Conditions for attracting international football talent to be relaxed

From 1 April 2025, Dutch regulations for attracting talented footballers from outside Europe will be relaxed. The amendment relates to the salary criterion for players from outside Europe.

The reduced salary criterion, currently applicable to players aged 18 and 19, will also be declared applicable to players aged 20 starting 1 April 2025.

What’s the situation?

Currently, a player from outside the EEA[1] and Switzerland must earn at least 150% of the average salary of an Eredivisie player at a Dutch professional football club (in 2024/2025: €560,691). To give clubs more opportunities to attract talented players, the threshold for players aged 18 and 19 is set at 75% of the average salary (€280,345). This lowered salary criterion will also apply to players aged 20 from 1 April 2025 onwards.

Why?

The Dutch Federation of Professional Football Organizations (FBO) and player unions ProProf and VVCS have indicated to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment that it is desirable for the development of Dutch professional football that the lowered salary criterion also applies to 20-year-olds. Currently, it is insufficiently possible to attract international football talent to the Netherlands, while the arrival of these talents enriches the Dutch talents. The expectation is that the upcoming change will make this more feasible without shifting the focus of Dutch professional football clubs too much towards foreign talent.

Want to know more about the conditions for professional footballers from outside Europe who want to play football in the Netherlands? Click here.

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_{[1] European Economic Area, 27 EU-member states + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway}