An honest read on your Dutch visa chances
Scored against the official 2026 IND highly skilled migrant rules — the salary thresholds, the recognised-sponsor register, the fine print. €10, ten minutes, no consultants.
Scored against official sources · last verified January 2026
Three steps between you and a straight answer
Answer honestly
A short guided assessment. Nationality, age band, role, salary, education, experience. No name, no passport number, no phone number.
We check you against the official 2026 IND rules
Your answers are scored against the required amounts the IND published for 1 January 2026, plus the recognised-sponsor register.
Get your roadmap
A verdict, the exact euro gap if you are short, and a month-by-month plan from today to your first Dutch payslip.
The permit isn't about your job title. It's about one number on your contract.
There is no list of approved professions. If a recognised sponsor pays you at or above the gross monthly amount for your age band — excluding the 8% holiday allowance — the route is open. If they can't, it is closed, whatever a consultant tells you.
Highly skilled migrant, 30 or older · 2026 · gross per month
€5.942
This single figure decides more Dutch careers than any CV ever will. Miss it by €50 and the application does not get filed.
Under 30
€4.357
Reduced criterion — graduate / orientation year
€3.122
Source: ind.nl — required amounts (income requirements), effective 1 January 2026. All amounts exclude the 8% holiday allowance.
Where the door usually opens — and where it usually doesn't
Any profession can qualify on paper. What differs is how often an employer can actually pay above the bar.
IT & Software
Usually clears the threshold
Finance & Legal
Usually clears the threshold
Science & R&D
Often clears the threshold
Healthcare
Depends on BIG registration
HR & Recruitment
Borderline — depends on seniority
Chef, Driver, Retail
Rarely eligible for HSM
From today to your first bike ride to work
Your report turns this into your timeline — personalised to your answers, with the steps you can skip and the ones you can't.
Now
Know your number
The threshold that applies to you depends on your age band and whether you are a recent graduate. Everything else follows from that one figure.Month 1–3
Make your profile legible to Dutch recruiters
CV into the Dutch format, Nuffic or IDW diploma evaluation started, LinkedIn rewritten for the roles that actually pay above the threshold.Month 3–6
Apply to recognised sponsors only
Only employers on the IND register can bring you in as a highly skilled migrant. Applying anywhere else is time you do not get back.Offer
Check the contract before you sign
Gross monthly salary excluding the 8% holiday allowance, at or above your threshold, from a sponsor that is still on the register.IND
Your employer files, not you
The sponsor submits the application; a decision typically lands within a few weeks, and an MVV appointment follows if you need one.Arrival
BSN, bank, bike, 30% ruling
Register with your municipality, get your BSN, open an account, and have your employer apply for the 30% ruling if you qualify.
The questions people email me
See where you stand
Ten honest minutes. One clear verdict — including "not yet", if that is the truth. €10, once, and nothing else to buy.