The provisional salary thresholds for highly skilled migrants and EU Blue Card holders for 2026 have been announced. As is customary, the final amounts will not be determined until the end of the calendar year, but based on the current indexation, the figures below can already be expected.
Provisional salary thresholds as of 1 January 2026
(gross per month, excluding 8% holiday pay)
| Category | Salary 2026 (pm) |
|---|---|
| Highly skilled migrant aged 30 or older | € 5.937,- |
| Highly skilled migrant under the age of 30 | € 4.354,- |
| Highly skilled migrant after orientation year | € 3.120,- |
| EU Blue Card | € 5.937,- |
| EU Blue Card (within 3 years of graduation) | € 4.750,- |
These amounts apply to all applications submitted from 1 January 2026 onwards.
Cabinet’s announced plans for the future, potentially significant impact
In a letter to parliament dated July 2025, the government announced its intention to tighten up the highly skilled migrant scheme. The aim is to promote targeted migration, prevent abuse and only admit talent that truly contributes to the Dutch knowledge economy.
Possible future changes (not yet implemented):
- Salary criteria based on a factor of the average gross annual salary (instead of fixed amounts)
- ≥30 years: minimum 1.3× average salary
- <30 years: minimum 1.1× average salary
- Recent graduates: alignment with starting salaries in the Netherlands
- EU Blue Card threshold will also be raised (same as 1.3× / 1.1× model)
- Reduced salary thresholds (e.g. for young talent or gap years) are temporary rather than structural (e.g. max. 3 years after graduation).
These proposals are not yet in force and are therefore not included in the figures for 2026.
Reaction from the market. Manifesto against proposed increases
The employers’ organisations ABU and NBBU have issued a joint manifesto against the government’s plans. According to them:
- Will it become more difficult for the Netherlands to attract international talent?
- Does a generic pay rise lead to inequality between sectors?
- Should policy be aligned with actual labour market shortages rather than general barriers?
- Should the government work together with employers to strengthen the knowledge economy, rather than hindering it?
The manifesto has now been signed by various large companies, including secondment agencies, EOR service providers and employers who themselves employ highly skilled migrants.
We are closely monitoring developments.
We will publish an update as soon as the final amounts or policy changes are published (expected in December 2025).