EU blue card

Who can apply for a European blue card?

The following conditions also apply to the European blue card residence permit:

• The employee has a contract in the EU for highly qualified work. Highly qualified work is work that requires a higher education qualification.
• The employee’s salary is sufficiently high. Ask us what salary criterion applies to the European blue card.
• The employment contract is for a period of at least 12 months.
• The employee has a higher education degree for which the degree course lasted at least 3 years. Was your degree awarded abroad? If so, the degree must be evaluated.

You must have documentation showing that you satisfy the conditions for the European blue card residence permit. The following documents are needed for the European blue card application:

• A copy of the page in your passport that contains the personal data and the period of validity. You should also send a copy of the pages with travel stamps.
• A copy of the employment contract or the appointment decision, in which it is stated that the employee will work for at least 12 months.
• An employer’s declaration.
• ‘Declaration by the sponsor (employment)’ for non-recognized sponsors. This declaration must be completed in full and signed by the employer.
• ‘Antecedents Certificate’.
• A copy of the payslips for the past 3 months (as far as possible).
• Legalization and translation of official foreign documents.
• The IND has 90 days to adopt a decision on your application for a European blue card. This is known as the decision period. This period is determined by law.
• The employer will receive a letter stating the date by which the IND will adopt a decision on the application.

The residence permit is valid 3 months longer than the employment contract. But it is valid for a maximum of 4 years. This residence permit allows the employee to work without a work permit for the employer who applied for the residence permit.

Do you want to work for another employer as well? If so, that employer will have to obtain a TWV for you. The employer should apply to the UWV (Netherlands Employees Insurance Agency) for the work permit. Find out more about applying to the UWV for a work permit (Dutch only).

As an employee with a European blue card, you are also allowed to work as an entrepreneur in addition to your job with your employer. But you will still have to meet the conditions for the European blue card.

Have you lost your job and is your residence permit still valid? You have up to 3 months to find a new job. This is known as a search period. The search period starts on the day your contract ends. The search period is never longer than the validity of your residence permit.

Apply for the EU Blue card today.