Family reunification for EU Blue Card holders is allowed for spouses, same sex partners, unmarried partners and minor children in The Netherlands. A residence permit will be issued to family members with the same expiry date as the permit of the EU Blue Card holder.

Family members of the EU Blue Card holder are allowed to take up any work in the Netherlands. Their employer does not need to have a work permit. There is also no salary threshold.

Once the permit is issued, EU Blue Card holders and their family members, are allowed to enter into and move freely within the territory of another Schengen Country for a period of up to three months. The Schengen area comprises all countries of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Switzerland but excluding Ireland and Cyprus.

Previous joint residence in another EU member state with European Blue Card

Family members who have resided in another EU member state as a family member of an European Blue Card holder for at least twelve months are eligible for a residence permit as a family member in the Netherlands. This right also applies if the family members have first resided with the EU Blue Card holder in another EU Member State for 12 months, and then again for at least 6 months in another Member State before an application is submitted in the Netherlands.

The MVV-visa (entry visa) requirement - if applicavle - is also not required if the person resides in another Member State for more than 12 months.

EU residence permit for long-term residents and favorable conditions for family reunification

The holder of the European Blue Card who has obtained a residence permit as an EU long-term resident (permanent residence permit) retains the more favorable conditions for family reunification that apply to European Blue Card holders.

In case the applicant and the EU Blue Card holder are married, a legalised or Apostilled marriage certificate will suffice. The applicant and the EU Blue Card holder that are not married, must proof that they are unmarried by a single status certificate. Once the applications are approved, the applicant and the EU Blue Card holder, must live together and practise a joint household in the Netherlands.

Marriage certificates, or single certificates that are legalised or Apostilled, can not be older than 6 months at the date of application. Click here for the Memberstates that are part of the convention on 'Abolishing the Requirements of Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents'. Foreigners of countries that are a member to this convention can legalise their certificates by way of Apostille. Click here for the full list of countries, provided by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to read more about the way the legalisation of the certificates has to be done, befor these documents will be accepted into the Dutch legal order (only available in Dutch).

The EU Blue Card holder must have a work contract for at least 6 months counting from the date of application by the concerned family member. The European Blue Card holder must also act as the referent of his family members.

The application can be filed in The Netherlands, when the family members have been living together in another EU Member State as EU Blue Card holders, prior to their move to The Netherlands. If not, the familymembers will have to await the pending procedure outside The Netherlands. The application itself can be filed in The Netherlands by the sponsor.