognised sponsor, the IND often decides within a few weeks. Including the MVV appointment and travel, many people move within one to three months of signing a contract.

Can I apply for a highly skilled migrant permit myself?

No. Your employer, as the recognised sponsor, submits the application to the IND.

Can my partner work on my highly skilled migrant permit?

Yes. Partners of highly skilled migrants get a residence permit that allows them to work in the Netherlands.

Next step: once you have the permit, work through our complete moving guide and our comparison of the best cities to live in.

We are not immigration lawyers. Rules and amounts change every year, so always check the IND website or speak to an immigration specialist for your own situation.

Sources: IND: highly skilled migrant, IND: required amounts, IND: fees, AWVN: salary criteria 2026.