Applied for a residence permit: what happens next?

You have applied to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) for a residence permit. You have sent an application form to this effect online or in writing. The IND will now assess your application. This can take a long time. Most of the time you do not hear anything from us. You receive a letter a few times, to inform you of something, or because you still need to do something.

Please note! The information on this page does not apply to applications for an asylum residence permit.

The IND first registers your application. In case of an online application this takes a few days at most. In case of a written application this takes 2 weeks at most. You will receive a letter. This letter is the confirmation of receipt of your application. It is stated in the confirmation of receipt when you will receive a reply to your application. This is the period for making a decision. 

Follow your application in My IND

You will also see the decision-making period in My IND. You will see this at 'Status of application'. You will see how far the IND has got with your application. You must log in with DigiD. Read more about this and log in on My IND.

No confirmation received

Do you not see your application in My IND after a few days? Or have you not received a letter after 14 days? Contact us in that case.

Have you used the written application form and sent it by post? You will also receive a letter to pay the costs (fees) of the application. You must pay within 2 weeks. The letter tells you how to pay.

Do you not need a provisional residence permit (mvv)? Are you already in the Netherlands? And have you received the confirmation of receipt? You may then make an appointment to have biometric data taken. You have a photograph taken at an IND desk and you scan your fingerprints. The IND needs this photograph and your fingerprints to make the residence document. 

Have you paid? From that time the IND starts assessing your application. You will now be faced with a waiting period. This is a tense and long time. It is stated in the confirmation of receipt when you will receive a decision on your application, the period for making a decision. Has that period or making a decision expired and have you not yet had a reply to your application? Then contact the IND.

If the IND needs more information for a decision

Sometimes the IND needs additional information to assess your application. In that case you will receive a letter. The letter says which documents you still need to send, and before which date you must do so. Send the documents in time. If you do not do so, the IND will reject your application. Are you unable to send the documents in time? Call the staff member who is handling your application. The telephone number is stated in the letter.

The period for making a decision stops until the IND has received your documents

If you have to send more information, the period for making a decision pauses. The new date, before which the IND should decide, is stated in the letter. Do you have a DigiD? Then log in on My IND for the most current decision.

Letter on extending the period for making a decision

Sometimes the IND needs to do additional investigation in order to decide on your application. The IND will then extend the period for making a decision on your application. You will in that case receive a letter from us. Your period for making a decision can be extended by 6 months at most.

Letter with the decision

Once the IND has assessed your application, you will receive the decision. This is stated in a letter. The decision is either positive or negative:

• The decision is positive: you  will receive the residence permit. Read what you should do after you have received a positive decision.
• The decision is negative: you will not receive a residence permit. Why not is stated in the decision. You can apply for review of this decision by the IND. Has your application for review also been rejected? You can then appeal to the court. Read more about applying for review of or lodging appeal against the IND decision.