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Working in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant: requirements, pay and permit

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated and verified

Open Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)

Open. Only IND-recognised employers can apply for this permit; the salary threshold on the application date applies.

Status as of 7 October 2026 Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)

Summary

  • Only an IND-recognised employer can apply for a highly skilled migrant residence permit.
  • The IND uses three gross monthly thresholds: aged 30 or older, younger than 30, and a reduced criterion for recent graduates.
  • Thresholds change every 1 January, and the amount on the application date applies.
  • You can look up the employer in the IND public register of recognised sponsors.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which visa is used?
  5. What are the steps?
  6. Which schools or training lead to the Netherlands?
  7. Who applies for the highly skilled migrant permit?
  8. What are the warning signs of offers to the Netherlands through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) Kennismigrant · Highly skilled migrant Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer Official source There is no placement agency; the applicant pays the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them. Do not pay a placement fee to any middleman. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant): Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
Job types
Highly skilled work for an IND-recognised employer

What does working in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) cost, and who pays?

The Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) route to the Netherlands uses no placement agency: you pay the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them, and no middleman is owed a placement fee.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

What is the minimum pay for working in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)?

The official pay floor for the Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) route in the Netherlands is EUR 3,122.00 per month, in force from 1 January 2026 (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)). This is the legal minimum in the Netherlands, not an offered wage.

Official floor
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Highly skilled migrant, reduced criterion Applies to: Reduced salary criterion for highly skilled migrants during or after an orientation year, or within three years of graduation, doctorate or research EUR 3,122.00 per month In force from about IDR 62,464,133 rate as of 8 October 2026
Highly skilled migrant, younger than 30 Applies to: Minimum gross monthly salary for highly skilled migrants younger than 30 EUR 4,357.00 per month In force from about IDR 87,173,680 rate as of 8 October 2026
EU Blue Card, reduced criterion Applies to: Reduced EU Blue Card criterion for higher-education graduates within three years of graduation or doctorate EUR 4,754.00 per month In force from about IDR 95,116,748 rate as of 8 October 2026
EU Blue Card Applies to: Minimum gross monthly salary for the EU Blue Card in the Netherlands EUR 5,942.00 per month In force from about IDR 118,885,932 rate as of 8 October 2026
Highly skilled migrant, aged 30 or older Applies to: Minimum gross monthly salary for highly skilled migrants aged 30 or older EUR 5,942.00 per month In force from about IDR 118,885,932 rate as of 8 October 2026

Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)

Which visa do you need to work in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)?

Residence permit highly skilled migrant: Residence permit for highly skilled migrants, requested by an IND-recognised employer. Official source

What are the steps to work in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)?

  1. Get a job offer from an employer listed in the IND public register of sponsors.
  2. Make sure the gross monthly salary meets the IND threshold for your category on the application date.
  3. The employer applies to the IND for your highly skilled migrant residence permit.
  4. Report as an independent migrant worker to the labour office and the Indonesian mission under Law 18/2017 Article 63.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to the Netherlands?

The education and training routes linked to working in the Netherlands through Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant): Bachelor's degree (S1) in Indonesia, Scholarships for Indonesians.

Who applies for the highly skilled migrant permit?

According to the IND, working in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant requires a residence permit, and only an IND-recognised employer can apply for it. So check the company in the IND public register of sponsors before accepting an offer. Graduates of Dutch universities can first use the orientation year permit to look for work.

Highly skilled migrant route, who runs it and the legal basis
RouteRun byLegal basis in Indonesia
Highly skilled migrantAn IND-recognised employer applies; the worker reports as an independent migrant workerLaw 18/2017 Article 63
Through an agency in IndonesiaAn active P3MI on SISKOP2MILaw 18/2017 Article 49

What are the warning signs of offers to the Netherlands through this route?

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. Our no-fee policy

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 2026 highly skilled migrant salary threshold?

The IND sets gross monthly thresholds for people aged 30 or older, for those younger than 30, and a reduced one for recent graduates. The figures are in the table on this page and change every 1 January. The threshold on the application date applies.

When does the reduced salary threshold apply?

According to the IND, the reduced threshold applies if the permit is requested during or after an orientation year, or within three years of graduation, a doctorate or the end of a research permit.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Highly skilled migrant Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands · accessed
  2. Public register Work (recognised sponsors, IND) Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) · accessed
  3. Residence permit for orientation year (IND) Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) · accessed
  4. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  5. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  6. Required amounts income requirements (IND) Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) · accessed
  7. SISKOP2MI: Profil Lembaga P3MI, detail dan daftar sanksi administratif KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant: requirements, pay and permit. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/netherlands/highly-skilled-migrant/

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