advocaat Hoofddorp Singh raaijmakers

Corporate immigration law

Singh Raaijmakers Lawyers is one of the largest and most successful firms in the Netherlands specialising in corporate immigration law. We assist many national and international companies in various industries, and our long-standing experience ensures that procedures do not take longer than strictly necessary. With our support, a work permit can be arranged for the Netherlands in just two weeks. This often takes three months in many other EU countries.

Singh Raaijmakers Lawyers works with the best immigration lawyers in Europe. This means we can also assist with cross-border services or with a residence permit for you and your family linked to an investment, the so-called Golden Visa.

Labour migration to the Netherlands is strictly regulated

Enforcement of the Aliens Employment Act (WAV) is strictly regulated in the Netherlands. Unless you are a resident of the EU or are closely related to an EU resident, you require both a residence permit and a work permit.

Various schemes are available for the following.

  • Short-term stays of up to three months as well as stays for longer than three months
  • Highly educated migrants and other migrant workers
  • Transfer of employees within a corporate group
  • Secondment within the EU of employees with a residence permit
  • Entrepreneurs and investors

A brief outline of the main schemes

  • Schemes for highly educated migrants

    • An employee, specialist, trainee or intern posted to the Netherlands as part of an international corporate group may be eligible for a combined work and residence permit (GVVA) under the European Intra-Corporate Transfers Directive (EU ICT Directive). Find out more
    • The Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme is the quickest and easiest procedure for recruiting highly skilled personnel from outside the EU. Special rules apply to scientists, guest lecturers and trainee doctors. Find out more
    • Although the EU Blue Card has stricter conditions than the Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme, in certain cases it can offer interesting benefits for both employers and employees. Find out more
    • Employers in the EU can transfer their non-European employees to the Netherlands to work on a temporary basis. Under the Services Notification Procedure for EU Service Providers, no separate work permit is required. Find out more
    • Under certain conditions, the International Trade Scheme allows companies to transfer foreign employees to the Netherlands to perform specialist or managerial work without requiring a work permit for non-EU nationals (TWV, see ‘Schemes for other migrant workers’ below). Find out more
    Students from outside the EU who have graduated from a Dutch university or from one of the top 200 universities abroad can apply for a so-called orientation year. Foreign nationals who have carried out scientific research in the Netherlands are also eligible. This permit allows people to stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of one year and to work without a work permit for non-EU nationals. A reduced salary requirement of €2,272 gross per month (excluding 8% holiday allowance) applies for the orientation year (index 2017).

  • Schemes for other migrant workers

    • Do you want to hire a foreign employee who already has a residence permit, or is the period of work shorter than three months (90 days)? If so, a work permit for non-EU nationals (TWV) is sufficient. This also applies to residents of Croatia: as EU citizens, Croatian nationals do not need a residence permit. Find out more
    • With the combined work and residence permit (GVVA), a foreign employee is entitled to reside and work in the Netherlands. Find out more
    • Young people between 18 and 30 from Canada, New Zealand, Australia or Argentina can stay in the Netherlands for up to 12 months for holiday and work experience. No residence permit is required. This scheme is known as the Dutch Working Holiday Visa and offers companies an interesting opportunity to hire foreign employees. Find out more

  • Schemes for entrepreneurs and investors

    • A points system exists for entrepreneurs, independent artists and athletes who want to set up business in the Netherlands. Japanese and US entrepreneurs benefit from significantly more flexible admission conditions. Find out more
    • The Golden Visa offers foreign investors who make a specific investment in an EU country a residence permit for that country. The visa allows investors to move freely throughout the Schengen countries. Find out more

Support for corporate immigration

There are various possibilities for companies in the Netherlands to recruit migrant workers from abroad. Each scheme has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your company and your needs. Due to the multitude of schemes and treaties, professional support for corporate immigration is highly recommended.