{
  "country": {
    "code": "NL",
    "name": "Netherlands"
  },
  "route": {
    "id": "nl-blue-card",
    "name": "EU Blue Card",
    "kind": "res-work",
    "summary": "A contract of at least six months, plus a higher-education diploma of three years or more — or five years of relevant experience, three years if you work in information technology. Your employer does not have to be a recognised sponsor. A lower salary counts for a degree holder who graduated in the last three years from a Dutch institution, or from a foreign one the Dutch immigration service designates.",
    "info_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
    "scope": {
      "value": "some-conditions-stated-not-asked",
      "reason": "Every rule that decides this route is a question you answer; the contract of at least six months is covered by the situation question you answer, one condition the authority states — the authorisation to practise a regulated profession — is listed with the rules below and never asked, and the extension and employer-change cases that also open the lower salary are not covered by the questions. The provisional residence permit this application needs is listed with the rules below too, and your passport decides whether the Dutch immigration service exempts you from it.",
      "not_asked": [
        "reduced-also-on-extension-or-employer-change",
        "permission-to-practise-a-regulated-profession",
        "mvv-needed"
      ]
    },
    "criteria": [
      {
        "field": "citizenship",
        "op": "eq",
        "value": "third_country"
      },
      {
        "field": "destination",
        "op": "in",
        "values": [
          "nl",
          "all"
        ]
      },
      {
        "field": "situation",
        "op": "eq",
        "value": "offer",
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
          "quote": "Your employment contract is valid for at least 6 months.",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07"
        }
      },
      {
        "op": "any",
        "label": "located in the Netherlands",
        "paths": [
          {
            "label": "Netherlands chosen as destination",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "destination",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "nl"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "label": "offer in the Netherlands",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "situation_country",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "nl"
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "op": "any",
        "label": "diploma or experience",
        "paths": [
          {
            "label": "higher-education diploma",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "qualification",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "degree"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "label": "5 years of relevant experience",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "experience_7y",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "5plus",
                "source": {
                  "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
                  "quote": "you have a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience",
                  "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07",
                  "history": [
                    {
                      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07",
                      "quote": "you have a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience",
                      "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
                      "reason": "rule-rekeyed",
                      "checked_at": "2026-09-17",
                      "note": "s25 (v1.1 critique F2): read experience eq y5in7 before, experience_7y eq 5plus after."
                    }
                  ]
                }
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "label": "IT role with 3 years in the last 7",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "occupation_it",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "yes"
              },
              {
                "field": "experience_7y",
                "op": "in",
                "values": [
                  "3to5",
                  "5plus"
                ],
                "source": {
                  "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
                  "quote": "Are you an IT manager or IT professional? A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required during the period of 7 years before the application.",
                  "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07",
                  "history": [
                    {
                      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07",
                      "quote": "Are you an IT manager or IT professional? A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required during the period of 7 years before the application.",
                      "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
                      "reason": "rule-rekeyed",
                      "checked_at": "2026-09-17",
                      "note": "s25 (v1.1 critique F2): read experience_7y eq yes before, experience_7y in [3to5, 5plus] after."
                    }
                  ]
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
          "quote": "you have a diploma of a programme in higher education. This programme was at least 3 years.",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07"
        }
      },
      {
        "op": "any",
        "label": "the salary this route asks for",
        "short_reason": "at least €5,942/month — or €4,754/month with a university degree and a degree from the last 3 years, from a Dutch institution or from one the Dutch immigration service designates",
        "paths": [
          {
            "label": "the standard salary",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "salary_eur_month",
                "op": "gte",
                "threshold_label": "Blue Card 2026",
                "threshold": {
                  "amount": 5942,
                  "currency": "EUR",
                  "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements",
                  "quote": "European Blue Card € 5,942.00",
                  "retrieved_at": "2026-09-04",
                  "legal_basis": "EU Blue Card (NL) — required amounts 2026 (change every 1 January)",
                  "history": []
                }
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "label": "the lower salary for a recent graduate",
            "criteria": [
              {
                "field": "qualification",
                "op": "eq",
                "value": "degree",
                "short_reason": "a university degree"
              },
              {
                "op": "any",
                "label": "where you studied",
                "short_reason": "a degree from the last 3 years, from a Dutch institution or from one the Dutch immigration service designates",
                "paths": [
                  {
                    "label": "a Dutch university or research institution",
                    "criteria": [
                      {
                        "field": "nl_recent_grad",
                        "op": "eq",
                        "value": "yes"
                      }
                    ]
                  },
                  {
                    "label": "a foreign institution the Dutch immigration service designates",
                    "criteria": [
                      {
                        "field": "top200_grad",
                        "op": "eq",
                        "value": "yes"
                      }
                    ]
                  }
                ],
                "source": {
                  "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements",
                  "quote": "The highly skilled migrant has never had a residence permit for an orientation year for highly educated persons, but does meet the requirements for that residence purpose.",
                  "retrieved_at": "2026-09-02"
                }
              },
              {
                "field": "salary_eur_month",
                "op": "gte",
                "threshold_label": "lower Blue Card amount for a recent graduate, 2026",
                "threshold": {
                  "amount": 4754,
                  "currency": "EUR",
                  "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements",
                  "quote": "Reduced salary criterion European Blue Card € 4,754.00",
                  "retrieved_at": "2026-09-04",
                  "legal_basis": "EU Blue Card (NL) — reduced required amount 2026 (change every 1 January)",
                  "history": []
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "statements": [
      {
        "id": "reduced-also-on-extension-or-employer-change",
        "kind": "caveat",
        "text": "The lower salary can also apply if you extend this permit, or change employer, within three years of graduating — cases the questions above do not cover.",
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements",
          "quote": "The lower salary criterion may also apply if you extend the residence permit or change your employer within 3 years after graduation or promotion.",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-02",
          "legal_basis": "Dutch immigration service, required amounts — the reduced European Blue Card rows (read from the watched snapshot of 2026-09-02)",
          "history": []
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "employment-contract-valid-for-six-months",
        "kind": "precondition",
        "text": "An employment contract that runs for at least six months",
        "field": "situation",
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
          "quote": "Your employment contract is valid for at least 6 months.",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07"
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "permission-to-practise-a-regulated-profession",
        "kind": "precondition",
        "text": "If your profession is regulated, you must be authorised to practise it in the Netherlands, and in individual healthcare you must be in the BIG register of healthcare professions",
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
          "quote": "Do you have a regulated profession, such as doctor or lawyer? Then you must demonstrate that you are allowed to practice this profession in the Netherlands. Are you going to work in individual healthcare? And do you practise a medical profession that is listed in Article 3 and Article 36a of the Individual Healthcare Professions Act (BIG Act)? If so, you must be registered in the BIG register.",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07"
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "mvv-needed",
        "kind": "precondition",
        "text": "This application needs a provisional residence permit (MVV).",
        "source": {
          "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/european-blue-card-residence-permit",
          "quote": "A valid provisional residence permit (MVV) is needed for this application",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-10"
        },
        "except": {
          "citizenship": [
            "AU",
            "CA",
            "JP",
            "MC",
            "NZ",
            "VA",
            "GB",
            "US",
            "KR",
            "CH"
          ],
          "text": "You do not need a provisional residence permit (MVV) — the Dutch immigration service names your passport among the nationalities that need none.",
          "source": {
            "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/mvv-exemptions",
            "quote": "You do not need an MVV if you have the nationality of one of these countries. Australia Canada Japan Monaco New Zealand Vatican City United Kingdom United States South Korea Switzerland An EU/EEA Member State",
            "retrieved_at": "2026-09-10",
            "legal_basis": "Dutch immigration service, MVV exemptions — Your nationality is decisive",
            "history": []
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "page": "https://permitrulebook.com/netherlands/eu-blue-card/",
  "dataset_version": "2026.09.18",
  "schema_version": "0.8.2",
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0",
  "source": "https://github.com/OytunOnal/permit-rulebook-data",
  "rules_read": "2026-09-17"
}