Highly skilled migrants: salary thresholds for 2026 and possible stricter rules

Publication date 18 December 2025

The salary thresholds for highly skilled migrants and European Blue Card holders are adjusted annually. What will be the amounts for 2026? Also, stricter rules for the highly skilled migrant scheme are proposed. What might change?

Salary thresholds for 2026

The salary thresholds for highly skilled migrants and European Blue Card holders are adjusted annually. The official amounts are usually published at the end of the calendar year. Based on the current indexation, the following gross monthly salary thresholds (excluding 8% holiday allowance) are expected to apply as of 1 January 2026:

Highly skilled migrants of 30 years or older	€ 5,942
Highly skilled migrants younger than 30	€ 4,357
Highly skilled migrants after orientation year	€ 3,122
European Blue Card holders	€ 5,942
European Blue Card holders within three years after graduating from higher education	€ 4,754

These amounts will apply to all applications submitted on or after 1 January 2026.

Stricter rules for the highly skilled migrant scheme

In July 2025, the Dutch cabinet has announced its intention to tighten the highly skilled migrant scheme. The aim is to promote targeted migration, prevent abuse and ensure that admitted talent makes a contribution to the Dutch knowledge economy. The most important proposed changes are as follows:

Changes to salary criteria: the government is considering increasing the threshold amount for highly skilled migrants aged under 30 years to 1,1 times the national average gross salary, and for those of 30 years of older to 1,3 times the national average gross salary. In addition, the cabinet proposes to limit the reduced salary threshold for recent graduates to a maximum of three years after graduation.
Stricter requirements for companies: to apply for a residence permit for a highly skilled migrant, a company must be a recognised sponsor. A company that has been fined three or more times in the past four years for tax offences, failure to pay the statutory minimum wage and/or use of illegal labour may no longer qualify as a recognised sponsor. In addition, a company may lose its status as a recognised sponsor if it has not employed any highly skilled migrants for at least two years.

These proposals are not yet in force and are therefore not included in the figures for 2026. The measures are currently being further examined for their effectiveness and efficiency.

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