If you’re searching “IND nieuws,” you’re probably after the latest updates from the Netherlands’ Immigration and Naturalisation Service, and specifically what’s changed for anyone holding a UK passport. The short answer: IND fees rose by 4.4% on 1 January 2026, income thresholds for permits like the highly skilled migrant route went up on the same date, and the rules that apply to you as a British national depend heavily on whether you were already living in the Netherlands before Brexit took effect.
This guide pulls together the current IND news that actually matters if you’re a UK citizen: fee changes, income rules, your residence status post-Brexit, and how to track an application. We’ll flag anything that’s likely to shift again, since Dutch immigration rules are adjusted twice a year.
What is IND nieuws?
IND stands for Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, the Dutch government body that handles residence permits, asylum applications, family reunification and naturalisation. “IND nieuws” simply means IND news, the updates the service publishes on its own site about fee changes, processing times, policy shifts and new procedures.
The IND publishes updates fairly often, and most of what lands under “IND nieuws” in 2026 falls into three buckets: annual fee and income threshold changes, asylum procedure reforms tied to the EU’s Migration Pact, and day-to-day processing updates for people already waiting on decisions.
The big 2026 update: fees went up on 1 January
Every year, the IND adjusts its application fees in line with Dutch collective labour agreement (CAO) wage indexing, as calculated by Statistics Netherlands. According to the IND, fees for 2026 increased by 4.4%, and new figures have applied since 1 January 2026.
Here’s what that means in practice for the most common routes:
- Highly skilled migrant / EU Blue Card: £423 equivalent, actually quoted as €423 for first applications, changes of purpose, and extensions
- Family member or partner route (TEV procedure): €254, which covers the entry visa and residence permit as one combined application
- Study route: €254, paid through the sponsoring institution
- Verification against EU law: €85
- Permanent residence: around €240, though processing can take several months
If you’re a UK national planning to move for work, the highly skilled migrant fee is the one to budget for, and it’s paid by your employer if they’re a recognised IND sponsor rather than by you directly, according to the IND.
Income thresholds also rose
Alongside fees, the minimum salary you need to qualify for certain permits went up. For 2026, highly skilled migrant applicants aged 30 and over must earn at least €5,942 a month before holiday allowance, while those under 30 need at least €4,357 a month, according to figures published via the IND. These required amounts are reviewed twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, so a figure that’s accurate in August could shift again by the new year.
For permanent residency, the income threshold sits at roughly €1,734.57 a month, alongside a five-year continuous residence requirement and an A2-level Dutch language exam. One thing worth flagging honestly: some sources report the higher B1 language requirement for voluntary integration has been postponed indefinitely, so don’t assume you need it unless you check the current IND guidance directly.
Brexit and IND news for UK nationals specifically
This is the part most British readers actually want clarity on, and it splits into two groups.
If you were living in the Netherlands before Brexit
If you moved to the Netherlands before the end of the Brexit transition period, you fall under the Withdrawal Agreement. That gives you a specific residence status, first temporary and then permanent, rather than the standard non-EU immigration routes. This status protects rights you already had, so it’s worth checking your documentation is current rather than assuming it’s automatic.
If you’re moving after Brexit
New UK arrivals are treated broadly as non-EU nationals for immigration purposes, which means routes like the highly skilled migrant permit, family reunification, or study permits apply in the same way they would to any other non-EU citizen. There’s one useful exception: UK citizens are exempt from needing a separate MVV entry visa, which simplifies the process slightly compared with nationals of many other countries.
Neither of these groups gets automatic EU-style free movement any more. If you’re unsure which category applies to you, that’s genuinely a case where a short consultation with an immigration adviser is worth the cost, since getting your route wrong can add months to your timeline.
Other IND news worth knowing about in 2026
A few other changes have made headlines this year, even if they matter less directly to most UK economic migrants:
- New asylum procedure: the IND began implementing a new asylum procedure on 12 June 2026, tied to the EU’s Asylum and Migration Pact, affecting how asylum applications are assessed and processed.
- Family reunification for asylum cases: from 1 December, the application process for asylum-related family reunification became simpler, according to IND updates.
- Falling application numbers overall: the IND reported receiving fewer applications across almost all categories in 2025 compared with previous years, though asylum applications in early 2026 were actually up 33% year-on-year according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS) figures based on IND data.
None of these directly change the highly skilled migrant or family routes most UK nationals use, but they’re a sign the IND’s overall workload and priorities are shifting, which can affect processing times across the board.
How to check IND news and track your own application
The most reliable source is the IND’s own English-language news page, which is updated regularly with dated posts covering fees, policy changes and procedural updates. Don’t rely on third-party blogs for the exact euro figures, since fee pages change every January and some guides lag behind.
If you already have an application in progress, the IND’s website lets you check the current processing status for your specific permit type. Processing times vary a lot by route and by how busy the IND currently is, so treat any published estimate as a range rather than a guarantee.
FAQs
What does IND nieuws mean?
It’s Dutch for “IND news,” referring to updates published by the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, the Dutch government body responsible for residence permits, asylum and naturalisation.
How much are IND fees in 2026?
Common 2026 fees include €423 for highly skilled migrant and EU Blue Card applications, €254 for family or partner and study routes, and roughly €240 for permanent residence, following a 4.4% increase from 1 January 2026.
Do UK citizens need a visa to move to the Netherlands?
UK nationals moving after Brexit are treated as non-EU citizens for most permit routes, but they’re exempt from needing a separate MVV entry visa, which simplifies the application slightly.
What happens to UK nationals who already lived in the Netherlands before Brexit?
They fall under the Withdrawal Agreement, which grants a specific residence status (first temporary, later permanent) that protects the rights they already held, rather than requiring a fresh non-EU application.
What’s the income threshold for a highly skilled migrant permit in 2026?
From 2026, applicants aged 30 and over need a gross monthly salary of at least €5,942, while those under 30 need at least €4,357, excluding holiday allowance.
Has the Dutch asylum procedure changed in 2026?
Yes. The IND began rolling out a new asylum procedure from 12 June 2026, linked to the EU’s Asylum and Migration Pact, which changes parts of how applications are assessed.
How long does an IND application take to process?
Processing times vary by permit type and current IND workload, from a few months for some routes to considerably longer for others, so check the current status tool on the IND’s own website rather than relying on a fixed figure.
Do I need a B1 Dutch language qualification for permanent residence?
As of recent reporting, the A2 level remains sufficient and the stricter B1 requirement for voluntary integration has been postponed indefinitely, though this is worth confirming directly with the IND before you plan around it.
