Moving to the Netherlands from the US, Canada or the UK

For Americans who want to run their own business, professionals hired by a Dutch employer, recent graduates and students. The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, the 2026 salary figures, and the citizenship rules to know before you go.

The Netherlands has a low-cost route for Americans who want to work for themselves: the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty. For everyone else, the main routes start with a job, a degree or a study place. There is no retirement route in our table. This guide covers the routes for US, Canadian and UK citizens and what to watch.

How it works: no entry visa for US, Canadian or UK citizens

Most non-Europeans need a provisional residence permit (MVV), an entry visa, before they move. US, Canadian and UK citizens do not. You apply for the residence permit itself with the IND, the Dutch immigration service. For work routes, your employer usually files for you. The IND must decide within 90 days, although it can extend that.

The main ways in

Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) (US citizens only). This fits Americans who want to freelance or run a business in the Netherlands. For most business forms, you must invest at least EUR 4,500 in your Dutch business. You also register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK). First-time applicants must register and invest within six months of the decision letter, or the IND may revoke the permit. The treaty covers four situations: trading between the Netherlands and the US, holding a key position at a US business in the Netherlands, practising an independent profession, or investing substantial capital in a Dutch business. Independent professionals cannot work for the Dutch government or in healthcare. The first permit lasts up to two years, and the fee is EUR 423. Japanese citizens have a parallel treaty.

Highly skilled migrant. This fits professionals hired by an employer that the IND has recognised as a sponsor. Only such an employer can apply. In 2026 the gross monthly salary must be at least:

Holiday allowance does not count toward the salary. The permit lasts as long as your contract, up to five years. The fee is EUR 423, and each family member costs EUR 254.

EU Blue Card. This fits degree holders with a Dutch job of at least six months. It is useful when the employer is not a recognised sponsor. The 2026 salary floor is EUR 5,942 a month gross, or EUR 4,754 under the reduced criterion. The fee is EUR 423.

Orientation year. This gives recent graduates of Dutch universities, and of certain top-ranked universities abroad, a year to look for work. If you then get a job offer, the lower EUR 3,122 highly skilled migrant salary applies. The fee is EUR 254. Check the eligibility rules with the IND, as we could not re-read its page.

Student permit. Your university applies for you. In 2026 you must show EUR 1,130.77 a month for university or higher professional education. The fee is EUR 254.

Working holiday (Canadian citizens only). Canadians aged 18 to 30 can spend up to a year in the Netherlands on a working holiday. The fee is EUR 85, and the permit cannot be extended. The US and the UK are not part of the scheme. Our routes table does not list this route yet.

Self-employment for Canadians and Britons. The general self-employed permit scores your experience, your business plan and your value to the Netherlands. Independent professionals are assessed differently. Our routes table does not list this route yet, so check the IND page before you plan around it.

See every route below for the full rules on each.

What to watch

• Naturalisation may get longer. Today you can apply after five consecutive years with a valid residence permit. In September 2025, the government proposed raising this to ten years. It is a draft bill, not law, and it still has to pass parliament.
• The 30% ruling shrinks in 2027. Employers can pay up to 30% of salary tax-free to qualifying staff recruited from abroad in 2026. From 2027 the cap drops to 27%.
• Fees and salary floors change every January. The figures here are for 2026.

Money, tax and health care

The expat scheme, often called the 30% ruling, is the biggest tax question for employees. It applies to paid employment only, so self-employed DAFT holders do not use it. In 2026 you must earn more than EUR 48,013 a year, or EUR 36,497 if you are under 30 with a master’s degree. You must also be recruited from outside the Netherlands. A decision lasts up to five years, less any earlier time living or working in the Netherlands.

Use our visa cost calculator to add up fees for your family. Our cost of living in the Netherlands page compares national averages with home, and the cost of living calculator prices your own spending.

US citizens still file US tax returns wherever they live. Speak to a tax adviser who knows both systems before you move.

Timeline and your first weeks

1. Pick your route. For a job, check that your employer is a recognised sponsor. For DAFT, plan your business form and your EUR 4,500 investment.
2. Apply to the IND. Employers and universities apply for you. DAFT applicants apply themselves.
3. Travel and follow the IND’s instructions for your route. Until you hold a residence permit, the Schengen 90/180 rule limits your stay. Our 90/180 rule guide explains the count.
4. Set up your business or start work. DAFT applicants have six months from the decision to register with the KvK and invest.

What catches people out

• Dutch citizenship usually means giving up your old one. Applicants must renounce their current nationality unless an exemption applies. They must also pass a civic integration exam at language level A2 or higher.
• DAFT is for Americans only. Canadians and Britons need a job, a study place or the general self-employed permit.
• The sponsor matters. A highly skilled migrant permit needs an IND-recognised employer. Without one, look at the Blue Card.
• Our table has no retirement route. We have not verified one for US, Canadian or UK citizens, so we do not describe it here.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm each requirement with the IND before you apply.