EU/EEA/Swiss free movement — employee

You are a citizen of the Union if you are a national of one of the member states of the European Union (EU). Nationals of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland have the same rights as citizens of the Union.

You are economically active if you are an employee or entrepreneur.  To stay in the Netherlands for a longer period of time, you require to carry out genuine and effective work. This is the case in the following situations: Your income is at least 50% of the social assistance benefit amount applicable to you.

You work for at least 40% of the normal full working week. Is your income lower or do you work fewer hours than that? Then your work can still be considered as genuine and effective. The IND considers other aspects in your situation. For example, whether your salary payments continue if you are on holiday or sick.

Will you remain employed by your foreign employer? Then you are probably a posted worker. You work in the Netherlands on the basis of free movement of services.

Are you still looking for work? Then you must show that during the first 6 months you were registered as a job seeker with the Employee Insurance Agency (in Dutch: Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen or UWV ).

If you have not found a job within 6 months, you must show that you have a good chance of finding a job in the Netherlands.

You do not need a residence permit to live in the Netherlands. Your valid travel document (passport or ID card) issued by an EU/EEA country or Switzerland serves as proof of lawful residence in the Netherlands. You do not need to register with the IND.

You are free to work in the Netherlands. Your employer does not need a work permit

During this period, citizen of a EU/EEA country or Switzerland can stay up to 3 months in the Netherlands without any additional requirements. You only need a valid travel document (passport or ID card) issued by an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.

Are you going to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 4 months? Then register yourself as soon as possible at your local town hall (in Dutch: gemeente ). Your details will then be included in the Personal Records Database (in Dutch: Basisregistratie Personen or BRP

Take out a health insurance within 4 months of arriving in the Netherlands.

You are only required to register with the IND if you previously lived legally in the Netherlands as an EU citizen and the IND ended your residency.

You are the spouse or registered partner of the Union citizen. You are the unmarried partner of the Union citizen. You have lived together for at least 6 continuous months before the application or decision.

You have had a sustainable relationship together for at least 6 months before the the application or decision.

You are the child, (great)grandchild or adoptive child of the Union citizen. Or of the spouse or registered partner of the Union citizen. And of of the following requirements apply to you: You are younger than 21 years old, or You are 21 years old or older and you depend financially on the Union citizen

You are the parent or (great)grandparent of the Union citizen. Or of the spouse or registered partner of the Union citizen. You depend financially on the Union citizen

You are another family member of the Union citizen. Or of the spouse or registered partner of the Union citizen. For example an uncle, aunt or cousin. At least 1 of the following situations applies to you:

You do not have the nationality of an EU or EEA country, or Switzerland.

With the EU/EEA residence document, you are allowed to work. You do not need a work permit.

The residence document is valid for 5 years.

Have you been staying in the Netherlands for 5 years? And have you fulfilled the residency conditions over that 5-year period? Then you have permanent residency. You will not lose your residency entitlement in the Netherlands, if you apply for social benefits.

You have been living in the Netherlands continuously for 5 or more years at the time of application. During that time, you worked or you had enough money to live on.

You retired at pension age or earlier You have been living in the Netherlands continuously for 3 years. You worked in the Netherlands in the final 12 months. You stopped working because you retired at pension age. Or you retired early. You are permanently unable to work You have lived in the Netherlands for over 2 years and were working until you became unable to work. You stopped working because you became permanently unable to work. You are permanently unable to work because of an accident at work or work-related illness You stopped working because you had an accident at work. Or work-related illness has made you permanently unable to work. For this reason, you are receiving a benefit (WAO or WIA). You are living in the Netherlands but are working as a frontier worker in another EU / EEA country or Switzerland Before you started working in the other country, you lived and worked continuously in the Netherlands for more than 3 years. You are still living in the Netherlands and return to your home in the Netherlands at least once a week.

Your residence document is valid for 10 years and you can renew it every 10 years.