When will the IND start with my application for family reunification?

When the IND starts with your application depends on the date of your application. And it depends on the family members for whom you applied for family reunification. Many applicants for family reunification are currently awaiting a decision. The IND can decide more quickly on applications from some family members. Because the IND can decide more quickly on applications that require less investigation, we divide the applications into groups. This way, we can start assessing applications faster.  It also makes the estimate of when it will be your turn more accurate.

New rules have been introduced for family reunification (also known as ‘nareis’). This involves changes to the conditions. These revised conditions will not only apply to new applications. Have you applied for family reunification and are you currently awaiting a decision? Then these new conditions will also apply to you.

Court ruling

The IND and other asylum organisations wish to have it assessed whether it is legally justifiable to apply the new conditions retroactively. After 12 June, we will decide on a small number of applications affected by these new conditions. Once we have made a decision on these applications, we will then seek clarification from the court. This will help us to provide clarity on which conditions apply to which applicants. Are you part of this group? Then u will receive a letter from the IND in June.

We are temporarily not deciding on other applications affected by the new conditions. We have chosen to do this to avoid having to reject applications unnecessarily, or having to reverse our decisions later. The IND will not decide on these applications until the court has issued a ruling. It is not yet known when the court will issue this ruling. If the IND does not receive clarity on this before the end of 2026, we will determine what further steps are appropriate at that time.

Consequences for your application

The waiting time for your application may be extended. If your application was due to be processed between June and the court ruling, you will be the first to be affected.

Applications on which the IND is temporarily not making a decision

• You have subsidiary protection. 
• You have a refugee status. Under the new conditions, your family members are not entitled to join you.

In the positive decision on your asylum application, it says what status you have.

Applications on which the IND will still make a decision

• You have a refugee status. Under the new conditions, your family members are entitled to join you. This applies to the following family members:
  • Your biological or adopted children under 18 years of age.
  • Your partner, to whom you are legally married.
  • Your parents and your siblings under 18 years of age, only if you were without parents and under the age of 18 at the time of your asylum application.         
• You have applied for residence under article 8 of the EHCR. These are applications for other family members such as a grandparent.

You can read about any developments regarding the processing of family reunion applications on this page. Do you have any questions? Please call the Asylum family reunification phone number.

It is possible that someone who applied for family reunification after you will be processed before you. The time the IND takes to make a decision is different for each application. The following factors may affect your waiting time: 

• The IND can decide quicker when the applications are complete. An application is complete if we have received all the documents needed to establish the identity and family ties (relationship) with your family members.
• It is possible that further investigation may be necessary during the processing of the application. For example, if identity documents or other documents needed to establish the family relationship are missing. In that case, the IND may conduct a DNA test or an interview with you and your family member.
• In exceptional cases, we process applications that are urgent due to special circumstances sooner. For example, in the case of serious medical problems affecting a family member. 
• You are part of the group of applications on which the IND is temporarily not making a decision until the court has issued a ruling.