Republic of Iraq vs Kingdom of the Netherlands
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Iraq and Kingdom of the Netherlands government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Iraq eVisa Portal
Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Interior eVisa Portal - verified
- Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) - verified
- Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Visa
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Iraq - verified
- IND — Highly Skilled Migrant
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) - verified
Republic of Iraq
Iraq publishes tourist eVisa guidance through the Ministry of Interior eVisa portal and a wider consular visa-type framework through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The route set covers tourist eVisa, visit and tourism visas, normal visas, transit, multi-entry visas and work-permit-linked visa or residence cases, with extra caution for employment because MOFA says foreign-worker visas or residence permits generally require a Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs work permit.
- Official portal
- Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Interior eVisa Portal
- Languages
- Arabic, Kurdish
- Currency
- Iraqi dinar
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands operates the IND-administered Highly Skilled Migrant scheme via recognised sponsors, the EU Blue Card, the orientation year for recent international graduates, and a self-employed route under various treaties including DAFT for US nationals.
- Official portal
- Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)
- Languages
- Dutch
- Currency
- Euro
How Republic of Iraq and Kingdom of the Netherlands differ
| Dimension | Republic of Iraq | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 6 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 3 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 0 | 5 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | Arrival → PR and citizenship eligibility parallel at 5 years. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Work-Permit-Linked Visa or Residence Permit | Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | €5,942/month |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | IND — Decision periods does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | The Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant route has a EUR 423 IND application fee for the employee when the Dutch employer is already an IND-recognised sponsor. |
| Official languages | Arabic, Kurdish | Dutch |
| Currency | Iraqi dinar | Euro |
| Primary regulator | GDR | NOvA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 1 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Iraq
Work-Permit-Linked Visa or Residence Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant)
- Salary minimum
- €5,942/month
- Government fees
- The Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant route has a EUR 423 IND application fee for the employee when the Dutch employer is already an IND-recognised sponsor.
- Processing time
- IND — Decision periods does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Iraq
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Iraq (6)
Tourist eVisa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · The eVisa portal describes the eVisa as valid for 30 days; applicants should confirm whether their approval is single-entry or multiple-entry in the issued document.
Visit or Tourism Consular Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · MOFA describes tourist visa entry once during three months from grant with a one-month stay; visit visa wording also describes one-month entry and one-month residence for religious or holy-site visits.
Normal Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · One entry during three months from grant, with residence in Iraq not exceeding three months, according to the MOFA page.
Transit and Non-Stop Transit Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Transit visa: one entry within three months from grant and stay up to seven days. Non-stop transit: one supervised transit within three months without stopping.
Multi-Entry Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · MOFA says multi-entry visas may be granted for three months, six months or one year after the legal conditions are met.
Work-Permit-Linked Visa or Residence Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The reviewed MOFA page does not publish a standard work-linked visa or residence-permit grant period; timing depends on the work permit, visa and residence channel used.
Kingdom of the Netherlands (7)
Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Matches contract, up to 5 years; renewable.
Orientation year (Zoekjaar)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year, non-renewable as Zoekjaar.
EU Blue Card (Netherlands)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Matches contract, up to 4 years plus 3 months; renewable.
Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial 2 years, renewable for 5; leads to permanent residence.
Startup Visa (Netherlands)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1 year, non-renewable as Startup Visa; transitions to self-employment route.
Dutch Student residence permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Programme length.
Partner residence (Dutch national or resident sponsor)
Family sponsor; no employer sponsor · Leads to settlement · Depends on the sponsor: it normally ends with a temporary sponsor's permit, while a Dutch or permanent-resident sponsor can support a permit valid for up to 5 years.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Iraq or Kingdom of the Netherlands?+
Republic of Iraq’s Work-Permit-Linked Visa or Residence Permit is the dominant skilled route; Kingdom of the Netherlands’s Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant) requires €5,942/month. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Republic of Iraq or Kingdom of the Netherlands have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Iraq has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 3 for Kingdom of the Netherlands. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Iraq vs Kingdom of the Netherlands immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/iraq/vs/netherlands. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (4)