The spouse or (unmarried) partner of a foreign national holding an EU Blue Card residence permit is permitted to work for any employer in the Netherlands without a work permit. This is indicated on the back of the family member’s residence permit as “Arbeid vrij togestaan. TWV niet vereist’ (Work freely permitted. Work permit not required).

This unrestricted access to the labor market also applies to family members of highly skilled migrants.

What happens if the marriage or relationship ends within five years of their having lived together in the Netherlands? Does the spouse or partner retain the right to unrestricted access to the labor market?

No. Not if an application is made for a residence permit for “employment as an employee.” In that case, the family member is not permitted to work unless the employer has obtained a TWV or GVVA (combined permit for residence and work).

This is explicitly confirmed in the most recent IND work instruction (WI 2026/27) regarding access to the labor market:

A foreign national who previously held a residence permit bearing the labor market endorsement “arbeid vrij” (work permitted without work permit)—and who has not relocated their principal place of residence—retains this labor market endorsement upon an extension of the permit’s validity or a change in the permit’s purpose of stay, provided they meet the conditions for the granting of a residence permit.

However, this rule does not apply to family members of highly skilled migrants or family members of EU Blue Card holders. They are not granted unrestricted access to the labor market.

Is the situation different if the spouse or (unmarried) partner has resided in the Netherlands for more than five years as a family member of an EU Blue Card holder or highly skilled migrant?

Yes; in that case, the family member does qualify for “unrestricted access to the labor market.”

What if, following the end of a marriage or relationship, an application is made to change the residence permit to one based on a different partner—specifically a Dutch national, an EU national, a holder of an EU Blue Card, or a highly skilled migrant?

Is the situation different then? Yes; in that case, the partner does keeps unrestricted access to the labor market.