Parent(s) of a minor Dutch child

You are a parent of a minor Dutch child. You wish to live in the Netherlands with your child. You yourself are not a national of the EU, EEA Member States, or Switzerland. You need a residence permit to live with your minor Dutch child. What are the conditions for this residence permit?

Conditions

You are the (step-, foster-) parent of a minor Dutch child.
Your Dutch child is younger than 18 years of age.
You do not pose a threat to public order.
You do not have the nationality of an EU/EEA member State or Switzerland.
You do not have lawful stay in an EU/EEA member State (incl. the Netherlands) or Switzerland.
You can prove your identity and nationality by means of a valid passport or other travel document. If you do not have this, then you are able to show other documentation unambiguously stating your identity and nationality.
You are actually participating in the care and upbringing of your child (whether or not in co-operation with the other parent).
Your child is in such a way dependent on you that if you would be denied residency in the Netherlands, the child has no other option than to leave the European Union with you.
Your Dutch child lives in the Netherlands. This means that your child is registered in the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) in the municipality where you live.

Costs

This application costs € 58.

Checklist documents

The application form lists the documents that you have to enclose with the application.

You have to have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

Steps in the application process

1. Entry in the Netherlands: Visa facilitation or permit-exempt term

Visa facilitation

If you have a visa-required nationality, you first have to apply for a visa to travel to the Netherlands. This is called a facilitation visa. This is free of charge and is issued as a Schengen visa (type C).

You apply for this visa to the Dutch representation in the country you are live in. When you apply for this, you indicate that you intend to live in the Netherlands with your minor Dutch child. You have to prove that you are a family member of your child. You can do this, for example, by showing the birth certificate or adoption certificates.

Please contact the Dutch representation for more information about this visa and how to apply for it.

Permit-exempt term

When you do not have a visa-required nationality, you can travel to the Netherlands in your permit-exempt term. You, in any event, need the following documents to enter the Netherlands:

A valid passport or another travel document.
You have to prove that you are the parent of your minor Dutch child. You can do this, for example, by showing the birth certificate or adoption certificates.

2. Submit the application for verification against EU law

You apply to the IND yourself at an IND-desk or via post.

At an IND-desk
In order to be able to submit your application at an IND-desk, you have to make an appointment.

You pay the costs (fees) of the application directly at the IND-desk. The IND will only process your application after you have made the payment.

Also, a passport photo for the residence document and fingerprints will be taken at the IND desk. And you will get a Residence Endorsement Sticker in your passport.

Via post
You submit the application by sending the application form to the IND. You will find the form on this page under 'Application forms and costs'. Upon receipt, the IND will send you a letter in which it says how to pay the fees.

After having received said letter, you will have to visit an IND-desk as soon as possible to have your biometrics taken. At the IND-desk, you can also get a residence endorsement sticker in your passport.

In order to provide your biometrics and receive the residence endorsement sticker, you have to make an appointment.

3. Receipt and check application

After your application has been received, the IND sends a confirmation letter. The confirmation letter states the date the IND has received the application. It also states the period within which the IND makes a decision.

The IND will then check to see if your application is complete and that the fees have been paid. Are documents missing, or are documents not correct? In that case, the IND will send a letter: a request to rectify the omission. This letter lists the documents that still needs to be sent. Send the requested documents before the mentioned date to the IND.

My IND en Message Box (Berichtenbox)

Follow your application in My IND. Did you register with the Message Box (Berichtenbox) for mail from IND? And did you enter you e-mail address? Than you will receive an e-mail from the Berichtenbox when you have new mail from IND.

4. Decision

The IND checks if you meet all the conditions and makes a decision.

Negative decision
If you do not meet the conditions, you will not get an residence permit. This decision is given in the formal decision. You can apply for a review of this decision.

Positive decision
If you meet all the conditions, you will get a residence permit. The IND will inform you about this decision. The IND also informs the Dutch representation.

After the application

Collect your residence document

The IND aims to have the residence document ready for you within 2 weeks after the decision. You receive a letter when you can collect the residence document. For this, you have to make an appointment online at the IND desk stated in the letter. Keep in mind that it is not always possible to visit an IND desk at short notice. Therefore, please schedule an appointment in time.

Check to see if the information on the residence document is correct while you are still at the IND desk. If something is incorrect, inform the IND staff member at once.

Registration with the municipality

If you are staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you have to register him in the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) in the municipality you are going to live.

To register with the municipality, your child needs a valid legalised and translated birth certificate. Take this therefore with you when you travel to the Netherlands.

Take out health insurance

Anyone living in the Netherlands must take out health insurance. You do this within 4 months following your arrival in the Netherlands.

Work

The back of your residence document states whether you may work in the Netherlands. Your employer does not need a TWV for you. Your residence document states arbeid vrij toegestaan, TWV niet vereist (work permitted free from restrictions, work permit not required).

Further applications

Replace residence document

Is your residence document damaged, lost or stolen? In that case, have the residence document replaced.

Replace residence document

Is your residence document due to expire soon? You cannot extend your residence document. Instead you apply for Verification against EU law again. You submit the application to an IND desk. You have to make an appointment for this.

Permanent residency or obtaining Dutch citizenship

With the residence permit for staying with a minor Dutch child, you cannot apply for permanent residence for EU citizens (duurzaam verblijf), a regular permanent residence permit or a residence permit as a long-term resident EC. Also, it is not possible for you to apply for Dutch citizenship.