The Gecombineerde Vergunning voor Verblijf en Arbeid (GVVA), known in English as the Single Permit, is the Dutch implementation of EU Directive 2011/98/EU. It merges the residence permit issued by the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) with the work authorisation assessed by the Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (UWV) into a single administrative procedure and one physical permit.
The GVVA applies to non-EU nationals who will live and work in the Netherlands for longer than three months under a specific employer. The employer files the application with the IND, which forwards the labour-market test to the UWV. A decision is typically issued within seven to ninety days. The permit names the employer, so a change of employer generally requires a new application.
Certain categories fall outside the GVVA and follow separate routes, including highly skilled migrants, EU Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees, students, and seasonal workers. For those groups, the standard residence permit (VVR) or scheme-specific permits apply instead.