The Dutch
visa, simplified.

No. This is an informational guide based on publicly available IND guidelines. For your specific legal situation, consult an immigration lawyer.

Currently Japanese and South Korean nationals. More nationalities coming soon.

The assessment is free. The full downloadable roadmap with all action steps costs €29.

It depends on your visa type. The Highly Skilled Migrant route (via a recognized IND sponsor) is the fastest — typically 3–8 weeks from job offer to arrival. A standard work permit (GVVA) takes 5–13 weeks. Student visas are usually 4–6 weeks via TEV. Family reunification typically takes 3–6 months. Our roadmap shows estimated days for each step.

No — work permits and student visas have no Dutch language requirement. However, if you later apply for permanent residency or naturalization, you will need to pass a Dutch language exam (NT2). Partners applying for family reunification must pass the civic integration (inburgering) exam within 3 years of arriving.

The BSN (Burgerservicenummer) is your Dutch citizen service number — the equivalent of a social security number. You receive it automatically when you register your address at your local municipality (gemeente). You need it for almost everything: payroll, bank accounts, health insurance, DigiD, and more. Getting registered early is one of the first things to do after arrival.

Yes. Anyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally required to take out basic Dutch health insurance (basisverzekering) within 4 months of registering. The monthly premium is roughly €142–€185 (averaging around €159) depending on your insurer. On top of the premium, everyone also pays a mandatory annual deductible (eigen risico) of €385 before most care costs are reimbursed — budget for this separately. Your employer may offer a group discount. Failing to arrange insurance can result in a fine.

Yes, once you have a valid residence permit and meet income requirements (typically 100% of the Dutch social assistance norm), your partner and children can apply for family reunification. The process takes roughly 3 months. Your family members will also need to apply for their own residence permits.

The 30% ruling is a Dutch tax benefit for highly skilled workers recruited from abroad. Through 2026, 30% of your gross salary is tax-free. From 1 January 2027, everyone whose ruling started in 2024 or later moves to a flat 27% — rulings that began before 2024 keep 30% for their full term. To qualify you generally need a minimum gross salary of €48,013/year (€36,497/year if you're under 30 with an IDW-verified master's degree), must have lived more than 150km from the Dutch border before being recruited, and your employer applies for it together with you. The ruling doesn't apply above the WNT (Balkenende) cap of €262,000/year. Maximum duration is 60 months (5 years). Important: this salary threshold is a different test from the salary threshold for the highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) visa itself — meeting one doesn't automatically mean you meet the other.