Application for a highly skilled migrant via IN Amsterdam

Before you apply

To apply for your employee's highly skilled migrant visa, you must ensure that your company (or employer) has recognised sponsor status with the IND, that the employee is going to earn a sufficient independent long-term income, has an employment contract and that the agreed wage complies with market conditions. If you need assistance, please let us help you. Please note that refugees from Ukraine fall under the ‘Temporary Regulations for Ukraine’ scheme and do not need a work permit to work in the Netherlands. Find more information on hiring Ukrainians (page in Dutch). 

How to apply

1) Complete the IND application form (please note: there is a separate form for the employee's family members). In section 9 of the application form, about where you would like to collect your permit, select Amsterdam (under Expatcenters). Please take into consideration that IN Amsterdam charges fees for its services.

2) Collect the following documents required for the application:

Requirements for an employee undergoing an intra-company transfer:

• An appointment decision
• Employment contract
• A guest agreement or an employer's declaration.

The document must state the employee's income, type of employment and the duration of the transfer. 

Requirements for a scientific researcher employee:

• The employee's gross monthly income must be equal to or more than the average amount for singles, spouses or unmarried couples living together
• In addition, the employment contract or appointment decision must be signed on behalf of the institution, and the job description and job code must be set out according to the University Job Classification system (UFO).

Requirements for a doctor in training (to become a specialist):

• The employee's gross monthly income must be equal to or more than the average amount for singles, spouses or unmarried couples living together
• The employee must also be registered on the BIG-register (Dutch link), and the training institute needs to be assigned by the General Practitioner and Nursing home Physicians Registration Committee (HVRC), the Social Medicine Registration Committee (SGRC) or the Medical Specialists Registration Committee (MSRC).

Official foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, German or French. 

3) Send the form – along with the above required documents – to the IND at the following address:

Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst 

T.a.v. Klantdirectie Regulier EconomischPostbus 59560 AA Ter Apel

4) Once the IND has received the application, they will send you a letter stating how to pay the fees. If your application contains missing/incorrect documents – or if the fee is not paid – the IND will send you another letter outlining how to proceed.

What happens next

• As soon as the IND makes a decision about the application (within a 90-day period), IN Amsterdam will contact you to make an appointment for the highly skilled migrant and, if applicable, his or her family members. The appointment can be planned on request and will last approximately 45 minutes.
• You will receive a confirmation letter from IN Amsterdam for the appointment, which should be given to the highly skilled migrant.
• In one visit to the IN Amsterdam office the municipal registration will also be arranged and the citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN) issued.

Highly skilled migrants with VVR-procedure

IN Amsterdam will contact you to schedule the appointment as soon as the decision has been made by the IND. During the appointment, fingerprints and photographs will be gathered from the applicant.

On request IN Amsterdam offers the service of an early approval/proof of legal stay. This stamp enables the highly skilled migrant to start work immediately. After biometrics are gathered it takes the IND three more days to prepare the residence card.

Highly skilled migrants with TEV-procedure (needing an MVV)

After the decision by the IND, a notification will be sent to the relevant Dutch Foreign Mission.

The application for the MVV visa can then be processed. Fingerprints and photographs will be gathered from the applicant during the appointment at the Dutch Foreign Mission. Please contact the relevant embassy regarding the issuance of the visa.

Please take into consideration that due to the regionalisation of the Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visas are prepared at the Regional Support Offices (RSO) which are sometimes located in a different country. Therefore processing times can vary.

Highly skilled migrants entering the Netherlands with an MVV sticker that includes the residence status are allowed to start work immediately after arrival.

The IN Amsterdam appointment

For an appointment at IN Amsterdam, the highly skilled migrant (and possible family members) must bring the appointment confirmation letter and all required documents (these are mentioned in the confirmation letter). Prior to the appointment, our team can assist in verifying the required documents. You can send the necessary documents to our team via the following email address: in.registration@amsterdam.nl.

Please note that service fees may apply.

At the appointment, the highly skilled migrant (and family members) will be registered with the municipality and will receive their residence permit. 

As a result of registration the employee will receive their citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN). The issuance of the BSN is immediate during the appointment if the employee registers in Amsterdam or Amstelveen. It can take two days until the employee receives the BSN when he/she is registering in the other participating municipalities (Almere, Diemen, Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer, Hilversum, Velsen).

In addition, the employee will have the opportunity to ask IN Amsterdam employees any other questions they may have about living in Amsterdam.