Permanent residency based on Withdrawal Agreement
Requirements
- You meet the general requirements that apply to everyone.
- You are a UK citizen or family member of a UK citizen and you have a different nationality yourself. You are one of these family members.
- Married or registered partner.
- Unmarried partner in a real, long-term relationship. This means that you must have been living together with your British family member in a row for at least 6 months or you have a child together.
- Parent or parent-in-law, grandparent, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild.
- You fall under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
- You were living legally in the Netherlands before 1 January 2021, or
- You already have a temporary residence document based on the Withdrawal Agreement, or
- You came to the Netherlands after 1 January 2021 for family reunification with a UK national. And the UK national in the Netherlands has a residence document based on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
- When you apply, you have been living in the Netherlands for 5 years or more according to the EU rules or the Withdrawal Agreement. Sometimes you can apply for permanent residency if you have been living in the Netherlands for less than 5 years. Do you already have a temporary residence document based on the Withdrawal Agreement and do you meet the requirements for permanent residency? Then you can apply for permanent residency even if your residence document has not yet expired.
- You have worked as an employee or a self-employed person for at least 5 years. This is certainly the case in one of these situations:
- Your income is at least 50% of the social welfare level. On the Government of the Dutch website, you can find out the level of Social welfare benefits in the Netherlands (in Dutch only).
- You work at least 40% of the full working week.
- Were you not employed or self-employed for the entire 5-year period? Then the following applies for the period or periods when you were not:
- You had healthcare insurance, and
- Your income was enough to provide for you (and your family). It does not matter where your income came from. But you were able to and allowed to use the income.The IND checks whether you have enough income in your situation. This is certainly the case if the level of your income is as high as the Dutch minimum wage with holiday pay. On the Government of the Netherlands’ website, you can read the amounts of the minimum wage.
- You do not pose a risk to public order.
- Do you have no temporary residence document based on the Withdrawal Agreement yet? Submit your application in time.
Applying for permanent residency after less than 5 years of stay
In certain situations, you can apply for permanent residency if you have been living in the Netherlands for less than 5 years. This is the case in these situations.
You have retired at pension age or earlier
- You have been living in the Netherlands 3 years in a row; and
- You have worked the last 12 months. You stopped working because you retired on a state pension. Or you retired early.
You are permanently unfit to work
- You have lived in the Netherlands for 2 years or more and worked before you became unfit to work; and
- You stopped working because you were permanently unfit to work.
You are permanently unfit to work because of an accident at work or work-related illness
- You stopped working because you had an accident at work or work-related illness that has made you permanently unfit to work. For this reason, you are receiving a benefit (WAO or WIA).
You are living in the Netherlands but are working as a frontier worker in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- Before you started working in the other country, you worked for 3 years in a row or more in the Netherlands. You are still living in the Netherlands and return to your house in the Netherlands at least once a week.
Process and costs
These are the steps in the application process for the residence document.
-
1. Check requirements open minusA valid provisional residence permit (MVV) is needed for this application
Make sure you meet the requirements.
-
1. Check requirements open minusMake sure you meet the requirements.
-
2. Collect documents open minusThe written application form lists which documents you need. Collect all documents before you apply. You can upload the documents in the online application.
Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.
-
2. Collect documents open minusThe written application form lists which documents you need. Collect all documents before you apply. You can upload the documents in the online application.
Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.
-
3. Apply open minusYou can submit this application online or in writing by post.
Do not submit the application earlier than 3 months before you have 5 years of stay in the Netherlands according to the EU rules or the Withdrawal Agreement.
The drop-down menu of the online application form does not list the United Kingdom. Choose Great Britain.
-
4. Pay for the application open minusThe application costs € 81,00. Are you under 18? Then, the application costs a different amount. For all fees and exceptions, visit our web page Fees: application costs.
When you apply online, you pay the fee immediately with IDEAL internet banking. Are you submitting a written application? Then you will receive a letter which explains how you can pay.
-
5. Wait for decision on application open minusThe IND usually decides within 90 days.
Does it take more time for us to decide, for example because the application is not complete? In that case, the IND will send a message.
-
6. Decision on application open minusYou will receive the decision in a letter. The decision will be positive or negative.
- Positive decision: you will get a residence document.
- Negative decision: you will not get a residence document. You can object to this decision.
-
7. Collect residence document open minusWhen the residence document is ready at an IND desk, you will receive a letter. You must make an appointment to collect it. Make an appointment to collect your residence document.
Application forms
You can submit this application online. To do so, you need DigiD with SMS verification and internet banking (iDEAL).
Online application form permanent residence document WA
Written application forms
The residence document
Find out what else you need to know about the residence document 'Permanent residence document Withdrawal Agreement'.
-
TB test
open minusDid you indicate at the time of the application that you will take a TB (tuberculosis) test? Then make an appointment with the public health service (in Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheidsdienst or GGD). Do this within 3 months after you have received your residence document. Take with you to the appointment
-
Working with the residence document
open minusYou are free to work in the Netherlands with a permanent Brexit residence document. Your employer does not need a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or TWV) for you. The back of the residence document says in Dutch ‘Arbeid vrij toegestaan, TWV niet vereist’ (Free to work. Work permit not required.)
-
Legal obligations
open minusYou have an obligation to provide information. This means you must inform the IND of any changes in your situation. Read more about the obligation to provide information.
The IND checks whether you meet your obligations. If you do not, you may get an administrative fine.
-
Validity of residence document
open minusYour residence document is valid for 10 years and you can renew it every 10 years. Are you under 18 years old? Then, your residence document is valid for 5 years and you can renew it every 5 years.
-
Type of residence document
open minusThe residence document is type Article 50 TEU, Permanent residence document Withdrawal Agreement 18(1).
-
Other applications
open minusReplacement of the residence document
Has the residence document been damaged, lost or stolen? Then have the residence document replaced. Visit the web page residence permit damaged or change of personal details or residence permit lost or stolen.
Extend the residence document
Will the residence document expire soon? Then you can extend the residence document.