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Exceptions to 5-year term for permanent residency

Last update: 29 April 2022

You want to apply for a permanent residence permit (in Dutch: verblijfsvergunning onbepaalde tijd) or a long-term EU residence permit. One of the requirements is that you must have had a valid residence permit for at least 5 years. Find out when this requirement does not apply.
 

Exceptions

What if you did not have a Dutch residence permit for 5 consecutive years? And you do meet all other requirements? In that case, you can still apply for a permanent residence permit in these situations.

  • You have Belgian or Luxembourgian nationality.
  • You are an (ex-)privileged person or their dependent family member.
  • You have a valid European Blue Card and all of these situations apply to you.
    • You  lived in the Netherlands for at least 2 consecutive years at the time you apply for permanent residence. During this period, you  had a valid Blue Card.
    • You  moved to another EU country for a job for highly educated people. Before you moved, you were legally living in the first EU country for at least 18 months.
    • You  lived in the European Union for at least 5 consecutive years with a valid Blue Card. During this period, you may have lived in different countries of the EU.
    • In those 5 years, you did not live outside the European Union for more than 18 months. In that period of 18 months, you are not allowed to have lived  more than 12 consecutive months outside the EU.  
  • You are a former Dutch citizen or you previously lived in the Netherlands. And one of these situations applies to you.
    • You are an adult. Before you turned 18, you lived for 10 years or more in the Netherlands. During this period, you had a valid residence permit. You applied for a residence permit to return to the Netherlands before you turned 28.
    • You are an adult. Before you turned 18, you lived in the Netherlands for 5 years or more. During this period, you had a valid residence permit. The Netherlands is the most appropriate country for you to live in.
    • You are a former Dutch citizen. You lost your Dutch nationality or it was withdrawn. When you became a Dutch citizen, you had been living in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit for 5 years or more.
       

Extra exceptions for EU long-term residents

Did you not have a Dutch residence permit for 5 consecutive years? And you do meet all other requirements? In that case there are situations in which you can still apply for a long-term EU residence permit:

  • You now have a permanent residence permit. You want a permit as a long-term EU resident. You can apply for this permit immediately.
  • You have had a residence permit as a long-term EU resident. The IND has withdrawn your residence permit because of one of these situations.
    • You stayed in a different EU/EEA country or Switzerland for study or vocational training. You must apply for the long-term EU residence permit within 6 months after your study or training has ended. Or within 6 months after your residence permit is no longer valid in that country.
    • You stayed outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland for 12 months. You must apply for the long-term EU residence permit within 12 months, after the withdrawal has become final. Final means that there is no  possibility to object or appeal.  
    • You have acquired the status of long-term EU resident in a different EU country. You must apply for the long-term EU residence permit within 12 months after the withdrawal has become final.