The Dutch government has announced additional investments into the Dutch startup and scale up policy worth €65 million over the next four years. The newly announced regulations include a pilot for a new type of residence permit for essential, non-EU startup staff.

The goal of this pilot is to attract more personnel with digital and technical skills from abroad, and to allow startups and scale ups to hire such skilled non-EU employees without having to pay high, set salaries as is required for highly skilled migrants and Blue Card holders. The new type of residence permit should be available before the summer of 2020.

Additionally, the government has announced free access to the Dutch labor market for family members of non-EU entrepreneurs. Currently, such family members are only allowed to work as entrepreneurs and a separate work permit is required for them to take up paid employment. Their free access to the labor market should be effective early 2020.

The involved ministries will inform parliament about the announced measures in more detail shortly.

For more information please contact Eline van Deijck.