Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) CV for the Netherlands
A Dutch employer can sponsor you as a highly skilled migrant only if it pays at least the IND threshold, in 2026 €5,942 gross a month from age 30 and €4,357 under 30, so your CV must justify that salary.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Start here: look the employer up in the IND register
The IND says only an employer it has recognised can apply for a highly skilled migrant permit. Before you tailor a CV for a Dutch vacancy, check that the company is in the IND's Public register Work, which lists recognised sponsors for work and highly skilled migrants by legal name and Chamber of Commerce (KVK) number. The IND updates it once a month; the version we read on 13 October 2026 was last updated on 5 October 2026 and held 13,024 entries.
- Open the Public register Work on ind.nl (Public register recognised sponsors, then Work).
- Search for the legal name, which usually ends in B.V. or N.V., not the brand name on the job ad.
- Compare the KVK number in the register with the one in the footer or imprint of the company website.
- If the company is missing, ask the recruiter before you apply whether it is recognised or plans to apply for recognition. A missing entry can also mean it was added after the last monthly update.
- Save a screenshot of the entry with the date; it is useful when a recruiter is unsure about its own status.
The exception for Turkish citizens
The IND page for Turkish citizens (updated 31 July 2026) says that, because of the EU-Turkey Association Agreement, employees with Turkish nationality do not need a recognised sponsor for this permit and may submit the application themselves. The employment contract and the salary criterion still apply. The IND still advises having a recognised sponsor apply, because it decides faster on a sponsor's application.
How the permit works and who does what
The employer runs the application. These are the steps as the IND describes them on the permit page (updated 11 September 2026) and in its brochure for this permit, both read on 13 October 2026 with Turkish nationality selected.
| Step | Who | What the IND says |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Employer (recognised sponsor) | Online through the Business Portal or on paper; if you need an MVV entry visa, it is applied for together with the residence permit |
| Fee | Employer | €423, paid by direct debit |
| Decision | IND | Legal limit of 90 days; the IND aims for 2 weeks when a recognised sponsor sends a complete application |
| Documents uploaded | Employer | A copy of your passport, plus the antecedents certificate appendix where it applies |
| MVV sticker | You | Appointment at the Dutch mission within 3 months of the decision; passport valid for at least 6 more months |
| Permit length | IND | The length of the contract, up to 5 years |
Your CV never reaches the IND
The IND's documents checklist for an online highly skilled migrant application asks for passport copies and, in some cases, the antecedents appendix. It does not ask for a CV, and the requirements in the IND brochure do not include a diploma. The CV is read by one party only: the employer, who has to decide whether you are worth a salary at the threshold and the duties of a sponsor.
Which pay counts toward the threshold
- Counted: gross monthly salary without holiday allowance, paid each month into a bank account in your name.
- Counted only if fixed in the contract and paid monthly: expense allowances and fixed extras, such as a thirteenth month split into 12 payments.
- Not counted: holiday allowance, payment in kind, and uncertain pay such as overtime, tips or payments from funds.
- On top of the threshold, the salary must match the market rate, meaning what people in the same job earn on average.
Turning 30 and changing employer
The amount that applies is the one in force on the application date. The IND brochure says the under-30 amount stays with you while you remain with the same employer, even after your 30th birthday. If you change employer after turning 30, the higher amount applies from the start of the new contract. The reduced amount does not depend on age and survives a change of employer.
The 2026 thresholds and the CV lines each one needs
Amounts are gross a month, without holiday allowance, from the IND page Required amounts income requirements, read on 13 October 2026. The IND sets them every 1 January, so an application filed in January 2027 is measured against the 2027 amount.
| IND band | 2026 amount | When it applies | What the CV must make easy to see |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 or older | €5,942 | First application at 30 or over, or a change of employer at 30 or over | Years in the field, the scope you own (team, budget, systems, clients) and a job title at the level the Dutch role is paid for |
| Younger than 30 | €4,357 | First application before 30; stays with the same employer after 30 | Specialist skills with proof: what you built or ran, the tools, and one result per role |
| Reduced criterion | €3,122 | During or after an orientation year, or within 3 years of graduating, a doctorate or a research permit if you meet the orientation year conditions | Degree, institution, city and graduation month and year, so the employer can see the 3-year window |
| Researchers and doctors in training | Minimum wage, per the IND brochure | Research institution contract with a UFO job code, or a recognised training institute | Institution, UFO job title, research topic; this page does not cover these roles further |
Sample lines for an applicant from Türkiye
The names, numbers and dates below are invented to show the shape of a line. Use only facts you can back up in an interview.
| Band | Line that leaves the employer guessing | Line an employer can price |
|---|---|---|
| 30 or older | Responsible for backend development and team coordination. | Senior Backend Engineer, [company], Istanbul, 03/2019 to present. Lead of 5 engineers; owns the payment service (Java 21, Kafka, PostgreSQL) handling 1.2 million orders a month. |
| Younger than 30 | Data analyst with strong analytical skills. | Data Analyst, [company], Ankara, 07/2023 to present. Built the churn model the retention team uses every week (Python, SQL, dbt); cut report runtime from 40 to 6 minutes. |
| Reduced criterion | MSc, Netherlands, 2026. | MSc Business Analytics, [university], Rotterdam, 09/2024 to 08/2026 (graduated August 2026). Orientation year permit, work freely permitted. |
One line about sponsorship near the top
- If you need a sponsor: "Work authorisation: requires an IND highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant); available from [month year]."
- If you hold Turkish nationality: "Turkish national: under the EU-Turkey Association Agreement the IND does not require a recognised sponsor for my permit." Add it only when the employer is not in the register.
- If you are on an orientation year: state the permit and its end date; the orientation year page covers that line.
Whether to show your date of birth is a question for the Dutch personal details page; the employer learns your age from your passport when it applies.
What we read, and when
| Claim | Source, read 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| €5,942, €4,357, €3,122; what counts toward the salary; amounts reset every 1 January | IND, Required amounts income requirements |
| Only a recognised employer applies; €423 fee; 90-day limit; permit up to 5 years; market rate | IND, Highly skilled migrant page (updated 11 September 2026) |
| Under-30 rule after turning 30; reduced criterion survives a change of employer; 2-week aim; minimum wage for researchers | IND brochure Residence permit for work as a highly skilled migrant (June 2026 version) |
| 13,024 recognised sponsors, register updated 5 October 2026 | IND, Public register Work |
| No recognised sponsor needed for Turkish employees | IND, Turkish citizens and living in the Netherlands (updated 31 July 2026) |
| Passport copy and antecedents appendix as the uploads | IND, Checklist documents online application Highly skilled migrant |
Thresholds change every year and immigration rules change. Check the linked IND pages before you or your employer apply.
Where this page stops
- Tax: the 30% ruling, which the Tax Administration’s page calls the Expat Scheme (30% facility), is a separate tax facility with its own salary conditions. We link its page and give no tax advice.
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals: the IND brochure lists the countries whose nationals do not need this permit.
- Healthcare roles under the BIG Act: the IND requires BIG registration; the nurse page covers it.
- Intra-company transfers from a company outside the EU: the IND applies different requirements.
- Losing the job: the IND gives 3 months to find a new sponsor, or up to 6 months if you became unemployed on or after 22 May 2026 and have held the permit for at least 2 years.
If the salary does not reach the threshold yet
- If you graduated from a Dutch programme, or hold a master’s from a top-200 university abroad, check the orientation year: employers then only need to meet the reduced €3,122.
- A Dutch master’s puts you on the same reduced amount for 3 years after graduating; the master’s CV page covers that application.
- The IND lists the EU Blue Card separately, at €5,942 in 2026 and €4,754 within 3 years of graduating.
- The IND brochure says that if a new job pays too little for this permit, a regular employee permit may be possible, with a check on whether other workers are available.
CitedCV can write the CV in English with EU conventions from the roles, dates and results you give it, and it asks when a fact is missing. It does not check the IND register or the thresholds for you.
Questions people ask
What is the kennismigrant salary in 2026?
It is €5,942 gross a month from age 30, €4,357 under 30 and €3,122 under the reduced criterion, without holiday allowance, according to the IND page read on 13 October 2026.
Do I need a degree to be a highly skilled migrant in the Netherlands?
No degree appears in the IND requirements for this permit. The tests are a recognised sponsor, the salary threshold and a market-rate salary; the reduced amount is the one that depends on graduation.
How do I check if a company is a recognised sponsor?
Search its legal name in the IND Public register Work and compare the KVK number with the company website. The IND updates the register once a month.
Can a Turkish citizen get a kennismigrant permit without a recognised sponsor?
Yes. The IND says employees with Turkish nationality do not need a recognised sponsor and may apply themselves, but it decides faster when a recognised sponsor applies.
Does the IND read my CV for a highly skilled migrant permit?
No. The IND online checklist asks for a passport copy and, where needed, the antecedents appendix. Your CV matters to the employer, who decides whether to sponsor you.
Does holiday allowance count toward the highly skilled migrant salary?
No. The IND excludes holiday allowance, payment in kind and uncertain pay such as overtime; a thirteenth month counts only if it is in the contract and paid monthly.
What happens to the salary threshold when I turn 30?
Nothing while you stay with the same employer: the under-30 amount still applies. A change of employer after 30 brings in the higher amount.
Is the 30% ruling part of the kennismigrant permit?
No. It is a tax facility of the Tax Administration with its own conditions, separate from the IND permit; read its page or ask a tax adviser.
Sources
- IND, Required amounts income requirementsind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements
- IND, Highly skilled migrantind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/highly-skilled-migrant
- IND, brochure Residence permit for work as a highly skilled migrant (PDF)ind.nl/en/forms/3072.pdf
- IND, Public register Workind.nl/en/public-register-recognised-sponsors/public-register-work
- IND, Turkish citizens and living in the Netherlandsind.nl/en/turkish-citizens-and-living-in-the-netherlands
- IND, Checklist documents online application Highly skilled migrantind.nl/en/checklist-documents-online-application-highly-skilled-migrant
- Belastingdienst, Expat Scheme (30% facility) conditionswww.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/en/individuals/content/coming-to-work-in-the-netherlands-30-percent-facility