Anyone who is not safe in their own country can receive protection in the Netherland. Sometimes this involves a reunion with family members who stayed behind. We call this ‘asylum family reunification’. As of 12 June, the options available to asylum status holders for bringing their family members to the Netherlands through family reunification have changed.
Have you been granted an asylum residence permit and do you want to bring family to the Netherlands? Then go to the page Asylum family reunification.
Effective 12 June 2026, the Two-Status System Act distinguishes between refugees (A status) and people granted subsidiary protection (B status); this group, for example, is fleeing violence or war. Which family members are eligible for family reunification is changing for all asylum permit holders. In addition, the Dutch law states that people who are granted subsidiary protection have to meet additional requirements before they can have family members join them.
Under the new law, an asylum permit holder may only apply to have their nuclear family join them. The nuclear family includes the married partner and any minor biological or adopted children (under the age of 18). For minor siblings of an unaccompanied minor (AMV), it will soon be possible to submit a family reunification application at the same time as the application for the parents. Unmarried partners, adult children, and foster children are no longer eligible for family reunification. Only in rare situations are they entitled to a residence permit for family members under Article 8 ECHR.
For people granted subsidiary protection, there is a two-year waiting period after receiving their residence permit before they are eligible for family reunification. They also have to show that they have a place to live and that they can financially support their family members. All asylum permit holders (A and B status) have to provide identity documents of their family members and documents showing their family relationships. If the asylum permit holder has not shown this or has not done so adequately or is unable to do so, the IND can start a further investigation. For example, a DNA test or an interview with the applicant and the family member. An asylum permit holder (A status) who wants to apply for family reunification must do so within three after receiving the residence permit.
Family members who are joining on the basis of family reunification are already known to the IND before their departure. They will be issued a visa to enter the Netherlands. This visa is called a provisional residence permit (MVV). As soon as the family members arrive in the Netherlands, they have to register with the IND.
Applicants can check the IND website to see when the IND begins processing the application. The applications are divided into two groups: the IND can make decisions more quickly on certain types of applications because they require less investigation.
A safe Netherlands is one of the key objectives of the IND. So, if someone wants to come to the Netherlands, we always check to see if there is a potential threat. For example, a threat to public order or national security. We also investigate if people coming to the Netherlands have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity. There is no place in the Netherlands for perpetrators of such serious crimes. They will not be granted a residence permit under any circumstances.
The family reunification process changed as of 1 December 2025. Read more at this page.
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