Highly Skilled Expat - Living Abroad (max. 8 months)

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I agree with the Immigration Law link you have provided.  Every case is judged on its merits.  Basically; if you come to the Netherlands on a full-time job contract and your new employer requires you to go and work in another country, but you still retain your residence and are paid (and pay taxes etc) in the Netherlands, 8 months is the maximum they will allow you to maintain your residency, after that, you are no longer classed as a resident and will lose any rights to as an individual has to return without re-applying.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thank you so much for the reply Cynic, what would be your comments for the timeline? First link is mentioning about total 8 months for the indefinite timeframe and secons one says max 8 months per year?

Best,

Hi again.

I think the timeline is a total of 8 months of a 12 month period; it's not continuous, although it would become that if you went on 1 Jan and stayed away until after 31 Aug (for example).  It gets even more complicated because some Gemeentes require you to de-register, which effectively means you've left the country; so enquire/ask first.

If you are looking to acquire long-term residency, then it becomes more difficult because the qualifying periods are absolute, there is no opinion or leniency because you just don't qualify and you can't appeal that.  These are what I call "political", in as much as the rules can be changed at the stroke of a politicians pen, so the closer you dance to the line, the more risky your future becomes.

If this is linked to any financial investment, then go and speak to an Immigration lawyer before you pay any money.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team