How to change employer as a highly skilled migrant in NL
Change to a new recognised-sponsor employer while keeping a valid highly skilled migrant residence permit and continuing to meet the permit conditions.
- Who it's for
- Highly skilled migrants with a valid Dutch residence permit who are changing employer
- Time
- IND decision period for the notification: 45 days; a 15-day extension can apply in special cases
- Steps
- 4 steps
- Last reviewed
- 1 September 2026
“Last reviewed” means this guide was checked against its official sources on that date.
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Overview
What you're trying to do
A highly skilled migrant permit can continue after an employer change if the conditions remain met. The IND states that both you and your employer must notify it of the change, and recognised sponsors must notify the IND generally within 4 weeks. The IND then checks whether the conditions are still satisfied.
Prerequisites
Before you start
This guide is specifically for the highly skilled migrant route. Your new employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and the new job must keep meeting the highly skilled migrant conditions, including the salary requirement that applies when the new employment starts. Other permits work differently: with a GVVA single permit you or your employer must submit a new application, and if you work on a work permit (TWV) your new employer must apply to UWV for a new work permit. Notification alone is enough only for a defined set of permits, which the IND lists as highly skilled migrant, European Blue Card, intra-corporate transferee under the ICT Directive, and researcher permits.
Step by step
Your recipe
- 1
Confirm your new employer is a recognised sponsor
For the highly skilled migrant route, the new employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor for work.
Do this: Check the new employer in the IND Public register Work before relying on the highly skilled migrant route.
Common mistake: A non-recognised employer cannot take over your permit.
Official source
IND · Highly skilled migrant: conditions - 2
Sign the new contract
The new job must keep meeting the highly skilled migrant conditions. The salary requirement that applies when the new employment starts can differ by age and eligibility for the reduced criterion.
Do this: Check the current IND income table against the new contract before the employer change is reported.
Common mistake: Salary thresholds change. Use the current IND amount, not a figure from an older article or contract.
Official source
IND · Current income requirements - 3
Make sure the employer change is reported
For a highly skilled migrant changing to another recognised sponsor, the change is reported to the IND rather than applied for again. The IND states that both you and your employer must notify it, and that in practice your employer deregisters you, so it is your responsibility to check with your employer that the deregistration has been done. Recognised sponsors must notify the IND of a change generally within 4 weeks.
Do this: Ask the new employer to confirm how and when it reported your start to the IND, and keep that confirmation.
Processing timeThe IND lists a 45-day legal decision period for a change-of-employer notification submitted from 22 May 2026; in special cases this can be extended by 15 days.
Common mistake: Do not treat a change-of-employer notification as the same process as every other work permit. Other permit types can require a new application.
Official source
IND · Sponsor reporting obligations - 4
Keep your permit conditions in view
The IND checks whether the highly skilled migrant conditions remain satisfied after the employer change. Keep your current residence document, contract and employer-notification evidence together, and follow any IND request for information.
Do this: Check the IND decision-period guidance and follow any instructions from the IND or your recognised sponsor before assuming the process is complete.
Common mistake: If your residence permit is close to expiry, an extension can create a separate decision period and process.
Official source
IND · Decision periods
Checklist
Documents you may need
- Valid passport and current residence permit
- New employment contract
- New employer's recognised-sponsor number
How long it takes
Timing
For a change-of-employer notification while the current permit is still valid, the IND lists a 45-day legal decision period for notifications submitted from 22 May 2026. In special cases this can be extended by 15 days.
Verify before you act
Official sources
Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Using this guide for a different permit type such as a GVVA without checking the relevant IND route
- Assuming any new employer can take over a highly skilled migrant permit
- Using an old salary threshold instead of the amount that applies when the new employment starts
After this
What happens next
- Confirm the new employer is in the IND public register for work
- Confirm the new salary meets the current requirement
- Make sure the employer change is reported to the IND and keep evidence of the notification
Where to go next
Looking for an employer that can sponsor?
Search the public IND register by company name or KvK number. A listing does not mean the company is hiring or will sponsor an application.
Keep going
Related how-tos
How to find a recognised sponsor in NL
Find an employer authorised by the IND to bring skilled workers to the Netherlands under the highly skilled migrant scheme.
How to keep your permit after losing your job as a kennismigrant in NL
What happens to a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) residence permit when the job ends: the sponsor's reporting duty, the 3 or 6 month search period and its 2026 change, and how to keep lawful status before it runs out.
How to apply for the 30% ruling in NL
Apply jointly with your employer for the expat scheme (30%-regeling), which covers extraterritorial costs untaxed. Covers the 150 km condition, the 2026 salary norms and the 4-month application window.
How to extend your residence permit in NL
Extend a Dutch residence permit: the 3-month application window, who is allowed to submit the application, and what a residence gap costs you later. Some permits can only be extended by a recognised sponsor.
How to check your work permit route and apply for a GVVA in NL
The single permit (GVVA) is one work route among several, and most people who think they need one do not. Work out which route applies first, then apply: the fee is €423 and the IND decides within 90 days.
How to check your employment contract in NL
What to read before you sign a Dutch employment contract, and what your employer must put in writing in the first week and the first month. Covers probation, notice, the CAO and the non-compete clause (concurrentiebeding).
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