If you have a Dutch residence permit, you may stay abroad for certain periods of time. However, you must live in the Netherlands and spend most of your time here. This is what we call having your main residence in the Netherlands. On this page you can find out how the IND assesses whether you have your main residence in the Netherlands. And what the consequences could be if you change your main place of residence.
How long you may spend abroad depends on your residence permit. Are you abroad for longer than is allowed? Then you have changed your main residence. Did you use a remigration scheme when you left the Netherlands, for example, under a regulation of the Repatriation Act? Then you will always have changed your main residence.
You have changed your main residence if any of these situations apply to you:
You stay outside the Netherlands for more than 6 months in a row. And this is not due to circumstances beyond your control.
For 3 consecutive years you have been outside the Netherlands for more than 4 months in a row. The IND only counts these 4 months per calendar year (January to December). We do not add up individual periods you spend abroad over these 3 years. You have moved the centre of your activities abroad. This means that you cannot prove that you carry out most of your activities in the Netherlands. The IND looks at this case by case.
You are outside the Netherlands from 1 November 2020 to 31 May 2021. This counts as 7 months in a row.
You are outside the Netherlands in 2019, 2020 and 2021 from 1 July to 30 November. This counts as 5 months in a row for 3 consecutive years.
You are outside the Netherlands from 1 November 2020 to 30 April 2021. This counts as 6 months in a row.
You will be outside the Netherlands in 2019, 2020 and 2021 from 1 December to 30 April. This counts as 4 months in a row (January to April) for 3 consecutive years. The period 1 to 30 December will not be added to the period 1 January to 30 April.
For the following temporary residence permits, different rules apply:
Residence permit for study: you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 1 year as long as your residence permit is valid. This is allowed if you are going to follow temporary education abroad in order to be able to complete your studies in the Netherlands. Are you going to study temporarily in another EU country? And has your educational institution reported this to the IND? Then you can study in the other country for a maximum of 360 days. We add up separate periods.
Residence permit highly skilled worker and scientific researcher Directive 2005/71/EC or researcher Directive 2016/801: you may work abroad for a total of up to 8 months in a period of 12 months. This means that we also add up separate periods. You must still continue to meet the conditions of your residence permit.
Residence permit as a foreign investor: you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 8 months in a period of 12 months. This means that we also add up separate periods. You must still continue to meet the conditions of your residence permit.
Residence permit for transfer within a company (Directive 2014/66/EU): you will not change your main residence if you are in another EU country with your short- or long-term mobility residence permit.
You have moved your main residence if you stay outside the Netherlands for a total of more than 6 months in a 12-month period. This means that we also add up individual periods.
You have changed your main residence if:
You have changed your main residence if you have been outside the Netherlands for more than 2 years in a row.
You have changed your main residence if you have been outside the Netherlands for more than 6 months in a row.
You have changed your main residence if you have been outside the Netherlands for more than 5 years in a row.
The IND does not only look at the period that you are staying abroad. Other facts are also important to assess whether you have changed your main residence. For example, the following facts may be important:
Have you moved your main residence abroad according to the IND? Then your residence permit can be revoked. Or your permit will not be renewed.