This is the latest Brexit newsletter for British citizens living in the Netherlands. It is issued by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) in English. Subsequent issues will be published when there is more news. Previous newsletters are available from the archive below. It is not currently possible to receive this newsletter by e-mail.
These are difficult and uncertain times as a result of the coronavirus crisis. It is important to stay in touch with us if you are unable to submit your application for a residence document on time. Our Brexit line is happy to help you with any questions you have about your application: +31 (0)88 04 30410. This line can be reached from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.00.
Did you know that around 90% of Brits living in the Netherlands have already applied for a residence document? This includes Brits who have had their old EU residence permit exchanged for a new document. And did you also know that 99% of the applications submitted have been granted? However, around 10% have not applied for a residence document yet. Do you still need to apply? Then do not wait any longer and submit your application as soon as possible on www.ind.nl/Brexit. Only then can you ensure that you can continue to live in the Netherlands as before. The latest you can apply for a residence document is 30 June 2021. From 1 July 2021 this is no longer possible.
Are you a UK national living in the Netherlands, and you need to travel to or from the UK? Please, check the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice before the start of your journey. The COVID-pandemic has impacted travel options.
If you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, you are not subject to the European entry ban. Therefore your passport does not need to be stamped at the border. However, you must be able to prove that you come under the Withdrawal Agreement. Just showing your passport is not enough: it does not state that you can live in the Netherlands under the agreement. Therefore, in addition to your passport, always take proof of your right to live in the Netherlands with you when you travel. This is essentially the residence document you receive under the Withdrawal Agreement. If you are living abroad and working in the Netherlands, then you can show your frontier worker's document.
What if you do not have your document yet because your application is still pending? Then you can also use the proof that you have submitted your application, or other evidence proving your rights. Find out on Rijksoverheid.nl, which documents you can use to show your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. There you can also find out how to have a stamp that was placed in your passport by mistake, cancelled.
If you have not applied for a residence document yet, submit your application now on www.ind.nl/Brexit . Then you can avoid unwanted hassle during border checks.
The IND is aiming to provide a residence document to all Brits in the Netherlands who come under the Withdrawal Agreement. As mentioned above, around 40,000 UK nationals have already arranged their residence document. But there is still a group that has not applied for a residence document yet. Among them are a few dozen Brits aged 70 and over. The IND is making extra efforts to reach them.
In October 2020, the IND started to call all Brits in this age group for whom we had a phone number, and who had not yet submitted their application for residency under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. "It was difficult to reach this group for several reasons," explains Dieu-Donnée Janken from the Brexit team in Almere. "Often they did not use digital channels. Or perhaps family members were taking care of their administration and we did not have the family's contact details. So we were always happy when we got through to someone. We reminded them that the deadline is the end of June this year and asked them if they had any questions about their application."
"We are also sending a card and letter to the remaining Brits in this group who we could not reach," Dieu-Donnée said. "We have invited them to call me or a colleague personally if they have any questions or need any help with their application. We look forward to hearing from them soon."
Even if you have been living in the Netherlands for a long time, as a result of Brexit, UK nationals still have to arrange their residency by latest 30 June 2021.
The IND can only prepare your residence document if you have your biometric details (passport photo, fingerprints and signature) taken. To do this, you must make an biometrics appointment online on our Brexit website. This also applies for a frontier worker's document. Has the IND asked you to make a biometrics appointment, but you have not made an appointment yet? Then we advise you to do this by 1 March 2021. Then the IND can help you quickly. You can make an appointment at the IND office in Almere, all 6 IND desks and all 9 expat centres throughout the country. From 1 March we are expecting it to get very busy at our desks and expat centres. This is because from March onwards, all IND clients, not only UK nationals, must have their biometrics taken when they submit a new application. This is required by European legislation.
Recently, the IPKD started delivering documents to British frontier workers in the Netherlands. Has your application been approved? Then the IPKD will call or e-mail you to make an appointment for delivery to an address of your choice. It is therefore important that you provide your e-mail address and phone number when you submit an application.
The Dutch government's courier service, the IPKD, has already provided residence documents to many Brits living in the Netherlands.