How the 90/180 rule applies here
If you are visa-exempt, you can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen Area as a whole, not to the Netherlands: days spent in Belgium or Germany count towards the same 90-day limit.
- The 180 days are a moving window, not a calendar period. For any given date, count back 180 days, including that date, add up the days you spent in the area, and the total must never exceed 90.
- The day you arrive and the day you leave both count as full days, even if you are only there for a few hours.
- Only the European part of the Netherlands is in Schengen. Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are outside it, so days there do not count — and they have their own entry rules.
- Only the passage of time restores your allowance. The European Commission states it plainly: an uninterrupted absence of 90 days gives you a fresh 90 days.
Staying longer than 90 days
For stays beyond 90 days you need a residence permit from the IND, the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service. There is no route for simply living there on remote income; the two main options depend on whether you work for yourself or for a Dutch company.
Residence permit as a self-employed person
For running your own business in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) scores your personal experience, business plan and added value for the Dutch economy, and you need at least 30 points in each, or 45 for experience and 45 for the business plan. The permit lasts up to two years. US nationals can instead apply under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, without the points test.
Money: under the IND’s income requirement, the business must make at least €1,766.77 gross profit a month including holiday allowance (figure valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026). Under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, the minimum capital investment is €4,500 for most business forms.
Highly skilled migrant
For people hired by a Dutch employer that the IND has recognised as a sponsor. The employer applies for you, and the permit is tied to that job meeting the salary threshold. It is the most common way into the Netherlands for professionals who are not self-employed.
Money: a gross salary of at least €5,942 a month if you are 30 or older, or €4,357 if you are under 30, excluding holiday allowance (figures valid from 1 July to 31 December 2026). A lower threshold applies to recent graduates.
The mistake worth avoiding
Treating remote work for a foreign employer as if it were covered. The Netherlands has no digital nomad visa, and neither main permit is designed for it: the self-employed permit is for a Dutch business that passes the points test, and the highly skilled migrant permit needs a recognised Dutch employer.
Common questions
Do days in the Dutch Caribbean count towards my 90?
No. Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but outside the Schengen Area. Time there does not use your Schengen days, but they set their own limits on how long you can stay.
Does a trip to London reset my days?
No. The UK is outside the Schengen Area, so a Eurostar or ferry to Britain stops you adding days, but it does not reset the count. The rule always looks back 180 days, so a short trip only helps once enough older days have dropped out of the window.
Does a Dutch residence permit change how the rule applies to me?
Once you hold one, your stay in the Netherlands is governed by that permit rather than by the 90/180 rule. Stays in other Schengen countries are still limited, so check the terms before planning long trips elsewhere.
Check it at the source
Immigration rules change, and the financial thresholds change most often of all. These are the official pages this guide is based on.
Count your Schengen days
Open the Schengen 90/180 calculatorThis guide is a planning aid, not legal advice. The final decision on entry and length of stay rests with the border officer or the consulate. Confirm the rules with the official sources above before you travel.