Residence permit in the Netherlands

A residence permit (VVR - VerblijfsVergunning Regulier) is required for expats who wish to stay, study
or work in the Netherlands for more than 3 months. The nationals of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, are not obliged to apply for a Dutch residence permit or to inform the authorities.

In some cases, before applying for the regular residence permit, the expatriate must apply for an MVV (provisional residence permit) before he/she enters the Netherlands. Although the application procedure with or without applying for an MVV is pretty much the same, you are advised to acquire the MVV (less documentation needed at a later stage).

Application procedure

The application for a residence permit should be
submitted within the first three days after
entering the Netherlands. You can apply for a
residence permit at the IND (Immigration and
Naturalization Service) desk in your region. Click
here to check IND desk locations all over the
Netherlands as well as their opening hours.

Note that the requirements you need to meet in
order to successfully obtain a residence permit
varies according to the purpose of visiting the
country, namely to work, study, set up a
business or live with your family.

Below you may find the steps that you need to
follow in order to apply for a residence permit in
the Netherlands:

› Depending on whether you need an MVV or
not, you will have first to download the form
"Application for a residence permit with MVV" or
“Application residence permit without MVV or
change to purpose of stay”, which can be found
here (Brochures and Forms). You can also call
IND and request the brochures.

› Fill in the application you just downloaded. You
can also download a guide on how to fill in those
application from the “Brochure / Forms section of
IND’s website. For questions visit an IND desk
or call at 0900-1234561 (+31 20 8893045 if you
are calling from abroad).

› In the meantime, you are obliged to undergo a
tuberculosis examination (Tuberculosetest or
TB-test). TB-test is free of charge and the
examination can take place at the Public Health
Service of Amsterdam (Geneeskundige en
Gezondheidsdienst, GGD) in Amsterdam. You
will need to download the “Tuberculosis
Examination Referral Form” from the IND
website, before you visit the examination centre.

Note that a TB-test is not mandatory if you have
one of the following nationalities: Australia,
Canada, EU/EEA, Israeli, Japan, Monaco, New
Zealand, South Korea, Surinam, Swiss, the
United States and Vatican City.

› If the result of the TB-test is negative (i.e. you
are immune to the bacteria that cause
tuberculosis), after completing the application for
the residence permit you need to make an
appointment in order to visit an IND desk
(contact details are displayed above).

› After submitting and paying for the application,
IND will place a sticker (verblijfsaantekening/
algemeen) in your passport. This indicates that
the residence permit application is being
processed and thus, you are allowed to work
while waiting for the final decision.

› Approximately 6 months later, you will receive
a letter from IND stating whether you are granted
with a residence permit or not.


Renewal

Residence permits are renewed annually. To
extend the residence permit you need to contact
IND. In any case, three months before the expiry
date, you will receive a letter from IND advising
you to extend the residence permit. Together
with this letter, you will receive an application
form that you need to complete. These
documents will be in Dutch. You can also
download the form at the brochures/forms
section in IND’s website.

If you do not receive any response for your
application, you should contact IND as soon as
possible.


Costs

There is a cost, which is charged for the
residence permit procedure with or without the
MVV. The fee is non-refundable if the application
will be rejected and it is paid at the time of the
application submission or before the tuberculosis
examination. The brochure “Costs for staying in
the Netherlands ” in IND’s website provides in
detail the costs involved in the residence permit
application process.

For more information regarding the residence
permit in the Netherlands download the brochure
“Staying in the Netherlands” from IND’s website.