Bringing international talent to the Netherlands has never been easier. As a certified IND sponsor with years of experience, we help highly skilled migrants move to the Netherlands, quickly, smoothly and without hassle.
And we do it with a personal touch: we’re available 24/7 for both you and your employee.
Bringing foreign employees to the Netherlands has never been easier. As a recognised referent and with our experience, we can bring the knowledge migrant to the Netherlands efficiently & hassle-free.
And we do it with a personal touch: we’re available 24/7 for both you and your employee.
Always personal contact
migration support
Get the right talent on board in no time
Certified
IND sponsor
“Expat” and “migrant worker” are general terms for foreign employees.
“Highly skilled international” refers to a specific category: non-EU professionals (including Swiss nationals) who come to the Netherlands for their specialist knowledge.
Their popularity is booming, and that’s no surprise.
There’s a growing shortage of highly educated professionals in the Netherlands, and hiring a highly skilled migrant is often the answer.
The Dutch government created a special highly skilled migrant scheme to make it easier for companies to hire qualified talent from abroad, fast, legally, and efficiently.
Only employers with official sponsor status from the IND (Immigration & Naturalisation Service) can hire highly skilled migrants. Becoming a certified sponsor is a complicated and costly process. Luckily, PAYSE is already a certified IND sponsor, and has been for years. We help businesses hire international talent with zero hassle.
Hiring a highly skilled migrant means meeting certain salary thresholds. For 2025, the monthly gross minimums (excluding 8% holiday pay) are:
Foreign employees often incur additional costs, such as housing or travel expenses. To accommodate employees in this regard, employers are allowed to pay 30 per cent of wages as tax-free allowances in many cases. This is called the 30% scheme. Knowledge migrants are almost always eligible for this.
Foreign employees often have extra expenses, like housing or travel costs. The 30% ruling allows you, as an employer, to pay up to 30% of the employee’s salary tax-free. Highly skilled migrants are usually eligible, which makes a big difference in net salary.
Across the European Union, many employers are struggling to find the right expertise within their own country. In cases like these, hiring a highly skilled migrant can be the perfect solution.
A highly skilled migrant is someone from outside the EU (excluding Romania and Bulgaria, but including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland) who is brought to the Netherlands by a company to work in a specialised role. Because this is a legally sensitive and tax-heavy process, having the right knowledge and experience is essential.
As an Approved Referee with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) is PAYSE enable the knowledge migrant to apply digitally and the procedure is expedited. Not only does PAYSE As a recognised sponsor with the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), PAYSE can register highly skilled migrants digitally, speeding up the entire process. We don’t just handle the IND application, we also take care of all the related admin and legal employer responsibilities. That means you can bring in top international talent quickly, efficiently, and without unnecessary hassle.
Across the European Union, many employers are struggling to find the right expertise within their own country. In cases like these, hiring a highly skilled migrant can be the perfect solution.
A highly skilled migrant is someone from outside the EU (excluding Romania and Bulgaria, but including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland) who is brought to the Netherlands by a company to work in a specialised role. Because this is a legally sensitive and tax-heavy process, having the right knowledge and experience is essential.
As an Approved Referrer with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Payse is able to apply digitally for the highly skilled migrant and the procedure is accelerated. Not only does Payse take over the procedure at the IND, we also arrange the administration and employership. This allows you to attract highly qualified employees from abroad and enables you to deploy the required employee quickly, efficiently and hassle-free.
PAYSE has a close partnership with Hillbrook Immigration and Maes Law to support and handle migration processes. Our partners support where necessary in the process of obtaining knowledge migrant status. Hillbrook Immigration interacts directly with the employee in this process to make the procedure as quick and efficient as possible. With Maes Law, we have a knowledge partner who was at the cradle of the knowledge migrant scheme.
Many expat students choose to stay in the Netherlands after graduation, and for good reason. The Dutch job market is attractive, the work environment is strong, and the open culture makes it easy to feel at home. For many of these students, staying in the Netherlands is a natural next step. They’ve built a local network, they feel settled, and they’re ready to start their careers.
Payroll solutions can play an important role here. For companies, it offers a flexible and efficient way to bring in new talent. For expat graduates, it creates easier access to the job market and more opportunities to find roles that match their skills and ambitions.
Without it, you can’t hire a highly skilled migrant, simple as that.
Your employee must meet general and specific requirements to obtain a residence permit.
Salaries must meet the annual minimum set by the Dutch government.
As mentioned, PAYSE is a certified IND sponsor, and we know the ins and outs of every rule, form, and requirement when it comes to hiring highly skilled migrants. We take care of the entire process from A to Z, for both you as the employer and the expat. And that comes with some serious benefits.
We also handle everything related to payroll and employment contracts. That means you, and your new specialist, don’t have to worry about a thing. Moving to another country is already stressful enough. Let us take care of the numbers, the contracts, and all the fine print. Even after onboarding, we stay involved. If the expat employee gets sick, we manage the contact with the company doctor and support the reintegration process, so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
You’ll get a response within one business day. Prefer to speak directly? Call Wouter at 033 303 7720.
Knowledge migrant scheme
The Netherlands has a dedicated scheme that makes it easier and faster for companies to bring highly skilled knowledge migrants, or expats, to the country.
In short, this scheme relaxes some of the usual entry requirements. While most non-EU workers need a work permit to be allowed to work in the Netherlands, knowledge migrants often don’t. They also benefit from a faster application process. That said, there are specific requirements that apply to both the employer and the expat.
Not every company can make use of the knowledge migrant scheme, and not every non-EU worker is automatically eligible. There are a few key conditions:
To work legally in the Netherlands, a foreign employee needs the right kind of permit. As the employer, you're the one who applies for the residence permit, but which one you need depends on the situation. There are several types of permits and visas, each with its own rules and use cases, including:
Certified Sponsor
As a sponsor, you’re legally required to report when:
Recognised IND sponsors benefit from a fast-track procedure when applying for residence permits for highly skilled migrants. That means the IND processes applications more quickly, so your new hire can start sooner. On top of that, less paperwork is required, and you’ll have a fixed point of contact at the IND, making the entire process smoother, faster, and far less stressful.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Hiring a foreign employee comes with responsibilities, and if you don’t meet all the legal and administrative requirements, that person may end up working illegally in the Netherlands without you even realising it. The Dutch tax authorities take this seriously and can issue hefty fines. That’s why many employers who want to do things right, and avoid financial or legal risks, choose to pay their international employees via PAYSE. It’s safe, compliant, and makes you a reliable employer for your knowledge migrant.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
09:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:00
Closed
Closed
Privacy policy | General terms and conditions | Chamber of Commerce: 6432 5415 | Designed by On The Rocks Media
