Frequently asked questions

​No, that is not allowed. In the Netherlands you are only allowed to be married to one person. That also means that only 1 spouse with his/her children is allowed to live with you in the Netherlands.

It is not possible to bring a child who has reached the age of majority to the Netherlands. Unless there are exceptional circumstances. For more information, contact the IND.

The IND does not provide information on the status of your application until a decision has been made. In most situations, a (statutory) decision period applies. The IND can make use of the entire decision period to process your application.

Follow your application in My IND.

Do you not have DigiD? And has the decision period ended? Please, call the IND.

Have you applied for asylum and are you waiting for a decision? Find out more information about the processing of asylum applications on Asylum: latest developments.

Do you need more information about your application, decision periods or letters sent by the IND? If so, we suggest you first try to find more information on our website. If you have any further questions, please call us at 0880 - 430 430 (normal charges apply, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).

Have you received a letter from the person processing your application? If you have any questions, please contact them directly. For example, if you cannot provide us with the documents we have requested.

You will find the direct phone number of the employee concerned in our letter (under ‘Contactpersoon’).
 

Once you have submitted an application to the IND, you will receive a notification.  You can track your application in My IND. When the IND has processed your application, you will see the status 'Received'. 

An application submitted online is usually visible within a few minutes. Is your application not visible after a few minutes? Then do not call us immediately. After a maximum of 5 days, your application will be visible in My IND. A written application is registered in about 10 days. 

If you have lived in another EU Member State as a Dutch national, you have made use of the EU law on the free movement of people. You may therefore be seen as a community citizen. Your partner can apply for a residence permit as a family member of an EU citizen. Read more about the requirements on Dutch nationals and EU law.

This depends on your situation. In most cases, you must continue living in the Netherlands until your naturalisation is completed. This means until after the naturalisation ceremony. During this entire period, you must have a valid residence permit or the right of residence under EU law.

Married to a Dutch national

Do you live with your Dutch partner and are you married or registered partners? Then nothing changes for your application for naturalisation if you move to another country together. However, you are not allowed to move to a country of which you currently have the nationality. And you must continue living together as married or registered partners until your naturalisation is complete.

Living together without being married

Do you live together without being married? Then the IND may reject your application if you move abroad. This is because, as unmarried partners, you must continue to live in the Netherlands until your naturalisation is complete.

Is there any maintenance or malfunction with DigiD?

DigiD is not part of the IND. Check with Logius (Dutch only) if there is maintenance or a malfunction with DigiD. 

Is there no maintenance or malfunction with DigiD, but you are unable to log in?

This may have a number of causes:

• You are not using the correct username or password. Check that you are using the correct details. Pay attention to the use of upper and lower case letters.
• You have not activated your DigiD. First activate your DigiD with the activation code you received by letter.
• Your DigiD is blocked. Wait until the blockage is lifted and try again.
• Your DigiD has expired because you have not used it for 3 years. If so, reapply for your DigiD.

Are you using old software on your computer or mobile device? It may not meet DigiD's minimum security requirements. 

Check whether you have completed all the fields on the page. Then click 'Next'.

Make sure your internet browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Chrome) is up to date. Otherwise, the 'Next' button won't work. 

Update your browser and try again.

Many questions include an explanation. Click on the link by the question. This will bring up a text that explains the question.

Use our written form to submit your application. There may be several reasons why you cannot (yet) submit your application online.

Are you mentioned on the back of the residence card as the parent with whom the minor child is staying? Then you are a social sponsor. You can submit an application for an extension of the residence permit of your minor child.  You log in with your own DigiD.

You can only upload documents requested on the application form.

Did you already send in your online or written application and now you want to upload additional documents? You can do this as long as we haven't made a decision on your application. 

Go to Uploading documents after your application and read how you can upload more documents.

The quality of an uploaded photo is not good enough. Send a photo card by post to the IND. 

Please contact the IND. We can check if we received your application.

If the IND has not received your application, we will return the money to your bank account. You can make a new application.

The IND will refund the excess amount to your bank account. You do not need to do anything.

1. In your online application find the menu button (upper left of the page).
2. Click 'Save'.

Often you will get a follow-up question depending on your search engine or browser preferences.

For example, are you working with Internet Explorer? Then below on your screen you will see the text: 'Do you want to open or save the file?' If you choose 'save', Internet Explorer will save a file in your Downloads folder. The saved file has the extension .tfa.

Your online application is now saved on your own computer.

1. Go to ind.nl and find the online application form you need.
2. Log in with your DigiD and SMS code.
3. Click the menu button (upper left of the screen) and select 'Open'.
4. Click 'Select a file'. This will open a programme (Explorer/Finder) to find documents on your computer.
5. Go to the Downloads folder.
6. In the Downloads folder, select the .tfa file you saved before.

You can only upload PDF files with a maximum of 8 MB per file. Do not password protect PDF files for ind.nl. Read more about uploading documents.

The online application you want to save is stored on your computer as a TFA file.  If you upload additional documents, the file may become too large. Due to a technical limitation, you cannot reopen a saved TFA file that is larger than 25MB.

Instead, you can save your application without uploading first. When you reopen your application, you can upload additional documents.  After that, you can submit your application.

This is allowed if you and your partner meet the requirements for a residence permit for partner.

​Yes, but the new educational institution must be recognized as a sponsor. The new educational institution also has to notify the IND of your transfer. You do not need to apply for a new residence permit.

If you wish to stay in the Netherlands after your studies, you have to apply for a new residence permit. As a graduate you can make use of the orientation year for graduates. With your permit for the orientation year you have one year to find work in the Netherlands, for example as a highly skilled migrant. 

Have you graduated? Your residence permit for study purposes will remain valid until 3 months after you deregister from your educational institution. 

You can also apply for a start-up residence permit. This gives you one year to start an innovative company.

Do you have the possibility to do scientific research? Your employer or research institute can apply for a residence permit for you as a researcher highly skilled migrant, or as a researcher under directive (EU) 2016/801.

​The purpose of the mvv is for the IND to check that you meet all the requirements before you come to the Netherlands. For this reason, the IND does not recommend  that you stay in the Netherlands during your application procedure.

You must always collect your mvv from the Dutch embassy in your country of origin or in the country of continuous residence. Will  you be coming to the Netherlands during the procedure? This is your own responsibility. 

Do you have an urgent reason to be in the Netherlands during the mvv application? Report this reason to the IND before you come to the Netherlands.

Country of continuous residence

​A country of continuous residence is not your country of origin (the country in which you or your parents were born). It is the country where you have legal stay for more than 3 months. This means you have a valid residence permit for that country. Or that you are waiting for your application for a residence permit to be approved. 

Are you staying in a country for a maximum of 90 days? For example, on a short-stay visa or during a visa-exempt period? This is not continuous residence.
 

You are not allowed to change your main residence. The period of time that you are allowed to stay outside the Netherlands depends on your residence permit. Find out the period you may stay outside the Netherlands with your type residence permit.

You can request a payment reference from the IND. You can only do this by calling us.

No. It is not possible to pay the fees in installments. We will not process your application until you have paid the full fee.

If you have a residence permit for another EU country, you are not automatically allowed to live and work in the Netherlands.

With a residence permit from another EU country, you can enter the Netherlands without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Do you want to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days? Then you must apply for a Dutch residence permit and sometimes also an entry visa (mvv).

Do you also want to work in the Netherlands? Then you may need a work permit (TWV). Your employer can apply for a TWV at UWV.

Yes, this is possible. You can transfer the fees from your foreign bank account to the account of the IND.

If you change your employer, both you and your employer must notify the IND according to regulations. In practice, your employer will deregister you but it is your responsibility to check the deregistration with your employer. Whether you have to apply for the new residence permit depends on the residence permit you currently hold. 

Only notify the change of employer

You or your employer only has to notify the change if you have one of the following residence permits:

• highly skilled migrants;
• European blue card;
• Intra-Company Transfer (ICT Directive);
• scientific researcher (Directive 2005/71/EG); or
• researcher/research worker permit (Directive (EU) 2016/801).

You do need to keep satisfying the conditions of your residence permit.

Notify and apply for new residence permit

Do you have a single permit (GVVA) for residence and work? You or your employer have to submit a new application. In such a case the IND again asks advice of the Netherlands Employees Insurance Agency (UWV) whether you fulfil the criteria of the Foreign Nationals Employment Act. Is the advice from the UWV is positive and is your residence permit still valid for a period of 3 months or longer? You will receive only a new additional document. Is your residence permit valid for less than 3 months? You will receive a new residence permit and a new additional document.

Notify and apply for a new work permit at UWV

Do you hold a residence permit for paid employment (only residence permit)? Your new employer has to apply for a new work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) from the Employment Insurance Agency (UWV). Have you worked for 5 years continuously? Then you are usually free to work in the Netherlands and you don't need a work permit (TWV) anymore. Always have your employer inform at UWV if a TWV is necessary.

You no longer meet the requirements of you residence permit

If you do not meet the requirement of your residence permit anymore, it will be revoked. See whether you meet the requirements of another residence permit for work and apply for that permit. 

A researcher that wants to apply for a residence permit highly skilled migrant, needs to have an employment contract (or appointment decision). A researcher based on the Directive (EU) 2016/801 only needs a hosting agreement.

A permanent residence permit or long-term resident EU permit does not expire. Has your permanent residence card or long-term resident EU document expired? You are still allowed to work. However, you can apply for renewal of your residence document. 

By signing a sponsorship declaration, you guarantee the costs of a foreigner's stay/residence in the Netherlands.  You also guarantee that this foreigner leaves the Netherlands on time. The sponsorship declaration tells you exactly what your obligations are.

​There is no legally set period of validity regarding the legalization of the 'Proof of Sponsorship/Accommodation'. The embassies and consulates use different periods of validity. For the latest information, contact the embassy or consulate. In the case of a possible objection, you will not need to have the form legalized again.

It is possible to sponsor up to 2 adults plus 1 or 2 children at a time. You do have to use a separate form 'proof of sponsorship/accommodation' for each person. You must also have a legalisation of your signature on each form. The Dutch representation abroad (embassy or consulate), or the Consular Service Organisation (CSO) determines if you can sponsor multiple persons and how many.

When you applied for a residence permit, you stated your nationality. You received your residence permit with this nationality. If you want to apply for Dutch citizenship, you must renounce your nationality. Different rules apply to a person who is stateless.

V-number stands for foreign national number. Anyone who applies for a residence permit will be given this number. You'll find the number in the letters from the IND. You will also find it on the back of your residence card, after the letters VNR at the bottom.

• Faxes are technically outdated and vulnerable to interception.
• Fax communication does not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), NTA 7516 and BIO standards.
• Digital communication is more secure, and fits the digitalisation strategy of the IND. 

• Use the digital portals of the IND:
  • File mailbox
  • Solicitor portal
  • Business portal
• Secure email via Zivver or another secure email application (that complies with NTA 7516).
• Formal messages, such as objection letters and notices of default, can be submitted by post or secure email.

Zivver is preferred because it meets all the technical requirements of NTA 7516. Other secure email applications are also allowed, if they can show they meet the NTA 7516 standards. The IND is currently assessing which applications are suitable. Once an application is approved, the IND can disable automatic replies (auto-replies).

The NTA 7516 certification is no longer valid since 15 May 2022. However, the rules and agreements of NTA 7516 still apply. Organisations are still required to comply with them.

The IND has chosen to use Zivver because it meets all requirements. The IND is currently assessing which other email providers are also suitable. Check yourself whether your provider complies with NTA 7516.

Use a Secure email starter to email the IND easily and securely. The starter will direct you to the Zivver WebApp and send your email directly to the correct IND mailbox. Sending is almost always received (confirmation via the envelope icon).

You will see a delivery confirmation via an envelope icon in the bottom left of your email:

• Green: Email successfully sent and received.
• Orange (upward arrow): Something went wrong. Click the envelope for more details.

No confirmation? Contact your email service provider.
 

Check the settings or subscription of your email application. Keep a copy of the sent email as proof.

Current situation via Secure email starter (IND.nl):

Make a printout or screenshot of the confirmation. It is currently not possible to download the receipt (green envelope). The IND is looking into adding a download button for the delivery confirmation.

If you are using your own solution to email securely:

Contact your provider for information about downloading or forwarding the confirmation.
 

You can do this in the same way the objection letter was submitted. See the instructions on Object or appeal decision.

• Maximum 10 MB per document.
• Maximum 20 MB per email.

Do you have larger files? Send them in multiple emails.