Residency in the Netherlands

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Residency in the Netherlands

The legal requirements for a person to visit or stay in the Netherlands depend on their citizenship (EU or non-EU citizen), reason for entry into the country and intended duration of stay, income and in some cases age.

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst - IND) is responsible for all immigration and integration administration. The  IND English-language website contains comprehensive information, downloadable forms for foreigners from all countries moving to the Netherlands

• For the IND website: Click here 

All people over the age of 14 in the Netherlands must carry an identity document at all times.

Registration Upon Arrival

The GBA (Municipal Personal Records Database/Gemeentelijke Basis Administratie) is the government database, shared by numerous government agencies, which contains relevant personal information regarding residents in the Netherlands. Residents are required to register changes of address, births, marriages, deaths and other events that may effect their legal status or government services they receive. Residence permit requests and the registration of the arrival of all people (Dutch and foreign) in a municipality (Gemeente) is recorded in the GBA. The GBA is maintained by the Registration Office (Dienst Burgerzaken) at the local town hall (stadhuis).

Any person planning to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days must register on the local GBA within three to five days of arrival. This applies to both EU and non-EU citizens.

Registering on the GBA

The following documents are required for registration on the GBA:

• Passport
• Employment contract (if applicable)
• Rental contract (or proof of address)
• Birth certificate (long version) and marriage certificates for each family member being registered

These documents may need to be authenticated (known as "legalisation").

• For information on legalisation see the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Click here

The BSN number

Upon registering on the GBA, a Citizen Service Number (Burgerservicenummer - BSN) number (formerly a SoFI number) will be issued. This is a unique identification number that must be presented when starting a job, opening a bank account, using the health care system, applying for benefits, buying a car and announcing a change of address, among other things. Within a few weeks of registration a new resident will receive a letter containing registration details and the BSN number.

• For detailed information from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations about the BSN: Click here (in Dutch)
• For frequently asked questions about the BSN from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations website: Click here

Note: Foreign residents who have previously been issued with a SoFI number need not change this to the BSN number - this will have happened automatically.

• For more information  from Denhaag.com on how and where to get a BSN number: Click here

Moving to the Netherlands: EU Nationals

Citizens of the European Union may lawfully reside in the Netherlands providing:

• They have a valid passport or other valid travel document
• They have sufficient financial means
  • For information regarding acceptable minimum resources: Click here 
• They have health insurance coverage in the Netherlands

EU/EEA citizens (other than new EU-member countries) do not require a visa to enter the Netherlands, regardless of the planned duration of their stay and may enter the country on a valid passport alone. If they intend to stay for more than 90 days they must register at the local GBA office within 3-5 days of arrival.

After 90 days, EU/EEA citizens must register with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst - IND) and provide proof to support their reason for residency (for example, a work contract or marriage certificate). Registration with the IND cannot be done unless registration on the GBA has already been completed.

Note: Registration is required, however as of October 2009, not registering had no consequences regarding the right to reside in the country as long as the EU national in question was in the Netherlands for the following reasons laid out in the EC Treaty:

• Employment
• Study
• Economically non-active
• Staying as a family member of a citizen of the Union

How to register with the IND

Appointments must be made by phone for the IND registration process; appointments will be given for the IND office closest to the registrant's home. After making an appointment via the telephone, the caller will receive a letter in the mail confirming the appointment date and time and a registration form. Complete the registration form and collect the documents required in the instructions and take these to the appointment.

Once registration is approved, the IND will place a sticker (called a "registration certificate"), which remains valid for the duration of the holder's stay in The Netherlands, in the registrant's passport. When the passport expires and a new one is obtained, a replacement registration certificate can be obtained (call for an appointment), but is not required. There is no fee for obtaining a registration certificate.

• Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst
  At: Communication Department, Postbus 3211, 2280 HE Rijswijk
  Registration appointments: 0900 123 4561
  Tel: +31 20 889 3045 (from outside the Netherlands)
  Fax: 070 370 3134
  e-mail
  Website

Note: Before registering with the IND a person must be registered at the municipality (GBA) where they live.

Exceptions for new EU members

The above procedures do not apply to nationals of new EU member countries.

Non-EU family members of EU nationals

Non-EU family members of EU nationals intending to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months may need a visa to enter the Netherlands. Once in the Netherlands they must register with the GBA. After three months they must submit an "Application for Verification Against Community Law" to the IND. Contact the IND for further information.

Moving to the Netherlands: Non-EU Nationals

Prior to arrival: Provisional Residence Permits

Most non-EU citizens who intend to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days need a visa, also known as a Provisional Residence Permit (Machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf - MVV) to enter the country. This visa must be applied for at the Dutch Embassy in the applicant's home country (or country of legal residence) before departure. Processing time can be up to three months.

As of October 2009, nationals of the following countries were not required to obtain an MVV:

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• Monaco
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• The United States of America
• Vatican City

In most cases the applicant for an MVV will need a sponsor (guarantor) in the Netherlands. This is a person or organisation willing to accept responsibility for financially supporting the applicant in the event the applicant cannot. A sponsor declaration commits the sponsor to be a guarantor for the applicant for up to five years, or less if  the duration of their stay in the Netherlands is shorter than five years. The guarantor's responsibility ends if the person they have sponsored:

• becomes a Dutch citizen
• leaves the Netherlands permanently
• provides adequate security themselves
• is granted a residence permit for an indefinite duration
• is granted a residence permit for a different purpose of stay

Before an application for an MVV is submitted, sponsors may submit a Request for Advice to the IND in order to determine whether the person they will be sponsoring is eligible for an MVV. The IND will reply within three months with a negative or positive response. If a negative response is received, an application for an MVV should not be submitted.

Most individuals requesting an MVV will also have to take a Civic Integration Examination. 

• To find out more about this test and to see which nationalities are exempt: Click here 

In order to receive a provisional residence permit (MVV), and later, a residence permit, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant has a valid passport
• They do not constitute a risk to public order, national security or peace
• The applicant (and their sponsor) has sufficient means of support or income
• They are willing to submit to a tuberculosis test
• The applicant has health insurance coverage in the Netherlands
• The requirements for "purpose of stay" are met
• The applicant has successfully completed the civic integration examination before arrival (if applicable; certain nationalities, au pairs, exchange students, those visiting family, the self-employed and those coming to work or for medical treatment are exempt)

Different documents will be necessary depending on the reason for stay. For example someone planning to work in the Netherlands will need to produce an employment contract, while someone rejoining a spouse will need to produce a marriage certificate. 

• The IND Residence Wizard provides detailed information on the documents required for any personal situation: Click here

Note: All documents must be in English, French, Dutch or German or translated by a sworn translator from a Dutch court. Official foreign documents such as birth or marriage certificates must be legalised or provided with an apostille stamp. Embassies are able to provide this service.

After arrival: registering on the GBA

Any person planning to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days must register on the local GBA within three to five days of arrival. This applies to both EU and non-EU citizens.

The following documents are required for registration on the GBA:

• Passport
• Employment contract (if applicable)
• Rental contract (or proof of address)
• Birth certificate (long version) and marriage certificates for each family member being registered

These documents may need to be authenticated (known as "legalisation").

• For information on legalisation see the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Click here

After arrival: obtaining a residence permit

Within three working days of arrival, all non-EU nationals must register with the police (politie) in their municipality.

The following documents are required to register with the police:

• A valid passport
• An address in the Netherlands
• Proof of sufficient finances for the stay 

The police fix a sticker in the passport which marks the date until which a person may legally be in the Netherlands (duration of visa or three month stay permit). The police issue a card which states that the holder is legally in the country. There is no charge for this.

If intending to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months, non -EU nationals must apply for a residence permit while their MVV is still valid. It is suggested to submit the application within eight days of arrival in the country.

Appointments must be made by phone; appointments will be given for the IND office closest to the registrant's home. Application forms can be obtained on the phone, downloaded from the IND website or picked up in person from an IND office.

• Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst
  At: Communication Department, Postbus 3211, 2280 HE Rijswijk
  Registration appointments: 0900 123 4561
  Tel: +31 20 889 3045 (from outside the Netherlands)
  Fax: 070 370 3134
  e-mail
  Website

Necessary documents for an application will depend on the purpose of stay, however, a recent passport photograph and a valid passport are always necessary. The municipal authority will then place a sticker in the applicant's valid passport to prove that the person is lawfully residing in the Netherlands while awaiting the decision of the IND (this can take up to six months).

Documents required:

The following are generally required to make the application:

• Completed application form
• Valid passport
• A recent passport photograph
• To download an application for a residence permit, see the section titled "Brochures & Forms" on the top right side of the page: Click here

Written notification will be sent regarding whether the application is successful or not successful. If it is successful, the letter will indicatewhere the residence permit can be collected. If it is not successful, an appeal may be possible.

The residence permit is generally issued for one year and is renewable annually if the conditions continue to be met.

Extending a residence permit

After the first year it is possible to apply for an extension to the residence permit. This must be done before it expires. The IND usually sends a letter three months before the permit expires with an application form. Whether the permit is extended and for how long will depend on the person's situation, the maximum period for which the permit can be extended is five years.

Changing a residence permit

It is necessary to notify the IND in the following instances:

• The purpose, or reason of stay changes
• There is a change in the personal situation
• There is a change in the situation of a sponsor, for example change of employer or if the person chooses to stay with someone else

Residence permit for continued residence

A person staying in the Netherlands with a residence permit for a definite period may be entitled to a permit for continued residence. To apply for one of these permits the person must:

• Be married or have a registered partnership for three or more years
• Be married or have a registered partnership and the spouse/partner dies
• Be married or have a registered partnership, and have reasons of a humanitarian nature
• Be a minor and have had a residence permit for more than one year allowing him/her to stay with a parent
• Be a minor and the parent or adoptive/foster parent has died
• Be 18 and over, having stayed with a parent for three or more years
• Be 18 and over and the parent has died
• Be a victim of domestic violence
• Be a parent having stayed with your child for more than three years
• Have held a residence permit as a solitary underage foreign national for at least three years
• Have held a residence permit for more than three years because unable to leave the Netherlands for circumstances out of the person's control
• Have held a residence permit for more than three years for medical reasons and further treatment is necessary for at least one year
• Be a victim of or witness reporting human trafficking
• To download an application form for a permit for continued residence see the section "Brochures & Forms": Click here

Fees

There is a fee payable to obtain a MVV, residence permit or to pass the Civic Integration Examination. This is payable where the application is submitted or where the examination takes place. It is not refunded if applications are rejected or if the person fails the examination.

Related Information

• Information for American citizens from the Royal Dutch Embassy on moving to the Netherlands
• Information for British nationals from the British Embassy in the Hague on moving to the Netherlands
• Information for Canadian citizens from the Royal Dutch Embassy on moving to the Netherlands and further information from the Canadian Embassy in The Hague 
• Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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