Netherlands
Van der Elst Visas
A 1994 ruling by the European Court
of Justice relating to the right of an EU company to provide services
across the EU without the need for obtaining additional work permits
has been recognised by the Netherlands. This "Van der Elst"
ruling has evolved into a new type of visa category, called "Van
der Elst visas" in some EU countries.
The regulation provides for any non-EU
employees who have been working in the EU for a service provider for
more than 12 months to be admitted as Van der Elst cases. The maximum
stay in the Netherlands on a Van der Elst visa is six months.
Despite this progress, in order to
obtain a Netherlands Van der Elst visa it is still necessary to lodge
a work permit application with the RBA and/or AFB. The authorities will
then decide whether, given the circumstances, a work permit is required
or not and if indeed a Van der Elst visa should be issued. This procedure
may seem unnecessarily complex, but usually takes less than the usual
five weeks that a normal Netherlands work permit application would take.
Depending on your country of residence, it may be worth inquiring at
the local Royal Netherlands Embassy whether or not a Van der Elst visa
application can be made directly through the Embassy.