Got the job? Here is your move plan.

A recognised sponsor applies to the IND for your highly skilled migrant permit and pays the €423 fee. You cannot apply yourself.

Once the IND approves, make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate for the MVV sticker in your passport. Then travel.

Your passport, your employment contract, your rental contract, and your original birth certificate with an apostille, translated into English or Dutch. Each municipality has its own list, so check yours before you travel.

You need an address to register. A rental contract is the usual proof. A temporary address with a friend or colleague can work at first; the rules differ per municipality.

Staying more than 4 months? Register with your municipality within 5 days of arriving. You get your citizen service number (BSN), which you need for work, tax, a bank account and health insurance.

Make an appointment with the IND to give your biometrics or collect your residence permit, within 2 weeks after your employer receives the positive decision.

Banks ask for your BSN, so do this after you register.

DigiD is your login for the tax office, your health insurer and the government. You can apply once you have a BSN.

If your employer told the IND you need a tuberculosis test, book it with the GGD within 3 months of getting your permit.

Within 4 months of getting your residence permit, even if you have insurance from home. Your partner and children need it too.

Up to 30% of your salary tax-free if you were recruited from abroad and lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for 16 of the last 24 months. Your employer applies with you; both of you agree in writing. In 2026 your taxable salary must exceed €48,013 a year (€36,497 under 30 with a master's). Apply within 4 months of your first working day so it counts from the start.