Netherlands
Work visa for Netherlands: documents, fees and steps
Work · 203 nationalities · any residence · ordinary passport
Verified on 13 October 2026
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Documents requested
Valid passport, with at least six months of validity remaining when the MVV visa sticker is affixedConditions and details
The IND requires a valid passport or other travel document. For affixing the MVV sticker, the passport must remain valid for at least six months when the Dutch representation affixes the sticker. The MVV sticker is valid for 90 days.Single permit (GVVA) application form, completed by the employer, or form 9532 if the employee submits the application himself from abroadConditions and details
The IND recommends that the employer submit the application in the Netherlands; the employer applies to the IND for the MVV and the single permit at the same time, in writing and by post. The form is 7042 for an employer that is a recognised sponsor, or 7044 for an employer that is not a recognised sponsor (forms available only in Dutch); an employee applying themselves uses the form “Application for admission and residence for working purposes” (9532) at the Dutch embassy or consulate, or form 7046 at the IND.Documents listed in the applicable application form, gathered before submissionConditions and details
The application form states the necessary documents. All of them must be gathered before submitting the application. Official foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.Annex "Antecedents Certificate" (declaration of antecedents), to be completed by every person over 12 years of ageConditions and details
The IND requires that every person over 12 years of age complete the annex "Antecedents Certificate" in full and attach it to the application. The person concerned states therein whether he has previously committed an offence or a crime; he must not constitute a danger to public order or national security.Positive decision letter from the IND, to make an appointment at the Dutch representation and obtain the MVV stickerConditions and details
The MVV sticker can be requested only if the letter from the IND announcing the positive decision has been received. This letter states the representation (embassy or consulate-general) where the sticker is to be requested. The appointment is made within three months following the decision.
Depending on your situation
Official foreign documents, legalised and, if necessary, translated into Dutch, English, French or GermanConditions and details
The IND neither legalises nor translates documents. Legalisation makes an official document usable in another country; it can take time, so it is necessary to start early. A document drawn up in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated, in the Netherlands by a translator sworn in at a Dutch court, or abroad, with in general legalisation of the document and of the translation.Identity photograph, if the employee submits the application himself at the Dutch embassy or consulateConditions and details
The employee who submits his MVV and residence permit application himself from abroad brings to the appointment at the embassy or consulate the completed form, his identity photograph and his valid passport, as well as, sometimes, additional documents listed in the form. The representation records the signature and the fingerprints. He then sends his application to the IND within three weeks.Tuberculosis test referral annex (form 7604), if the test was indicated in the applicationConditions and details
After arrival in the Netherlands, a tuberculosis test is mandatory except for exempt nationalities and situations. If the person concerned indicated in the application that he will undergo this test, he makes an appointment with the public health service (GGD) within three months following receipt of the single permit, bringing the referral annex.
Official fees
- Application for an MVV and a single permit (GVVA) for paid employment, paid according to the IND letter 423 €
Steps
- The employer checks the conditions: registration in the trade register (KvK) if required, job vacancy registered with the UWV, salary in accordance with the collective agreement, suitable housing.
- Collect the documents listed in the application form and have official foreign documents legalised and translated.
- The employer applies to the IND, in writing and by post, for the MVV and the single permit at the same time; the employee can also submit his own application at the Dutch embassy or consulate.
- Pay the fees of 423 euros according to the IND letter; if the employer pays them, he is not entitled to charge them to the employee.
- Wait for the IND decision, which is taken within 90 days, with the possibility of extending this period; the UWV gives the IND an opinion on the labour market within a statutory period of five weeks.
- Make an appointment at the Dutch representation indicated in the file within three months following the decision, and hand in the passport there for the placing of the MVV sticker.
- Travel to the Netherlands within 90 days following the issue of the MVV sticker and collect the single permit at the IND desk, by appointment.
- Start working only after receiving the residence permit and the supplementary document of the single permit; take the tuberculosis test if provided for, within three months.
Where to apply
- IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service): written application for the single permit, submitted by the employer in the Netherlands, including when the employee is not yet there
- Dutch embassy or consulate of the country of origin or of continuous residence: submission by the employee himself, then sending of the file to the IND within three weeks
- Embassy or consulate-general of the Netherlands indicated in the IND letter, generally in the country of residence, for the MVV sticker
- IND desk in the Netherlands, by appointment, to collect the single permit in person
- UWV (social insurance agency): work permit (TWV) applied for by the employer for work of less than three months in the Netherlands
Good to know
Less than three months or more than three monthsConditions and details
For work of less than three months in the Netherlands, the employer applies for a work permit from the UWV. For work of more than three months, a residence permit is also required: the employer applies to the IND for a combined residence and work permit, the single permit (GVVA). The work permit is issued to the employer, who must give a copy to the employee; the single permit is issued to the employee in person at an IND desk.Conditions to be met by the employerConditions and details
The employer must be registered in the commercial register of the chamber of commerce (KvK) when the commercial register act requires it. He must first have sought an employee in the Netherlands and in the EU or EEA countries, by reporting the job vacancy to a UWV employers' service point. He pays a normal salary according to the applicable collective agreement and ensures suitable accommodation.Salary threshold in 2026Conditions and details
For ordinary salaried employment, the gross monthly salary within the meaning of social security ("SV salary") must be at least 2 337,00 euros excluding holiday allowance, or 2 523,96 euros including holiday allowance, from 1 July to 31 December 2026. The amounts change regularly. The highly skilled worker, the European blue card and other statuses have other thresholds, not described here.Working with the single permitConditions and details
The single permit consists of a residence permit bearing the endorsement "Arbeid toegestaan conform aanvullend document" ("work permitted according to the supplementary document") and a supplementary document, which states for which employer and under which conditions the employee may work; the employer receives a copy of it. The employee cannot start working before he has received both documents. After five years of work in the Netherlands, a work permit is no longer necessary: the employee can apply for the endorsement "arbeid vrij toegestaan" (free to work).Duration of the single permit and loss of employmentConditions and details
The single permit is valid for 3 years at most, or 5 years at most for someone who has already had a valid work residence permit for five years. In the event of loss of employment, the employee has 3 months to find another one; for a loss of employment from 22 May 2026 and a permit held for two years or more, he has 6 months at most. This period cannot exceed the validity of the permit, and if it ends without registration by a new employer, the IND may withdraw the residence permit.Changing employerConditions and details
In the event of a change of employer, the former employer must inform the IND and deregister the employee, who himself verifies with the former employer that this deregistration has taken place. The new employer must apply for a new residence permit.Jobs that also fall under the single permit, and cases without a single permitConditions and details
The single permit also applies to certain jobs: minister of religion, monk, nun or missionary, supply of goods by or for a foreign undertaking (up to one year), employee of an international non-profit organisation, art and culture, intra-corporate transfer. For those who cannot apply for a single permit, or no longer need a work permit after five consecutive years of work, it is a residence permit "paid employment" (without a single permit) that the employer or the employee applies for.Nationals exempt from the MVV: application without a stickerConditions and details
Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, the Vatican, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Switzerland or an EU or EEA state do not need an MVV. Except for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, these applicants still need the single permit or a residence permit to work, under a procedure without a sticker. This MVV entry procedure is therefore not intended for them.Application submitted by the employee himself from abroadConditions and details
The employee who does not have a sponsor employer submitting on his behalf can himself apply for the MVV and the residence permit from abroad. He makes an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate in his country of origin or of continuous residence (the country where he can stay for more than three months). He must appear there with the completed form, his photograph and a valid passport; the embassy registers the application and records signature and fingerprints, then he sends the file to the IND and pays the fees within three weeks of the date recorded by the embassy. Children under 12 go to the embassy with a legal representative.MVV sticker processing time and fees at the representationConditions and details
The MVV sticker may take up to 10 working days after submission of the passport at the representation, some representations being faster. The MVV and residence permit fees are paid to the IND, not to the Dutch embassy or consulate-general.- Refusal: objectionIn the event of a negative decision, the employee obtains neither an MVV nor a single permit; he can lodge an objection against that decision.
Nationalities covered
This procedure applies to 203 nationalities.
- Afghanistan
- Åland Islands
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Bouvet Island
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- French Southern Territories
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Caledonia
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Pitcairn Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- U.S. Outlying Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Official links
- Single Permit: GVVA | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- Requirements that apply to everyone | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- Translation and legalisation of documents | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- Apply for MVV and residence permit from abroad | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- Where can I apply for an MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands? | NetherlandsWorldwide (new tab) www.netherlandsworldwide.nl
- Work permit | WorkinNL (new tab) www.workinnl.nl
- Required amounts income requirements | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- Provisional residence permit (MVV) | IND (new tab) ind.nl
- How long does it take to get an MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands? | NetherlandsWorldwide (new tab) www.netherlandsworldwide.nl
- How long is my MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands valid? | NetherlandsWorldwide (new tab) www.netherlandsworldwide.nl
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