# Netherlands Orientation Year for Indian Graduates: Fee, Salary Rules > What the Dutch orientation year costs Indian graduates in 2026, where to check eligibility, and which salary thresholds apply when an employer hires you afterwards. _Published: 2026-11-02 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1055_ ## TL;DR The Dutch orientation year is a one-off IND residence permit for looking for work after graduating, a doctorate or research; the 2026 fee is EUR 254. If you are then hired as a highly skilled migrant, the reduced salary criterion of EUR 3,122 gross a month applies when the permit is applied for during the orientation year or within 3 years of graduating. ## Key takeaways - The orientation year is a one-off permit to look for work after graduation, a doctorate or research. - IND fee 2026: EUR 254 for a first application or change of purpose; no INR amount is published. - Reduced highly skilled migrant salary: EUR 3,122 a month in 2026, versus EUR 5,942 (30+) or EUR 4,357 (under 30). - Reduced EU Blue Card salary: EUR 4,754 a month if a recognised sponsor applies within 3 years of graduation. - Holiday allowance, payment in kind and irregular pay such as overtime or tips do not count towards the salary. **According to the IND, the Dutch orientation year residence permit costs EUR 254 in 2026. If your highly skilled migrant permit is then applied for during the orientation year, or within 3 years of graduating, the reduced salary criterion applies: EUR 3,122 gross a month in 2026, instead of EUR 5,942 (age 30+) or EUR 4,357 (under 30).** ## Article For Indians who have just finished a degree, a doctorate or a research post, the orientation year buys time to find a Dutch job. Its real value lies in what comes next: a much lower salary bar for your first skilled-work permit. This guide sets out the fee and the salary rules as published by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service), checked on 15 October 2026. For visit visas and other routes, see our Netherlands visa guide for Indians. ### What is the Dutch orientation year? It is a one-off residence permit for highly educated people who want to look for work in the Netherlands after graduating, completing a doctorate or doing research. 'One-off' matters: you cannot plan on a second orientation year later, so time it well. The IND shows the detailed eligibility conditions, such as which degrees and institutions qualify, only after you answer a nationality questionnaire on its website. Those conditions are not reproduced here. Open the IND orientation year page, select your nationality and check them before you rely on this permit. ### How much does the orientation year cost? The IND fee for 2026 is EUR 254 for a first application or a change of purpose. The IND publishes no rupee amount. The fee is the same for a change of purpose, the type of application you make if you already hold another Dutch residence permit, such as a student permit (valid for the course length plus 3 months). IND permitFee in 2026NoteOrientation yearEUR 254First application or change of purposeStudent residence permit incl. MVVEUR 254.00Paid to the institution, which pays the INDHighly skilled migrant incl. MVVEUR 423.00Paid by the employer (recognised sponsor)EU Blue CardEUR 423.00Not refunded if refusedEmployer recognition as IND sponsorEUR 5,080.00 (EUR 2,539.00 for up to 50 staff)One-off employer cost ### What salary must your first Dutch job pay? This is where the orientation year pays off. The IND's 2026 thresholds, all gross per month and excluding holiday allowance: PermitStandard 2026 thresholdReduced thresholdWhen the reduced figure appliesHighly skilled migrantEUR 5,942 (30 or over); EUR 4,357 (under 30)EUR 3,122Permit applied for during the orientation year, or within 3 years of the graduation or doctoral-defence date (or the end of the research permit)EU Blue CardEUR 5,942EUR 4,754The recognised sponsor applies within 3 years of graduationSingle permit (GVVA)EUR 2,337.00 gross SV salary (1 July to 31 December 2026)NoneAlso needs a UWV labour-market assessmentThe gap is large. A 31-year-old needs EUR 5,942 a month as a standard highly skilled migrant, but EUR 3,122 under the reduced criterion. These figures took effect on 1 January 2026, so check the IND's required-amounts page again in the year you are hired. ### What counts towards the salary, and what does not? The IND sets strict rules for the highly skilled migrant salary test: - The salary must be at market rate. - It must be paid monthly into a bank account in your name. - Holiday allowance does not count; the thresholds are quoted without it. - Payment in kind and irregular pay, such as overtime or tips, do not count. For the single permit, the IND gives the threshold both ways: EUR 2,337.00 without holiday allowance and EUR 2,523.96 with it. ### Highly skilled migrant or EU Blue Card after the orientation year? Highly skilled migrant: only an employer recognised by the IND as a sponsor can apply, and it pays the EUR 423.00 fee. No separate work permit is needed. The legal decision period is 90 days, but a complete application is often decided within 2 weeks. The IND's listed requirements do not include a Dutch-language test, and the permit runs for the contract length, up to 5 years. Your employer files the application in writing or online in the IND Business Portal, declaring that you meet the conditions; the supporting documents stay on file rather than being sent. After arrival you take a TB test unless your nationality is exempt. EU Blue Card: the employer does not have to be a recognised sponsor, but recognised sponsors get decisions within 30 days against 90 for others. You need a highly qualified job of at least 6 months and a higher-education diploma from a programme of at least 3 years, evaluated by Nuffic, or at least 5 years of relevant experience. With a reduced threshold of EUR 3,122 against EUR 4,754, the highly skilled migrant route is usually the easier salary test for recent graduates, provided your employer is a recognised sponsor. ### Mistakes that cost graduates the reduced salary rule - Letting 3 years pass after graduation before the employer files. - Counting holiday allowance, overtime or tips towards the threshold. - Accepting an offer from an employer that is not in the IND's public register of recognised sponsors, then expecting a highly skilled migrant permit. - Assuming eligibility without completing the IND's nationality questionnaire. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 to INR 3,000. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us. ### Frequently asked questions #### How long does the IND take to decide a highly skilled migrant permit? The legal decision period is 90 days, extendable by 30 days for a first application. With a recognised sponsor and a complete application, the IND aims to decide within 2 weeks. #### Where do I collect an MVV in India if my Dutch employer applies while I am at home? MVV stickers are collected by appointment at the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulates-General in Bangalore or Mumbai; you may use any of the three. A highly skilled migrant must collect it within 90 days of approval, with a passport valid at least 180 more days. #### Can I start working as soon as I arrive on a highly skilled migrant MVV? Yes. The IND says that with the MVV you may start work immediately after arrival. You then collect the residence permit at an IND desk, register at the town hall and take out Dutch health insurance within 4 months. #### Is the orientation year fee charged in rupees? No. The IND publishes the EUR 254 fee in euro only, and no INR amount is published. ## FAQ ### How long does the IND take to decide a highly skilled migrant permit? The legal decision period is 90 days, extendable by 30 days for a first application. With a recognised sponsor and a complete application, the IND aims to decide within 2 weeks. ### Where do I collect an MVV in India if my Dutch employer applies while I am at home? MVV stickers are collected by appointment at the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulates-General in Bangalore or Mumbai; you may use any of the three. A highly skilled migrant must collect it within 90 days of approval, with a passport valid at least 180 more days. ### Can I start working as soon as I arrive on a highly skilled migrant MVV? Yes. The IND says that with the MVV you may start work immediately after arrival. You then collect the residence permit at an IND desk, register at the town hall and take out Dutch health insurance within 4 months. ### Is the orientation year fee charged in rupees? No. The IND publishes the EUR 254 fee in euro only, and no INR amount is published. ## Sources 1. [IND - Residence permit for orientation year](https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands 2. [IND - Required amounts income requirements (2026)](https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands 3. [IND - Fees: costs of an application](https://ind.nl/en/fees-costs-of-an-application) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands 4. [IND brochure - Residence permit for work as a highly skilled migrant (June 2026)](https://ind.nl/en/forms/3072.pdf) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands