Asylum and family reunification: latest developments
Emergency asylum and family reunification measures
On 25 October 2024, the government announced new emergency asylum measures. These measures are outlined in Prime Minister Schoof's letter to the House of Representatives (only in Dutch). These measures do not take effect immediately and are still being worked out in a bill. Until then, there will be no consequences for your asylum application or asylum permit. If there is any new information, we will let you know on this page.
Average waiting time family reunification
At this moment, family reunification applicants are waiting a long time for a decision. To shorten the waiting time, the IND separates the family reunification applications in 2 groups.
Do you want to know how much time it takes on average before it is your turn? The IND has made an estimation. See the estimation of your average waiting time on the page When will the IND start with my application for family reunification?
Processing your asylum application
There are different asylum procedures in the Netherlands. Which procedure you follow depends on your journey and what country you are from. The IND must process asylum applications with small chance of an asylum permit more quickly. Did you apply for asylum in another European country or do you have a European visa? Then you follow the Dublin procedure. Did you come from a safe country of origin or do you have an asylum permit in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Then you follow the simplified asylum procedure. These procedures are shorter and you have 1 interview with the IND. When you follow the General Asylum procedure (in Dutch: Algemene Asielprocedure or AA), you have 2 interviews. The application interview and the detailed interview. In the detailed interview you explain extensively about the reasons of your asylum application.
Decision period of your asylum application
The law states that the IND has 6 months to decide upon an asylum application. This is the legal decision period. The waiting times are increasing. That is why the Dutch government decided to extend the decision period with 9 months. The IND has now decided to reverse part of the extension of the decision period. The extension is only valid if you applied for asylum between 27 September 2022 and 1 January 2024.
Decision usually later
Did you apply for asylum on or after 1 January 2024? Then the IND will adjust the statutory decision period. This will not happen for everyone at the same time, but we will do this in groups. You can see this in My IND. Unfortunately, reversing the extension does not mean you will get the decision sooner. It is still possible that the IND is late with a decision. Many asylum applications are still awaiting a decision and many asylum applications are still being made. We cannot tell you exactly when it will be your turn.
Average waiting times asylum
When the IND starts with your asylum application, differs per procedure. The IND makes an estimate of how long it takes on average before your application is due. In the table below, you read how long it takes on average.
| Type of Procedure | Average waiting times |
|---|---|
| Dublin Procedure | 7 weeks of waiting before the interview with the IND (Dublin procedure) |
| General Asylum Procedure | 7 weeks waiting for the first interview with the IND (application interview) |
| General Asylum Procedure | 74 weeks of waiting for the second interview with the IND (detailed interview) after the first interview (application interview) |
Waiting times for detailed interview
Applications from Syrians are not included in the average waiting time for the detailed interview.
It may take more or less time before your application is due
The waiting times are an average and are intended to provide a general overview. Sometimes the IND starts processing your application earlier or later. When your application is due, depends on your situation and the capacity of the IND. If your application is more complicated to decide on, an employee with additional knowledge is required. If you have an interview, the right employee and interpreter have to be available. And sometimes you need to be brought to your appointment.
Big differences between the waiting times for the detailed interview
It is possible that someone who has been in the Netherlands for a shorter amount of time will have their interview before you. This is because the IND does not process asylum applications in chronological order. The IND processes asylum applications in groups. We do this because special knowledge is needed for specific groups. The waiting time until the detailed interview depends on under what group your asylum applications falls. Within the groups, the IND tries to decide based on the chronological order of receipt.
Asylum applications safe country
Have you applied for asylum and do you come from a safe country according to the government? Then you will have an interview with the IND within a few weeks.
Syrian asylum applications
Starting from 14 June 2025, the IND is making decisions on Syrian asylum applications again. Since 14 December 2024, a decision stop was in place for 6 months. This was due to the uncertain situation in Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime. According to the Country of Origin Information Report dated 29 May, the current situation is less dangerous for many Syrians.
Consequences for your asylum application
The IND will proceed with your asylum application. For an asylum permit you must prove that you risk serious harm in Syria. This risk may be there for certain groups, such as the LGBTIQ+ community and Alawites.
No reassessments of asylum permits yet
The IND is not yet starting to reassess asylum permits of Syrians. For a reassessment, the situation in Syria is still too uncertain. The IND expects more information in January 2026.
Causes longer waiting times and approach
Applicants for an asylum permit and family reunification currently wait a long time for a decision. The IND understands that it is difficult that you have to wait such a long time for your decision. There are several reasons for the long waiting time. We explain these reasons briefly. We also explain what measures we take to give you clarity about your future as quickly as possible.
Causes of longer waiting times at IND
Many asylum applications
The number of refugees remains higher than the amount of decisions the IND takes. As a result, the number of applications continues to rise. Also, the number of unaccompanied minor refugees that come to the Netherlands increases. Unaccompanied minors are children under the age of 18 who have fled without their parents. Furthermore, the number of applications for family reunification has increased.
Combination of many applications and capacity
Many people apply for asylum or family reunification in the Netherlands. The IND works hard to decide on all these applications. Yet it remains busy and the waiting times are long. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to decide in time by hiring more people. Deciding on an asylum application or family reunification application is complicated and must be done with care. Training new employees takes time.
Approach waiting times
The IND hires new employees to shorten waiting times. Deciding on an application is complicated and must be done with care. As a result, training new employees takes a lot of time. Therefore, the effect of hiring more employees is not immediately visible. In addition, the IND hires employees who can, for example, take over the administration of the decision-making staff. This gives the decision-making staff more time to decide on asylum and family reunification applications.