Option 1: the European permit for highly qualified staff

This permit is open to every employer, approved or unapproved, so a young company may apply directly. The employee needs a higher education qualification, or three years of relevant experience for roles in information technology. See two permits for skilled staff for the details.

Option 2: transfer within your own group

If the person already works for the parent company outside Europe, the transfer option applies, and approval is optional there as well: relocating your own staff to a Dutch branch.

Option 3: candidates with a nationality that has its own rules

Staff with Turkish citizenship may work for an employer outside the approval system. See Turkish employees and the employer approval that is set aside. Candidates with a valid permit from another Schengen country are also easier to hire. They skip the entry visa when an approved employer files for them.

Option 4: another organisation employs the person

There are two variants. Another organisation that already has approval may act as sponsor for you. A payroll company can also be the legal employer, while the person works in your team. In both cases, you pay a monthly margin, and the employment contract is with a third party. See an outside employer or your own company for a comparison.

Employing staff from abroad? See Dutch payroll services for companies from abroad.

What each option costs you

  • The European permit: firmer conditions on the employee, and speed for the company.
  • The transfer option: available for existing staff only, with a maximum period attached.
  • Nationality-based options: open to a narrow group, and generous within it.
  • An outside employer: fastest to arrange, with a recurring cost and less direct control.

The usual order of steps

  1. Incorporate, register with the Chamber of Commerce, and set up the payroll.
  2. Apply for approval early, so the three months pass while you work on the other steps.
  3. Bring the first hire in through one of the four options above.
  4. When approval is granted, transfer everyone to the standard permit for skilled staff.

See becoming an approved employer for what the standard permit requires.

A Dutch BV with staff or a director on the payroll has to file every month. We do the payslips, the payroll tax return and the yearly forms. See payroll and administration for a Dutch BV.

Your company and your residence permit

We arrange both. We set up your company: the entity, the salary and the tax position. An immigration lawyer from our network prepares your residence application and files it with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The lawyer follows the case law and the forms every week. We plan the company and the application together, so your company meets what the IND asks for.

Who arranges which part of your relocation? See how we work with our partners.