Dutch immigration in numbers
How many people apply for a Dutch residence permit, for which route, and how often the IND says yes – based on the official 2025 figures of the IND and Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Last update: 12 October 2026 · figures for the calendar year 2025IND applications per route
First applications for regular residence, 2025 compared with 2024.
Show as table – with approval rate and top nationalities
| Route | 2025 | 2024 | Change | Positive decisions 2025 | Top 3 nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | 36,720 | 38,670 | -5.0% | 85% | Indian, Turkish, American |
| Study | 21,540 | 22,040 | -2.3% | 99% | Chinese, Indian, American |
| Knowledge & talent | 19,490 | 21,730 | -10.3% | 86% | Indian, Turkish, American |
| Permanent residence | 12,010 | 16,430 | -26.9% | 83% | – |
| Labour migration | 6,730 | 6,840 | -1.6% | 67% | Ukrainian, Indian, Filipino |
Knowledge migrants arriving
Highly skilled migrants from outside the EU who moved to the Netherlands (CBS).
Almost half compared with 2022. Demand from employers stays high – a complete, well-prepared application matters more than ever.
Other key figures 2025
From the IND annual figures.
- 99%of student applications approved
- 86%of knowledge & talent applications approved
- 85%of family applications approved
- 53%of labour-migration decisions on time (other regular routes: 80–100%)
- 24,070first asylum applications (2024: 32,180)
- 67 weeksaverage processing time, general asylum procedure
Official publications
Annual figures 2025
All IND figures for 2025 on one page: regular residence, naturalisation, asylum and service. (PDF)
Open →INDMonthly figures & reports
Monthly figures on regular migration and asylum, the migration radar and trend reports.
Open →CBSImmigration in 2025
Statistics Netherlands: who came to the Netherlands in 2025 and why. (Dutch)
Open →CBSStatLine database
Open data on population, migration and the labour market – build your own tables.
Open →EurostatMigration in the EU
Compare the Netherlands with other EU countries: residence permits, asylum, citizenship.
Open →EMNEuropean Migration Network NL
Studies and reports on Dutch and European migration policy.
Open →Figures are taken from the IND annual figures 2025 and CBS (published 2026) and rounded where the source rounds. Yari Immigration Services is an independent advisory firm and not part of the IND or CBS. Our own practical guide with salary thresholds, fees and holidays is on The Netherlands at a glance.