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Netherlands · Work

Netherlands Paid employment residence permit — free-to-work status after 5 years

4 facts quoted from the official source

Residence route for a worker who no longer needs a TWV after five consecutive years of qualifying work in the Netherlands.

Route type
Work
Can bring
—
Not stated in the official source
Requirements
2
each quoted below
Who qualifies

Who this route is for

Every item below is the government’s own wording, quoted from the official source. Whether you personally qualify depends on your full profile.

2 requirements quoted from the official source.

The conditions that decide it
  • Prior immigration or residence statusYou no longer have a work permit because you have worked for 5 years in a row in the Netherlands.
What you’ll show with your application

Paperwork you prepare — it does not rule you out.

  • Passport or travel-document requirementYou have a valid passport or other travel document.
Also stated by the source
  • Purpose or legal basisThe worker applies for a residence document with the free-to-work labour-market endorsement.
  • Work rightsYou will be allowed to work without a work permit as soon as you have received a residence document with the work status free to work.
Family

Who you can bring

— Not stated in the official source. The official page for this route does not address dependent-family rights, so we do not publish a claim either way.
How it works

From here to a yes

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Apply with the official sourceThe application itself always happens with the government — the enacting authority linked below. The report points you straight at it.
FAQ

Straight answers

01Who qualifies for this route to Netherlands?
The official source states: Residence route for a worker who no longer needs a TWV after five consecutive years of qualifying work in the Netherlands.

Every answer is quoted from the official ind.nl page for this route, last read 2026-07-27.

We checked 4 points against the official source; 4 are quoted on this page. The other 0 are either not addressed by the source or not yet backed by a quote — we would rather show you the edge of the record than fill it with a plausible guess.

See the 0 open points

Fees, validity and processing time are not published in the official source for this route. We publish a number only when the official text states that number.

Not stated in the official source — the official source names no exclusion for this route.

The source

Where every quote comes from

Official government source ind.nlLast read 2026-07-27 Every quote on this page is from this Netherlands government page.
Compiled from official sources · pending independent re-check · Last checked 2026-07-27 · Our methodology
 · Compiled by António Mira · How we verify · Not legal advice — rules change; confirm with the official source before deciding.
Same category, same country

Other work routes to Netherlands

24 other work routes to Netherlands.

Cross-border worker — live abroad and work in the NetherlandsEU–UK Trade Agreement — British contractual service supplierGVVA apprentice on work placementGVVA internship — HBO or university levelGVVA internship — secondary vocational (MBO) levelGVVA seasonal work — agriculture or horticulture
Same category, elsewhere

Work routes in other countries

224 other countries publish at least one work route. Nearest first.

Germany40 work routes France30 work routes Belgium17 work routes Liechtenstein8 work routes Switzerland6 work routes Luxembourg5 work routes

Does this route fit your numbers?

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