Flexible handling of residence permits Ukrainians

Have you not (yet) applied for a residence permit in the Netherlands? Then check whether you are covered by the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine.

As a Ukrainian, you may be temporarily able to apply for a residence permit without a provisional residence permit (in Dutch: machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf or MVV). This means you do not need to have travelled to the Netherlands with an MVV (entry visa). You must however meet the following requirements:

• You have legal residency in the Netherlands with a short-stay visa or you are in the visa-exempt term or you fall under the Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine. You cannot return to Ukraine because of the situation.
• You and your sponsor meet all the requirements for the residence permit, except for the basic civic integration exam abroad. You do not need to have passed this exam.

Check the requiremtens for the different residence permits on our website. There you can also find out how to apply and how much it costs.

Have you applied for a provisional residence permit (MVV) in Ukraine? Or has you sponsor applied for you in the Netherlands? You temporarily do not need to collect this MVV from the Dutch embassy, if you meet these requirements:

• You have received a positive decision on your MVV application.
• You are in the Netherlands on a short-stay visa or you are in your visa-exempt term.

Do these requirements apply to you? You can then make an appointment by phone to visit an IND desk. During the appointment, an IND staff member will check your documents. They will also take your biometric details (photo, fingerprints and signature). We use these to create your residence document.

Please bring along to the appointment at the IND desk:

• the letter stating that you are getting a residence permit (kennisgeving)
• the original documents mentioned in this letter
• your passport

Are you outside the Netherlands and have you received a positive decision on your MVVapplication? The Dutch embassy in Kiev is closed. You cannot collect your MVV there. You may be able to collect the MVV at a Dutch embassy or consulate in another country. Please call your contact person at the IND if you want to change the embassy. You can find the phone number in the letter from the IND stating that you will receive an MVV.

Have you applied for a residence permit or extension? The IND takes the situation in Ukraine and your personal situation into account when assessing your application. This also applies if you are currently unable to send documents about your identity or marriage due to the situation. 

Postponement for renouncing Ukrainian nationality upon naturalisation

Have you applied for naturalisation or are you going to apply for it? If you become a Dutch citizen, you must renounce your Ukrainian nationality. The IND knows that it is currently not possible to renounce your nationality. This means that you will get a temporary postponement. You do not have to ask for this postponement yourself. You will still have to renounce your Ukrainian nationality later. We will send you a letter about this when you have become a Dutch citizen and the situation in Ukraine has improved.

Postponement is not the same as an exemption. The war is no reason to exempt you from renouncing your nationality. If you request an exemption with your application for naturalisation for another reason, you must be able to prove with documents that you have a right to that exemption. Do we decide you have no right to an exemption? Then you still have to declare that you will renounce your nationality. Not doing this may mean that you get a negative decision on your application for naturalisation.

Apply for an extension of your residence permit if it will expire (soon). Is an extension not possible? The Dutch government understands you cannot return due to the situation in Ukraine. This will also have no consequences if you apply for a visa or residence permit in the future.

There are rules for how long you can stay abroad with your residence permit. For more informatie on this subject, refer to our webpage Main residency. Do you have a Dutch residence permit and you cannot to return to the Netherlands in time? Then the IND is being flexible with these rules. We understand that due to the invasion in Ukraine you may be abroad for longer than allowed.