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Main residence in the Netherlands

​If you have a Dutch residence permit, you have to have your main residence in the Netherlands. Main residence means that the centre of your activities is in the Netherlands. You, therefore, live in the Netherlands and you work or study here. Or your children are, for example, going to school in the Netherlands. When you move your main residence to a place outside the Netherlands, your residence permit can be revoked or not be extended.

Moving main residence

The IND judges if you have moved your main residence. For this the IND looks at facts that show that your main residence is no longer in the Netherlands. Examples of these facts are:

  • You have deregistered from the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) of your municipality. Other examples include:
  • Deregistration from the Tax and Customs Administration before leaving the country.
  • Notification to the Aliens Police (AVIM) of leaving the country.
  • Resignation from work or cessation of operations.
  • Cancellation of a bank or giro account.
  • Transferring periodical payments (money) to an address outside the Netherlands.
  • The redemption of pension rights.
  • Eviction of the accommodation in the Netherlands and carrying the inventory (household contents) across the border.
  • Letting or subletting the accommodation in the Netherlands to other persons.

There can also be other examples that indicate that you have changed the location of your main residence.

Do you hold a residence permit for research (Directive EU 2016/801) or study and do you temporarily want to reside in another member state of the European Union as part of intra EU-mobility? If your educational- or research institute in the Netherlands has notified this to the IND in time, you may temporarily deregister from the BRP during the intra-EU mobility. This also applies to family members who stay with the researcher. In this case, the deregistration from the BRP is not considered as a change of main residence.

Situations in which the IND always judges you have moved your main residence:

  • You have made use of a remigration scheme upon leaving the Netherlands. For example a scheme under the Remigration Act.
  • You have been outside the Netherlands for a longer period than stated in paragraph Residence outside the Netherlands. Is it not your fault that you have stayed outside the Netherlands longer than allowed? Or that you have not moved the centre of your activities abroad? Than the IND will not see this as moving your main residence.

Residence outside the Netherlands

You are allowed to stay short periods abroad with your Dutch residence permit. During these short periods  you may not move your main residence.

How long you may stay outside the Netherlands depends on your residence permit.

Temporary residence permit

You may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 months in a row. Or 3 years in a row each year for a maximum of 4 months in a row.

For highly skilled migrants, researchers, students, foreign investors and Intra Corporate Transferees (Directive 2014/66/EU) exceptions on these rules apply:

  • Residence permit study: you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 1 year. Requirement is that you follow temporary education abroad in order to finish your study in the Netherlands.
  • Residence permit highly skilled migrant and scientific researcher directive 2005/71/EG or researcher directive (EU) 2016/801: you can work abroad for a maximum of 8 months. You do have to continue to meet the conditions for your Dutch residence permit.
  • Residence permit as a foreign investor: you have stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 8 months. You do have to continue to meet the conditions for your Dutch residence permit.
  • Residence permit Intra Corporate Transferee (Directive 2014/66/EU): you stay in another member state of the European Union on the grounds of your residence permit for short term or long term mobility.

Residence permit for verification against EU law (family members of EU/EEA or Swiss citizen)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 months in a row.

Permanent residence permit (regular & asylum)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for either a maximum of 6 months in a row, or for 3 years in a row for a maximum of 4 consecutive months each year. 

Residence permit long term resident-EC

You are allowed to stay outside of the EU for a maximum of up to 12 months in a row. Or outside of the Netherlands, but within the EU, for a maximum of up to 6 years in a row.

Permanent residence for EU/EEA or Swiss-citizens and their family members (Duurzaam verblijf)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for a maximum of 2 years in a row.