Remigration
What is a remigration grant
Under the Remigration Act, the Dutch government offers financial help to those who wish to remigrate to their country. Expats who lived in the Netherlands for more than one year and return back to their home countries may be eligible for a benefit, the so-called "remigration grant." This one-off allowance is (usually) given in fixed amounts in order to cover:
› Traveling expenses towards and within the country of destination.
› Transportation expenses (luggage, business equipment etc.) towards and within the country of destination.
› Resettlement costs (costs of living for the first two months) in the new country of residence.
› Storage costs of the property in the new country.
› Possible extra transportation costs (e.g. in case of disability).
Note that under the Remigration Act, there is also another benefit called "remigration benefit."
However, this monthly benefit is relevant only for immigrants (above the age of 45) who meet specific requirements.
Who is entitled to a remigration grant
The grant is only applicable to expats who come from: Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Fyrom, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Morocco, Surinam, Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands and the Moluccas.
However, note that expats whose parent(s) originate from the above mentioned countries are also eligible to apply for the grant.
In order to be entitled to the remigration grant you must:
› Reside in the Netherlands for more than one year.
› Return back to (or be a national of) the country where you or (one of) your parents were born.
› Be over 18 years old.
› Not have made any use of the remigration grant or benefit yet.
› Not have any debts to the Dutch tax authorities or owe any wealth taxes.
› Have a taxable value of your possessions less than 91.000 euros.
› Have a partner, who also resides in the Netherlands and is moving with you to the new country of residence.
› Have both the Dutch nationality and the nationality of the country of destination. However, you will have to renounce the Dutch nationality before the remigration can take place.
Application procedure
All you need to do to apply for a remigration grant is to fill in a claim form, which can be obtained by Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), or contact the Netherlands Migration Institute (NMI).
Together with the claim form and depending your personal situation, you will have to enclose certain documents, which prove that you meet all the requirements. These include:
› Valid proof of identity of the applicant and of any other person who remigrates with the applicant.
› Copy of your residence permit (if applicable).
› Proof that you have permission to live in the country of destination.
› Proof that you do not have any debts with the Dutch Authorities. If you have debts then you need to provide assurance that you are you going to sort out the debt.
› In case your partner and / or your children already live in the destination country you need to prove that they are alive.
What comes next?
After remigrating, it will always be possible for you and your family to visit the Netherlands, either for holidays or a short period. After (permanently) leaving the Netherlands, you will have to renounce your Dutch nationality (if you have one) and bear in mind that any Dutch national insurance scheme will cease to be valid.
Within one year after remigration, the procedure of returning back to live in the Netherlands remains quite simple. However, if there has been more than one year after you moved to the new country of residence, then you will have to follow the normal admission procedure for living in the Netherlands (more info at residence permit and Visa sections). You will also have to pay back the remigration grant, unless you return in the Netherlands three years after remigrating.
