As already announced in our article of November 20th, as of 1 January 2020 family members of self-employed persons will have free access to the Dutch labour market and can therefore work in employment. Family members of self-employed persons that do not have free access to the Dutch labour market yet, can apply to change their residence permit according to the new rules mentioned above.

The new residence card will indicate that work in employment is allowed. From that moment onwards, family members of foreign nationals residing in the Netherlands with a permit for self-employment will be able to work in paid employment without having to obtain a work permit. 

Until now, sponsored family members of a holder of a residence permit for self-employed work were not able to work in employment without obtaining a separate work permit. They were only allowed to work in self-employment themselves as well. These rules will be more lenient starting 1 January 2020.

Would you like to change your residence permit as indicated above? Please contact Vera Kidjan or Thomas van Houwelingen.