In this guide
Short answer: three things define the Turkish move. You need an MVV entry visa, which adds a consular stage that American and British movers skip. Whether your driving licence can be exchanged depends on the RDW’s rules and on the expat scheme. And uniquely in this cluster, the EU-Turkey Association Agreement gives you materially lower IND fees for family members — €85 rather than €254 — which is worth knowing about before you pay anything.
Turkey and the Netherlands have a long-established migration relationship. Rules change, so check the official pages named below. The four sections below are the ones where the rules differ most from what you may have heard.
For the lifestyle and cost comparison see Netherlands vs Turkey for expats. This guide covers the move.
Your Timeline: Three Months Out to Month One
Three months before. Confirm the route. Employed work means the highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) permit, filed by an employer that is an IND-recognised sponsor. Family reunification with a partner or spouse already in the Netherlands is the other common route, and is the one where the Association Agreement fee applies. Start collecting documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate, and where required a criminal record statement. Check with the receiving Dutch authority which documents need an apostille or legalisation, and ask the Turkish authorities where to obtain it. See apostille and legalisation.
Two months before. Permit application filed, MVV appointment booked. Begin the housing search — see finding housing and rental scams, because advance-payment scams target applicants who cannot view a property in person.
One month before. Collect the MVV. Plan the transfer of savings out of lira, and get written confirmation from your Turkish bank of what documentation a larger outbound transfer requires. Book the gemeente appointment as soon as you have an address.
Arrival week. Gemeente registration and BSN, residence card collection, DigiD.
First month. Dutch bank account, basisverzekering, and the 30% ruling application if you are on an employment route. Use the first 30 days checklist.
Difference 1: The MVV Stage, and What the Association Agreement Changes
Turkey is not on the IND’s list of MVV-exempt nationalities, so you apply for the MVV and the residence permit together, and you collect the MVV at a Dutch representation before travelling. Allow extra time for this stage compared with nationalities that are exempt.
Where the Turkish position is genuinely different is in the fees. The IND fee schedule prices a residence permit to stay with a family member or partner at €254 for most nationalities. For a Turkish family member under the Association Agreement it lists €85, with lower amounts for children (€81 with MVV, €44 without MVV).
Two caveats. First, the reduced fee attaches to the family route, not to everything: employment permits, the EU Blue Card and self-employment permits are charged at the standard €423. Second, fees are revised every 1 January, so verify the current amount on ind.nl before you pay.
The IND also lists other rules for Turkish citizens, for example that for a Turkish employee who wants to bring a spouse or registered partner, both must be at least 18 instead of 21. For more complex Association Agreement questions, use a Dutch immigration lawyer.
Salary criteria for the employment route. in 2026, the IND’s gross monthly salary criteria for the highly skilled migrant permit, excluding the statutory 8% holiday allowance, are €5,942 for applicants aged 30 and over, €4,357 for under-30s, and €3,122 under the reduced criterion. Check the amount valid on your start date via ind.nl and the highly skilled migrant guide.
Difference 2: The Driving Licence
Whether you can exchange a Turkish licence depends on the RDW’s rules for the issuing country. The RDW’s country list is amended from time to time and we could not open it ourselves, so we do not say whether Turkey is on it. Look up Turkey on rdw.nl and ask your municipality. The RDW also states the conditions that apply to everyone: you are registered in the BRP and have EU/EFTA nationality or a residence permit, or you are in the Netherlands under Association Decision 1/80 of the EEC/Turkey Association Council.
The route that does not depend on the country is the expat scheme. In the RDW’s words: if you are in the Netherlands for work as a highly skilled migrant and the expat scheme applies to you, you may exchange your driving licence from any country. Ask your municipality which proof it wants. If exchange is not possible, you take the Dutch driving exams.
The deadline. A valid licence from outside the EU/EFTA can be used for 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands (RDW). After that you may only drive here with a Dutch licence. RDW needs at least 15 working days to process an exchange. Read exchanging your driving licence and the CBR exam guide, and start early.
On the 30% ruling itself: the Belastingdienst’s conditions do not mention nationality. You must be recruited from abroad and have lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your Dutch employment started, and your salary must exceed the salary norm. Ask for the ruling within four months of your first working day so that it applies from the start of employment. See the eligibility guide.
Difference 3: Diplomas, Professions and the IDW Step
The formal recognition step becomes necessary in three situations: a regulated profession (healthcare, teaching, law and several technical certifications), admission to a Dutch degree programme, or an integration procedure.
IDW handles the credential evaluation — a comparison of your foreign diploma with the Dutch education system, stating the comparable Dutch level. Its published conditions matter for planning: the diploma must be nationally recognised, the programme at least 1,000 hours, one diploma per application, and IDW currently warns that processing times are longer because of the number of applications. Work experience and short courses are not evaluated.
Difference 4: Sending Money Between the Two Countries
Compare providers on the euro amount that arrives, not on the advertised fee, because the exchange-rate spread is part of the cost. Ask your Turkish bank in advance what documentation a transfer of your size requires so that it does not stall at the counter. We do not quote exchange rates or fees.
A multi-currency account can help in the arrival week: Wise says it offers a euro account with account details, so you can receive euros before your Dutch bank application is processed (check wise.com for the current conditions).
Check the EUR to TRY fee with Wise →
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Wise review covers the limitations: Wise is not a bank (Wise Europe SA is authorised payment institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium), so you will still want a Dutch account. See also the international money transfer guide and best bank account for expats.
Tax. If you keep property or savings in Turkey, ask an adviser who handles both countries how they are treated in the Dutch tax system, including box 3 for Dutch tax residents, and whether a tax treaty applies to your income. Read the Dutch tax system guide.
Healthcare
Check with the Turkish social security authority (SGK) what happens to your Turkish cover when you move. Dutch basic health insurance is compulsory: take it out no later than 4 months after arrival, and the cover applies from the day of arrival (Government.nl). The average basic premium in 2026 is €157 per month (Rijksoverheid), and the compulsory deductible is €385 per year. The basic package is set by the government, so compare insurers on premium, deductible and service. Start with Dutch health insurance for expats.
Two Turkey-Specific Items Worth Checking Early
Military service. Obligations for Turkish male citizens are governed by Turkish law. Check your position with the Turkish authorities or consulate rather than with your employer’s relocation agency.
Nationality. Whether you can keep Turkish nationality if you naturalise in the Netherlands depends on your situation. See the Dutch nationality guide, check the IND and the Turkish authorities, and take advice on both sides before applying.
What It Costs
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highly skilled migrant permit, combined with MVV | €423 | IND fee schedule, ind.nl/en/costs |
| Self-employment permit | €423 | IND |
| Stay with family member or partner, standard fee | €254 | IND |
| Stay with a Turkish family member (Association Agreement) | €85; children €81 with MVV, €44 without | IND fee schedule |
| Residence permit, child under 18 (standard) | €85 | IND |
| IDW credential evaluation | Fee per application, see idw.nl | IDW |
| Basic health insurance | €157 per month on average, mandatory within 4 months | Rijksoverheid, Government.nl |
IND fees change on 1 January each year and are valid for that calendar year. Confirm on ind.nl before paying — and if you are on a family route, make sure the caseworker has applied the Turkish family-member rate.
Language and Settling In
Dutch is the language of the gemeente counter and the tenancy agreement. An integration obligation may apply depending on your permit; check with your gemeente and DUO. Structured courses are covered in best Dutch language courses; for daily vocabulary before you arrive, an app such as Mondly is a reasonable starting point (affiliate link; we may earn a commission), and best apps to learn Dutch compares the main options.
Related Guides
- Netherlands vs Turkey for expats — cost of living, salaries, culture
- Highly skilled migrant visa
- Partner and family visa — the route where the Association Agreement fee applies
- Exchange your driving licence
- Complete guide to moving to the Netherlands
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Turkish citizens need an MVV to move to the Netherlands?
Yes, generally. Turkey is not on the IND MVV-exemption list, which covers only Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Vatican City and EU/EEA citizens. The IND says that for most nationalities you receive the residence permit only if you have an MVV, and that you apply for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time. Once approved you collect the MVV at a Dutch representation before you travel. Allow extra time for this.
Is it true that Turkish nationals pay lower IND fees?
For family members, yes. The IND fee schedule lists EUR 254 for a residence permit to stay with a family member or partner in the standard case, and EUR 85 for a stay with a Turkish family member under the Association Agreement (first application with MVV, first application without MVV and extension), with lower amounts for children (EUR 81 with MVV and EUR 44 without MVV). The employment routes, such as highly skilled migrant, EU Blue Card and self-employment, are charged at EUR 423. Fees change every 1 January, so check ind.nl before paying.
Can I exchange my Turkish driving licence for a Dutch one?
That depends on the RDW's rules for the issuing country. We could not open the RDW country list ourselves, so we cannot tell you whether Turkey is on it; check the country on rdw.nl and ask your municipality. RDW also says that highly skilled migrants to whom the expat scheme applies can exchange a licence from any country, and that Turkish citizens under Association Decision 1/80 meet the status condition for an exchange. A valid licence from outside the EU/EFTA can be used for 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands. If exchange is not possible you take the Dutch driving exams at the CBR.
Will my Turkish diploma be recognised in the Netherlands?
For most private-sector roles the employer judges it directly. Where you need a formal statement, for example for a regulated profession, a Dutch programme or an integration procedure, IDW issues a credential evaluation comparing your diploma to the Dutch education system. IDW evaluates nationally recognised diplomas from programmes of at least 1,000 hours, evaluates one diploma per application and says processing times are currently longer. It does not evaluate short programmes, courses or work experience.
Do I have to take the inburgering exam?
Check your own position with your gemeente and DUO. The obligation depends on your permit type. The IND explains that the Association Agreement makes some requirements less strict for Turkish citizens and their families, so ask what applies to your situation.
What happens to my Turkish citizenship if I naturalise as Dutch?
That is a legal question specific to your situation. Check the IND for the Dutch conditions and the Turkish authorities for the Turkish side, and take advice from both sides before starting a naturalisation application.
How should I compare ways to send money between Turkey and the Netherlands?
Compare on the amount that lands in the destination account, not on the advertised fee, because the exchange-rate spread is part of the cost. Wise publishes its fee per currency on wise.com, so check EUR to TRY there on the day you transfer. Ask your Turkish bank in advance what documentation a larger outbound transfer requires.