Procedures
A non-European Union national
As a business visitor, you will need a visa in most cases, when you wish to visit the Netherlands for less than 3 months. The application for a short stay visa can be made at the consulate in your country of residence.
When you wish to stay and work in the Netherlands for more than 3 months, you need a residence permit and in most cases, a MVV (provisional residence permit).
The MVV is a special visa you must obtain before entering the Netherlands.
Foreign businessmen who require an MVV to enter the Netherlands for a longer stay than 3 months can start work immediately upon registration at the IND because the eligibility for a residence permit was already determined during the MVV process in their home country.
Some nationals do not need the MVV to enter the Netherlands for a planned stay of longer than 3 months.
They are nationals of:
Nationals of countries who don’t require an entry visa (MVV) to enter the Netherlands may not start work as a highly skilled knowledge migrant until the residence permit application is approved. In order to overcome this, the applicant can voluntarily submit for an entry visa (MVV) in his/her home country. Upon arrival in the Netherlands, the highly skilled knowledge migrant will be allowed to work after the submission for the residence permit.
Labour migrants who have obtained their work permits are permitted to work as soon as the residence permit application have been filed with the IND.
The residence permit is normally granted when a work permit is issued providing all the requirements for the former is also met. If you are allowed to work in the Netherlands, your spouse/partner is usually allowed to work as well. The maximum length of a work permit is three years.
People who have worked in the Netherlands for the consecutive period of 3 years and have not changed their residence to another place outside the Netherlands during this period, may be exempted from the work permit requirement, thereafter. An application to the tax authorities for a social security/tax number (BSN nummer) would be imperative when you want to work in the Netherlands.
European Union nationals »
Highly Skilled Knowledge Migrants »
