Country Update 2025: THE NETHERLANDS

Contributed by: Muhyadin Mohamud, Marloes van Zantvoort, Inge Eggen-te Pas, Bram van Melle and Thomas van Houwelingen-Boer

May 2025

1. Legislative Changes

Per 17 April 2024, the residence permit for wealthy foreign investors has been abolished, due to its limited contribution to Dutch business. Individuals who hold a residence permit under this category before its abolishment can still apply for extension of their residence permit. Further, there will be no consequences for applications under this scheme before 17 April 2024.

As of 1 January 2025, Turkish citizens who wish to secure a permanent or independent residence permit in the Netherlands must have obtained the civic integration certificate before filing the application. This applies to both the EU LTR status, the national permanent residence permit and the independent residence permit on non-temporary humanitarian grounds after stay as a family member. Turkish citizens who can successfully invoke the standstill clause of the EU-Turkey Association Treaty will still be exempt from the civic integration requirement when they file an application for an independent residence permit on non-temporary humanitarian grounds. This applies to, for example, Turkish citizens who are in paid employment in the Netherlands or their family members.

Starting on 9 December 2024, the Netherlands has been conducting temporary border controls at its internal borders with Germany and Belgium. These controls are being carried out by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, at the direction of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration. The internal border checks are in place until 8 June 2025 but might be extended.

2. Business Immigration

On 27 January 2025, the Dutch Minister for Social Affairs and Employment published new policy rules for fines under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act. Under this act, failing to secure necessary work authorisation can be fined by the Netherlands Labour Authority. According to the new policy rules, the new standard penalty amount for illegal employment by companies is €6,000. This amount can be mitigated or increased, depending on the extent to which the offence can be blamed on the employer and the severity of the offence. The starting point is, however, the standard fine amount assuming a normal degree of culpability and severity of the offence.

The recast EU Blue Card Directive (EBC) has been fully implemented in the Netherlands on 12 June 2024. The most notable changes are that:

• the EBC salary threshold has been set at the same level as the highest salary threshold under the national highly skilled migrant scheme (€5,688 gross per month excluding 8% holiday allowance);

• a new salary threshold has been introduced for recent graduates (€4,551 gross per month excluding 8% holiday allowance);

• the applicant is now also eligible if at least 5 years of professional work experience is demonstrated. IT-professionals and managers are also eligible if they have demonstrated at least 3 years of relevant experience, which must have been accumulated in the 7 years directly prior to the application;

• the application can be refused if the employer has been fined for failure to adhere to:

  • the Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act;

  • the Working Hours Act;

  • the Working Conditions Act;

  • the Act on Minimum Wage and Holiday Allowance

In 2025, the government informed Parliament that it is reviewing the possibility to limit sponsorship of Highly Skilled Migrants residence permits (HMSP) via an Employer on Record (EOR) to situations where:

• the de-facto employer has applied for Recognized Sponsor status and awaits the decision; or

• is deemed an innovative start- or scale-up that does not yet eligible for Recognized Sponsor status.

Under EOR-sponsorship, an HSM will be validated for 2 years and will be non-extendable. 

The Dutch regulations for attracting talented third country national professional football players have been relaxed since 1 April 2025. Before, a player who is not an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen must earn at least 150% of the average Dutch Premier League salary (in 2024/2025: €560,691per year). To give Dutch football an edge to attract young talented players, the threshold for players aged 18 and 19 is set at 75% of the average Dutch Premier League salary (€280,345). This lowered rate also applies to players aged 20 since 1 April 2025.

On 30 November 2024, the government implemented Article 3.20a of the Immigration Regulation, codifying IND’s practice that applications for residence as a self-employed artist in the creative sector are sent to the Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science for advice. This ministry advises IND on whether the artist serves an essential interest to Dutch culture.

3. Family based immigration

In April 2025, Dutch Parliament voted to abolish the payment of administrative fines by IND if an application is not decided on within the legally set processing time. The administrative fine had already been abolished for asylum procedures, but it still applied to other application procedures. It is uncertain when this measure will take effect.

The judicial fine (which is set by the Court if the IND does not adhere to the legal decision period) is unaffected.

At the same time the legally set processing time for applications for family members of asylum permit holders has been extended to 9 months. The current government has also proposed to cancel the possibility for family reunification between status holders and their unmarried partners and foster children.

As of 1 January 2025, family members of Turkish citizens residing in the Netherlands must first pass an integration test before they can apply for a residence permit as a family member. The Dutch government is of the opinion that this new requirement is not in contravention of the Turkish association agreement. It is expected that in the coming year this subject will be dealt with by the Dutch courts.

4. Asylum

In July 2024, the IND introduced a new credibility assessment that places greater emphasis on documentation. If no documents are provided, the credibility assessment becomes stricter.

Since 9 December 2024, no decisions have been made in Syrian cases, and no removals have occurred. Similarly, no decisions have been made in cases involving Lebanese and Sudanese nationals. The Immigration Office is waiting to see how the situation evolves before making decisions on these pending cases.

Currently, asylum seekers must wait approximately 15 months for their interview, often exceeding the 21-day time limit. Many cases are pending before the court to obtain a judicial fine (see above under Family-based immigration).

Due to a decision by the European Court of Justice, the IND now distinguishes between the general level of violence in the country of origin and individual circumstances (Article 15(c) of the Qualification Directive, Directive 2011/95/EU).

5. Deportation

Since October 2024 there was an enormous increase in refugees coming in via Schiphol. They had a ticket for (mainly) South American countries and had to change planes at Schiphol airport. They asked for asylum. After the immigration office set up a visa requirement this changed. It showed, however that the system was not ready for such an increase. All asylum seekers were put in aliens’ detention, but the facilities were not sufficient.

6. Citizenship

In its coalition agreement, the government announced its intention to raise the required language level for securing Dutch citizenship via naturalisation from A2 to B1. In addition, the government aims to raise the required term for consecutive legal residence in the Netherlands from 5 to 10 years. It is uncertain when these measures will take effect.