EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is a European work and residence permit for highly educated third-country nationals. It provides not only access to the Dutch labour market, but also enhanced mobility rights across participating EU countries.
EU Blue Card – Two-Tier Salary Threshold (Netherlands, 2025)
The standard threshold for EU Blue Card holders in the Netherlands is:
- EUR 5,688 gross per month (excluding 8% holiday allowance)
However, a reduced threshold applies under certain conditions:
- EUR 4,812 gross per month
This applies to non-EU nationals who:
- Hold a Dutch university degree, or
- Have obtained a Dutch higher education diploma within the past three years (typically recent graduates)
This reduced threshold is designed to attract recent international graduates from Dutch institutions into the labour market — similar to the kennismigrant scheme for recent graduates.
We assist with:
- Academic qualification verification
- Multi-country planning for intra-EU mobility
- Long-term residence strategies and renewals
The EU Blue Card is particularly useful for companies with pan-European operations and talent strategies.