European Blue Card — reduced salary criterion

A European Blue Card is a European work and residence permit for highly educated employees from outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland.

You will be doing highly qualified work in the Netherlands and:

The reduced EU Blue Card salary criterion applies to graduates who have completed a higher education programme. The (recognised) sponsor should apply for the European Blue Card residence permit within 3 years after the graduation or promotion date.

you have a diploma of a programme in higher education. This programme was at least 3 years. The diploma is needed for the profession or sector and is appropriate for the profession or sector. Do you have a foreign diploma? Then Nuffic must evaluate the diploma. This means that Nuffic will examine what the foreign diploma (‘credential’) is worth in the Netherlands, or you have a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience. Your work experience is at the level of a higher education diploma. Are you an IT manager or IT professional? A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required during the period of 7 years before the application.

You meet the income requirements.

Type of highly skilled migrant/European Blue Card with the right required amount (gross per month) for 2026

Reduced salary criterion European Blue Card€ 4,754.00

The lower salary criterion may also apply if you extend the residence permit or change your employer within 3 years after graduation or promotion. Or if you apply for an extension within 24 months after obtaining the first residence permit European Blue Card.

Your employer is your sponsor.

Recognition is not required for a European Blue Card.

Your employment contract is valid for at least 6 months. Your employer's company carries out economic activity. Your employer has not been fined in the past 5 years for violating one of the following laws: Foreign Nationals Employment Act (in Dutch: Wet arbeid vreemdelingen or Wav); Working Hours Act (in Dutch: Arbeidstijdenwet or Atw); Dutch Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act (in Dutch: Wet allocatie arbeidskrachten door intermediairs or Waadi); Working Conditions Act (Arbowet); State Taxes Act (in Dutch: Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen or Awr); Minimum Wage Act (in Dutch: Wet minimumloon or Wml).

With this residence permit, you may work for the employer that applied for the residence permit without a work permit

With a European Blue Card you may work on a self-employed basis in addition to your work for your employer. However, you must always continue to meet the requirements for the European Blue Card.

Do you also want to work for another employer? Then this employer needs a TWV (work permit) for you.

What if you become unemployed and your residence permit is still valid? You will be given a maximum of 3 months to look for a new job. Have you had your permit for 2 years or longer? You will then be given a maximum of 6 months to find a new job.

An application for family members. This application is submitted at the same time as the European Blue Card application

The residence permit is valid up until 3 months after the employment contract has ended. Your residence permit is valid for 5 years at most.

Will the residence permit expire soon? Then you can extend the residence permit.

Have you had a residence permit for 5 years? Then you can apply for a permanent residence permit. If you have a European Blue Card, you can sometimes do this after less than 5 years.

With a European Blue Card, you can in some cases apply for long-term EU residency after 2 years instead of 5 years.