EU Blue Card

• The knowledge worker must be an employee with an employment contract governed by Dutch law.
• The gross monthly salary of the employee meets the salary threshold for EU Blue Card holders. This salary is paid monthly and directly to a bank account of the employee.
• The employment contract is for a duration of at least 6 months.
• The employee has completed at least a 3-year bachelor study at a higher educational institute in the Netherlands or abroad. Foreign degree certificates must be accredited by IDW and deemed equal to a Dutch degree from a higher educational institute. Furthermore, the degree should be relevant for the role of the employee.
• A degree is not required if the employee has at least 5 years of relevant work experience.  For IT managers or IT specialists, at least 3 years of relevant work experience accumulated over the 7 years immediately prior to the application will suffice.

Both the Blue Card and the Highly Skilled Migrant permit facilitate labor migration of the highly qualified. There are, however, some essential differences:

• For both permits, only highly qualified knowledge workers in a highly qualified position can qualify. For the European Blue Card, qualifications must be demonstrated by a diploma or work experience. For a Highly Skilled Migrant permit, this is not required.
• To apply for a Highly Skilled Migrant permit the employer must obtain sponsor recognition from the IND; this is not required for a Blue Card application.
• A Blue Card holder can exercise short-term and long-term mobility in another member state.
• EU Blue Card holders who have used long-term mobility may sooner qualify for EU long-term resident status.
• Both Highly Skilled Migrants and EU Blue Card holders who become unemployed are entitled to a search period of maximum 3 months (if their permits are still valid during that period), regardless of whether the employment was terminated by the employer or the employee. However, EU Blue card holders who have held the Blue Card for at least two years are entitled to a search period of 6 months. If their EU Blue Card expires before the end of this period, the permit can be extended for this purpose.
• When Highly Skilled Migrants or Blue Card holders obtain a permanent residence permit or Dutch nationality and then apply for family reunification with a partner who is subject to a provisional residence permit (mvv) requirement, the partner must first take an integration exam abroad. However, an exception applies if the EU Blue Card holder obtained a permanent residence permit as an EU long-term resident.
• Children of EU Blue Card holders studying at a Dutch university pay the statutory tuition fee. This is lower than the tuition fee for children of Highly Skilled Migrants.