Does a small business pay full fee when expanses beyond 50 employees?

No, you pay the fee depending on your size during the time of application. Nevertheless, you should disclose the noteworthy changes with the IND in the context of a reporting responsibility (Informatieplicht).

Is it possible to bill the visa fee of 423 Eur to the employee?

It is not necessarily illegal in every situation, but it is bad practice, and can be incompatible with the Duty of Care (Zorgplicht). This is a typical cost of recruitment that most of the known sponsors meet.

What is a VOG of organizations?

The VOG (Certificate of Good Conduct)- of the company or directors working in the company, can be demanded during the recognition process to demonstrate that the entity cannot be a threat to the order of society.

Netherlands Employer Sponsorship Fees 2026

International talent as a growth strategy is a potent tool in hiring foreign talent in the Netherlands; however, the financial situation in 2026 is more complicated. The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) have adopted an increase in indexation of government charges by 4.4 percent on January 1, 2026, and strict new documentation requirements.

To HR departments and business owners, what the Netherlands employer sponsorship fees will be in 2026 is no longer a matter of first check but the matter of audit preparedness in the long run. This guide separates the required expenses, administrative overheads, and the key Bank Statement Rule all Recognized Sponsors (Erkend Referent) have had to adhere to.

Employer-Paid Individual Permit Filing Fees

The individual visa applications are usually paid by the employer once they are realized. These charges have been pegged in 2026 according to the CAO-lonen (Collective Labor Agreement) inflation of wages.

Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) Application 2026: €423.
Cost 2026 filing an European Blue Card: 423.
Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) Permit: 423.
Permit Extension Fee: 423 (Applies to HSM, Blue Card and ICT renewals)
Transfer of Sponsor Fee: €423(Moved between one recognized company to another)
Administrative & Compliance “Soft” Costs: The New 2026 Requirements.

This year has not witnessed the greatest change in terms of fee but the evidence of payment of the salary. Beginning January 2026, the IND will not need only payslips.

The Bank Statement Retention Rule

Recognized sponsors should now have evidence showing that the salary was in fact deposited to a bank account in the name of the employee.11 This shall consist of:

Bank account statements of the transfer in business bank accounts.
Use of automated payroll Batch gives an overview of paying.
Obligatory 5-year record keeping upon the end of the sponsorship.

Loss of such records might lead to huge fines or even loss of your sponsorship status.15 which would be an IND audit-readiness cost since now, HR teams need to make sure that payroll and banking information are flawlessly aligned.

2026 Salary Threshold Compliance

In order to keep up with the sponsorship, you should satisfy the indexation of salaries 2026.16 Paying less than these gross monthly amounts (without 8 percentage holiday allowance) will automatically nullify the visa.

Migrant 30 Years and Above: €5,942/month.
Migrant Under 30 Years: €4,357/month
Reduced Salary Criterion: €3,122/month (Recent graduates or holder of orientation year)
Market Rate (Marktconformiteit): IND could also ask to have a market benchmark to make sure that the salary is not unnaturally overstated or understated.

Professional Service and legal fees

Due to the fact that an error will cause a 5 years restriction on the employment of foreign talent, most companies subcontract the exercise.

Recognition Application Consultancy: 2000-5000 as a first time installation.
Application Fee (30%): This is frequently carried out as an employee corporate benefit (€500 1500).
Immigration attorney fees: Project a budget of between 250 and 450/hour in complicated cases or RFE (Request for evidence) responses.

FAQs

Does a small business pay full fee when expanses beyond 50 employees?
No, you pay the fee depending on your size during the time of application. Nevertheless, you should disclose the noteworthy changes with the IND in the context of a reporting responsibility (Informatieplicht).
Is it possible to bill the visa fee of 423 Eur to the employee?
It is not necessarily illegal in every situation, but it is bad practice, and can be incompatible with the Duty of Care (Zorgplicht). This is a typical cost of recruitment that most of the known sponsors meet.
What is a VOG of organizations?
The VOG (Certificate of Good Conduct)- of the company or directors working in the company, can be demanded during the recognition process to demonstrate that the entity cannot be a threat to the order of society.

Final Thoughts

Being an IND Recognized Sponsor is a prestigious award in 2026, yet this means that it needs to be carefully planned financially. The total cost of employment has changed between the new bank statement compliance regulations and the cost of registration, which is now a payment of 5,080. The proactive HR departments are already reviewing their 2025 records to prepare them in case the 2026 inspection cycle will be more demanding.

Disclosure

This article is a piece of information that is educational only. Indeed, consumers are encouraged to check the information of reliable sources, like the official governmental portal on immigration (ind.nl) or reputable legal service, before making a business or immigration choice.