A fuel injector for use in delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine includes a nozzle having a valve needle which is moveable with respect to a valve needle seating through a range of movement between a fully-closed position and a fully-open position to control fuel delivery through at least one nozzle outlet, whereby movement of the nozzle needle is controlled by fuel pressure within a control chamber. A nozzle control valve controls fuel flow into and out of the control chamber to pressurize and depressurize the control chamber, respectively. The fuel injector also includes a variable flow passage in communication with the control chamber through which fuel flows out of the control chamber at a variable rate throughout the range of movement of the valve needle so that movement of the valve needle is damped to a greater extent as it approaches the fully-open position.