IND recognised sponsors in Education & Research
176 organisations we have classified into this sector appear on the IND public register of recognised sponsors, as held in our copy of 1 July 2026. Universities, university medical centres and public research institutes are recognised sponsors and hire internationally as a matter of course. PhD candidates and postdocs are a well-trodden route into the country.
Where these employers are
The fourteen research universities, the applied-sciences universities and the national research institutes are spread across the country, with major clusters in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Delft, Leiden, Wageningen, Eindhoven, Groningen and Twente.
Roles that typically qualify
PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, assistant and associate professors, research engineers and data stewards, and international programme staff.
What recognised sponsor status does and does not mean
A recognised sponsor is an organisation the IND has admitted to its register, which allows it to apply for a highly skilled migrant permit on your behalf under the fast procedure. It is a permission the employer holds, not a promise it makes. An employer on this list may have no vacancies, may not hire outside the EU, and may still decline to sponsor a particular hire.
Academic salaries follow the Dutch university collective agreement, so the figure is fixed and predictable — check the relevant scale against the criterion for your age band before applying. Some PhD positions are structured as scholarships rather than employment, which changes the permit route entirely.
The salary you would need to clear in 2026
The highly skilled migrant criterion is a gross monthly salary, excluding the 8% holiday allowance, and it does not vary by sector — the same figure applies whether you join a education & research employer or any other recognised sponsor.
| Situation | Gross per month (2026) |
|---|---|
| Highly skilled migrant, under 30 | €4,357 |
| Highly skilled migrant, 30 or over | €5,942 |
| Reduced criterion (orientation year / recent Dutch graduate) | €3,122 |
| EU Blue Card | €5,942 |
| EU Blue Card, reduced | €4,754 |
Not sure which line applies to you? Run the eligibility check — it works out your age band, route and gap against the criterion.
Recognised sponsors in Education & Research (page 2 of 2)
- Research Square B.V.
- Rotterdam School of Management
- Rudolf Steiner College
- Sas Institute B.V.
- Schothorst Feed Research B.V.
- SCS Training & Consultancy B.V.
- Seaborough Research B.V.
- Stichting ""Institute for International Criminal Investigations Foundation""
- Stichting American School of The Hague
- Stichting Design Academy Eindhoven
- Stichting EuroQol Research Foundation
- Stichting Groningen Confucius Institute
- Stichting Het Nieuwe Instituut
- Stichting Hivos (Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelings-Samenwerking)
- Stichting Hogeschool Leiden
- Stichting Hogeschool Rotterdam
- Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht
- Stichting Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion
- Stichting Internationaal & Lokaal Funderend Onderwijs
- Stichting International Institute for Environment and Development Europe
- Stichting Islamic University of Applied Sciences
- Stichting Jan IngenHousz Institute
- Stichting Katholiek Voortgezet Onderwijs Breda en omgeving / Skvob
- Stichting Limburgs Voortgezet Onderwijs, Samenwerkingsbestuur voor bijzonder en openbaar onderwijs
- Stichting Lucas Onderwijs
- Stichting Metabolic Institute
- Stichting Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid
- Stichting Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen ""Clingendael""
- Stichting Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
- Stichting Nord Anglia International School Rotterdam
- Stichting Oncode Institute
- Stichting Openbaar Voortgezet Onderwijs Tilburg
- Stichting Openbaar Voortgezet Onderwijs Utrecht en Omstreken
- Stichting PostAcademisch Onderwijs Techniek en Management
- Stichting Profundo Research
- Stichting Samen Ambitieus Rotterdam Onderwijs (SARO)
- Stichting SCOPE scholengroep voor (protestants-)christelijk en katholiek onderwijs te Alphen aan den
- Stichting SOMA College
- Stichting The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law
- Stichting Thermoplastic Composites Research Center
- Stichting Thomas More Hogeschool
- Stichting Transnational Institute
- Stichting University College Roosevelt
- Stichting Verenigde Scholen J.A. Alberdingk Thijm Voortgezet Onderwijs
- Stichting Vervangingsfonds en BGZ Onderwijs
- Stichting voor Voortgezet Onderwijs Kennemerland
- Stichting Wageningen Research
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
- The British School in the Netherlands
- The British School of Amsterdam
- The Hague Academy for Local Governance
- The International Butler Academy B.V.
- The Maastricht Forensic Institute B.V.
- Theologische Universiteit van de Nederlandse Gereformeerde Kerken
- Threshold Inspection & Application Training Europe B.V.
- TIAS Business School B.V.
- Topigs Norsvin Research Center
- Tower Research Capital Europe B.V.
- Traverse Research B.V.
- United World College Maastricht
- Universiteit Leiden
- Universiteit Maastricht
- Universiteit Nyenrode B.V.
- Universiteit Twente
- Universiteit Utrecht
- Universiteit van Amsterdam
- Universiteit van Tilburg
- University Industry Innovation Network B.V.
- Vereniging Christelijk Voortgezet Onderwijs Rotterdam en omstreken
- Virology Education B.V.
- Wageningen Universiteit/ Wageningen University
- Winc Academy B.V.
- Winford Bilingual School B.V.
- Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences B.V.
- ZiuZ Research B.V.
Other sectors
- IT, Software & Technology (704)
- Banking, Finance & Fintech (247)
- Engineering & Manufacturing (389)
- Healthcare & Life Sciences (252)
- Energy, Chemicals & Cleantech (257)
- Consulting & Business Services (187)
- Logistics & Supply Chain (217)
- Marketing, Media & Creative (178)
- Construction & Real Estate (132)
- Legal, Tax & Accounting (67)
- Food, Agriculture & Beverage (123)
- Hospitality & Leisure (86)
- Retail & E-Commerce (39)
- HR, Staffing & Recruitment (116)
- Wholesale & Trade (122)
Sector classification is ours, derived from the registered legal name, not something the IND publishes. Always confirm an employer on the official IND register.