1. Main Visa and Work Permit Types

The table covers the principal types discussed in this guide and is not an exhaustive list of all visa categories.

1. Short-Term Tourism and Business Visits

Holders of ordinary Chinese passports generally need an applicable Schengen Type C visa for short tourism or business visits to the Netherlands. A short Schengen stay is generally limited to a cumulative maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period, counting time spent across multiple Schengen countries.

Visa validity and number of entries are not the same as the period of stay actually authorized. A short-term visit does not automatically grant the right to work. Even if an activity may qualify for a work-permit exemption, the conditions under Dutch law must still be met.

Whether an activity qualifies as a visit depends on the actual work performed, not merely the itinerary name or where salary is paid. Equipment installation, repairs, training, and on-site client services require particular confirmation as to whether a work permit or a specific exemption applies.

2. Highly Skilled Migrant Residence (Kennismigrant)

This residence pathway applies to non-EU highly skilled professionals employed by a sponsor recognized by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

The applicant must be employed by a recognized sponsor and have a genuine role and employment contract. In addition to meeting the applicable monetary threshold, the salary must be at market level.

The 2026 gross monthly salary thresholds exclude holiday allowance. The threshold is €5,942 for applicants aged 30 or older and €4,357 for applicants under 30. Applicants meeting certain graduate or orientation-year conditions may qualify for the reduced threshold of €3,122.

The permit is granted for the employment-contract term, up to a maximum of five years, and may be renewed while the salary and recognized-sponsor requirements continue to be met.

When changing employers, the new employer generally must also be a recognized sponsor. The job-search period after unemployment is generally three months. From May 22, 2026, people meeting conditions including holding the permit for at least two years may qualify for a six-month period, but it cannot exceed the remaining validity of the existing permit.

3. European Blue Card

The European Blue Card is for highly skilled, highly paid employees who want to work in the Netherlands and value mobility within the EU or advantages toward long-term EU residence.

The applicant must have a highly skilled employment contract lasting at least six months and qualifying education or professional experience. The 2026 gross monthly salary threshold is €5,942, or €4,754 for eligible recent graduates, and the salary must also be at market level.

The employer does not need to be a sponsor recognized by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service but must still comply with the employer obligations applicable to this pathway.

The card is generally issued for the employment-contract term plus three months, up to a maximum of five years, and may be renewed while the eligibility and salary conditions continue to be met.

After a change of employer, cross-border mobility, or unemployment, the special European Blue Card rules must be followed. Notification procedures or job-search conditions from other work-residence categories do not automatically apply.

4. Single Permit for Residence and Work (GVVA)

The GVVA applies to ordinary paid employment where the applicant does not qualify through the Highly Skilled Migrant, European Blue Card, ICT, or another special pathway.

The applicant must have a genuine Dutch employer and position and meet the applicable recruitment and labor-market conditions, salary requirements, and employment conditions.

The GVVA combines residence and work authorization but does not eliminate the applicable review by the labor authority.

The GVVA may be valid for up to three years, subject to the labor authority’s opinion and the specific employment-contract term. The holder may work only for the employer and under the conditions listed in the supplementary document.

Renewal or a change of employer requires the appropriate new application or approval. After employment ends, the previous sponsorship relationship and the new basis for residence and work must also be addressed.

2. Entry, Dependants, and Other Arrangements

Visas, work approvals, and residence documents should match the person’s actual activities, and their validity periods should be coordinated. A pending application, employment contract, or invitation letter cannot be treated as proof that entry, residence, or work has already been authorized.

1. Family members of Highly Skilled Migrants: Eligible family members may apply separately to accompany the holder. Approved family residence generally permits work, subject to the annotation and validity on each family member’s residence card.
2. Family members of European Blue Card holders: Eligible family members may apply to accompany the holder under the applicable conditions. Approved family residence generally permits work, but every family member must hold their own valid residence status and comply with the card conditions.
3. Family members of GVVA holders: Residence eligibility and work rights must be determined from the family member’s own residence card and annotation and cannot be inferred directly from the principal applicant’s GVVA.
4. Study, transit, and other personal statuses: Each category has separate conditions, and the principal applicant’s permit cannot be used directly as a family member’s entry or employment document.

3. Renewals, Changes, Termination, and Status Maintenance

Before expiry, check separately whether the visa, work authorization, residence documents, and family documents require extension. If the employer, position, work location, employment contract, or assignment arrangement changes, confirm the notification, amendment, or new-application requirements under the pathway actually used.

4. How sailglobal Can Support You

If a company plans to send personnel to the Netherlands for a business visit, local employment, a short-term project, or accompanying-family arrangements, sailglobal can help clarify the potentially applicable pathway and application requirements based on the individual’s status, job duties, and specific travel arrangements.

Visa, work permit, and residence applications are independently reviewed by the relevant competent authorities. sailglobal does not guarantee an approval outcome or a fixed issuance date.