How to find a recognised sponsor in NL

A recognised sponsor is an employer approved by the IND to hire workers from outside the EU. Only recognised sponsors can bring you to the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant. The employer applies for your residence permit, not you.

For the highly skilled migrant route, the employer must be recognised by the IND. You can check this in the IND public register for work, which is updated once a month, so very recent recognitions may not show yet. The job must meet the IND salary criterion that applies on the date of application, and the salary must be in line with the market rate. Depending on your nationality you may also need an MVV (provisional residence permit), which your employer applies for at the same time as the residence permit. Check the current IND requirements before relying on an older salary figure.

1. 1

   Check the public register of recognised sponsors

   Only employers recognised by the IND can bring highly skilled migrants to the Netherlands. The IND publishes a public register of recognised sponsors for work that you can search by organisation name or KVK number. The register is updated once a month, so an employer recognised very recently may not appear yet; if you cannot find them, ask the employer for confirmation rather than assuming they are not recognised.

   Do this: Search the IND public register to see if an employer is recognised.

   Official source

   IND · Public register Work
2. 2

   Get a job offer meeting the salary threshold

   Your job offer must meet the IND salary criterion for a highly skilled migrant. There are three amounts, not one: a higher amount for people aged 30 and over, a lower amount for people under 30, and a reduced criterion for recent graduates who apply within 3 years of finishing their studies or an orientation year. The salary must also be in line with the market rate.

   Do this: Confirm the offered salary meets the current IND threshold for your age.

   Common mistake: The threshold changes annually, so confirm the current figure, not an old one.

   Official source

   IND · Current income requirements
3. 3

   Employer applies to the IND

   The recognised-sponsor employer submits the highly skilled migrant application to the IND and pays the application fee. You provide the documents the employer needs.

   Do this: Confirm the employer has submitted the correct highly skilled migrant application and ask what they still need from you.

   Documents needed

   • Valid passport
   • Signed employment contract
   • Educational or professional evidence

   Processing time

   The legal decision period is 90 days. The IND publishes no shorter target decision period for the highly skilled migrant permit, including for applications submitted by recognised sponsors.

   Official source

   IND · Highly skilled migrant permit
4. 4

   Receive your residence permit

   The order depends on whether you need an MVV (provisional residence permit). If you do, your employer applies for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time, and after a positive decision you make an appointment at a Dutch embassy or consulate within 3 months to collect the MVV, travel to the Netherlands on it, and collect the residence permit at an IND desk after the IND writes to you. You do not need an MVV if you hold the nationality of an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States or Vatican City. You may start work once the positive decision (kennisgeving) your employer receives says so, which can be before you hold the permit card.

   Do this: If you need an MVV, book the appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate within 3 months of the IND decision, then collect your residence permit at the IND desk once the IND writes to you, and plan your arrival and registration.

   Official source

   IND · Highly skilled migrant permit

• Valid passport
• Signed employment contract
• The documents on the IND checklist your employer holds (a TB test may be required, depending on your nationality)
• Educational or professional evidence (as requested)

• Highly skilled migrant application fee: €423 (2026); the employer submits the application and the IND collects the fee from the employer by direct debit

The legal decision period for a highly skilled migrant application is 90 days. The IND publishes a two-week target decision period for complete applications from recognised sponsors only for research, study, work experience and European Solidarity Corps exchange. It publishes no shorter period for the highly skilled migrant permit, so plan around the 90 days.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Assuming any employer can sponsor you, when in fact they must be IND-recognised
• Confusing a recognised sponsor with a work permit (TWV)
• Not confirming the salary meets the current threshold

• Sign the employment contract
• Let the employer submit the IND application
• Plan your arrival and registration