Many companies in the Netherlands employ highly skilled migrants. To qualify for the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure, two key criteria apply:
- The company must be a recognized sponsor with the IND.
- The migrant must meet a salary threshold, which is reviewed annually.
Curious about what the salary requirements will look like in 2026? Here’s what we know so far.
Government’s proposal for HSM 2026 and beyond
From 2026 onwards, companies seeking recognized sponsorship and wishing to hire non-EU Highly Skilled Migrants will likely face stricter requirements, such as:
- Enhanced reliability screening:
- Criminal records and past violations of labour and tax laws.
- Fines under employment-related legislation. This could affect your company’s eligibility if there are compliance issues in your HR or payroll practices.
- Clearer financial health criteria;
- Long-term financial continuity.
- Sufficient solvency and liquidity. This is especially relevant for startups and scale-ups — business plan and financials will be scrutinized more closely.
- Introduction of an economic relevance test; to determine what a new recognized sponsor will add to the Dutch economy.
For more details on these proposed changes, see our earlier news update.
Starting January 1, 2026 the following governmental fees apply:
| Recognition as a sponsor (regular) | €5,080 |
| Recognition as a sponsor (reduced) | €2,539 |
| Highly Skilled Migrant or European Blue Card application | €423 |
Expanded administrative requirements for recognised sponsors
Starting from January 1, 2026, sponsors must provide additional proof that salaries have actually been paid to the employee’s account. Payslips alone are no longer sufficient, as they do not confirm payment.
Acceptable documents include:
- Statements from the company’s business bank account
- Batch payment overviews
This change aims to prevent abuse of the highly skilled migrant and European Blue Card schemes.
Highly Skilled Migrant salaries for 2026
The current proposal suggests linking salary requirements to the average gross income in the Netherlands, applying:
- 1.1 × average income for employees under 30
- 1.3 × average income for employees over 30
Labour market experts forecast an average gross income of €4,000 per month in 2026. If this figure is used as the basis, thresholds could actually decrease, something we find unlikely.
The new amounts are published in the Staatscourant/Government Gazette in December and will also appear on the IND website under Required amounts income requirements. Moreover, we’ll keep you informed.
The new standard salary amounts for highly skilled migrants will apply from 1 January 2026. Important to know is that all immigration applications for new applications, submitted in 2025, will be under the 2025 thresholds. However, in case of change of employer notifications, the salary requirement is based on the start date of the new employment contract. If a new contract starts on 1 January 2026, the 2026 salary standard applies, even if the change of employer was reported in December 2025.
Conclusion
We expect the caretaker government to implement stricter requirements for the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure before the end of 2025. However, the exact salary thresholds for 2026 remain uncertain, and will be published in December. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated!
More info
Would you like to learn more about the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure or other work-related immigration processes in the Netherlands? Contact us today, we’ll respond within one business day.
