Short answer: Yes
If a company on the IND sponsor register offers you a salary above the floor for your age band, the Highly Skilled Migrant is the standard route, with processing of 1–2 months. You cannot apply on your own: the employer files the application.
The programmes that apply to software engineers in the Netherlands
Fees, salary floors and processing times below come from the official sources in Transita's visa database. Processing is an estimate from the published figure, not a promise.
| Programme | Fee | Salary floor | Processing | Job offer | PR after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Skilled Migrant | $380 | EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr) | 1–2 months | Yes | 5 years |
| EU Blue Card (Netherlands) | $460 | EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr) | 1–3 months | Yes | 5 years |
| Orientation Year (Zoekjaar) | $215 | None set | 1–2 months | No | 5 years |
Highly Skilled Migrant headline floor: gross per month for applicants aged 30 or over, excluding holiday allowance.
EU Blue Card (Netherlands) headline floor: gross per month, excluding holiday allowance.
Highly Skilled Migrant alternative floor: EUR 52,284/yr (applicants under 30).
Highly Skilled Migrant alternative floor: EUR 37,464/yr (reduced criterion: orientation-year and recent-graduate hires).
EU Blue Card (Netherlands) alternative floor: EUR 57,048/yr (reduced salary criterion).
- Highly Skilled Migrant: The route almost every Dutch tech employer uses. The salary floor depends on your age, with a reduced floor for recent graduates, listed under the table.
- EU Blue Card (Netherlands): The EU-wide alternative for degree holders. In our data it has the same headline salary floor as the HSM permit and a higher fee.
- Orientation Year (Zoekjaar): Only for recent graduates of Dutch programmes or top-ranked universities abroad. It gives you time to find work and qualifies you for the reduced HSM floor afterwards.
The salary floor for your age
The headline HSM floor is EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr). Younger applicants and recent graduates have lower floors, which our data lists as: EUR 52,284/yr (applicants under 30); EUR 37,464/yr (reduced criterion: orientation-year and recent-graduate hires). IND says the agreed salary also has to be in line with the market rate, so a lowball offer that scrapes over the floor can still be questioned.
For a junior developer this matters a lot. An offer that works at one age can fall short a year later, so check the floor for the age you will be when the employer applies.
Who applies, and do you need a degree?
IND is explicit that only an employer it has recognised can apply for your highly skilled migrant permit, and the employer applies for the entry visa (MVV) and residence permit together. The same page sets no general degree requirement for software roles. A self-taught engineer with a qualifying offer can use this route.
The Blue Card is different: it is built around higher education, so it only makes sense if you have a degree. Its fee is $460 against $380 for the HSM permit.
Timeline to permanent residence
The HSM permit is issued for up to 5 years and leads to permanent residence after 5 years. If you lose your job, IND gives you a search period to find a new recognised sponsor before the permit is at risk, so changing employers is possible as long as the new one is on the register.
Who sponsors software engineers in the Netherlands
The deciding list is IND's own public register of recognised sponsors. Search the company name under the Work category before you spend time on interviews. If an employer is not on it, they can apply for recognition, but that adds weeks before your permit application can start.
The Transita sponsor register collects the official sponsor lists we hold, so you can check an employer before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move to the Netherlands as a software engineer without a job offer?
Generally no, unless you qualify for the Orientation Year as a recent graduate of a Dutch programme or a top-ranked university abroad. The Highly Skilled Migrant permit needs an employer on the IND sponsor register.
What salary does a software engineer need for the Dutch Highly Skilled Migrant permit?
The headline floor is EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr). Lower floors apply by age and for recent graduates: EUR 52,284/yr (applicants under 30); EUR 37,464/yr (reduced criterion: orientation-year and recent-graduate hires).
Do I need a degree to work as a developer in the Netherlands?
Not for the Highly Skilled Migrant permit: IND sets no general degree requirement for it. The EU Blue Card does require higher education.
How long does the Highly Skilled Migrant permit take?
Processing is typically 1–2 months as an estimate, once the recognised sponsor has filed the application.
Can I change employers on a Dutch HSM permit?
Yes, as long as the new employer is also a recognised sponsor and meets the salary floor. If you lose your job, IND gives you a limited search period to find one.
Related guides
- Can I Move to the Netherlands as an Accountant? HSM Route 2026
- Can I Move to the Netherlands as a Teacher? Permits and Recognition 2026
- Can I Move to Germany as a Software Engineer? Blue Card 2026
- Can I Move to the UAE as a Software Engineer? Visa Options 2026
- Can I Move to Singapore as a Software Engineer? EP and ONE Pass 2026
- Every visa route to the Netherlands
Check your Dutch offer against the floor for your age
Transita reads your age, salary and degree and tells you which Dutch permit fits, then lists the documents the employer and you each need. Answer 8 questions and your routes, documents and dates are set up for you. Free.
Build my workspaceofficial sources: Kennismigrant · ind.nl·EU Blue Card NL · ind.nl·Zoekjaar Highly Educated Persons · ind.nl