The IND and residence permits in the Netherlands

For work: the highly skilled migrant permit (kennismigrant) for higher salaries and qualifications through a recognised sponsor employer (erkend referent), an ordinary work permit requiring the company to prove it could not find an EU worker, and the EU Blue Card.

• For study a study permit through the university, and after graduation the orientation year (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden).
• For family reunion a permit for the spouse or children through the sponsoring resident under income and housing conditions.
• For humanitarian protection asylum procedures through the IND and COA.
• And a permit for entrepreneurs and self-employed (zelfstandige) under conditions.
• Most procedures involve fees and processing times vary, so check the official site.

Your employer, university or sponsor may submit your application on your behalf, or you submit it yourself via the IND online portal.

• You usually need a valid passport, biometric photos, legalised and translated birth and marriage certificates, the employment contract or university admission, proof of income and housing, and sometimes a certificate of good conduct (VOG) and a tuberculosis test.
• Your nationality may need a long-stay visa (MVV) obtained from the Dutch embassy before travel, and some nationalities are exempt.
• Submit complete and correct documents, since deficiency delays the application or leads to refusal.
• And make sure documents are translated by a sworn translator if in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German.

After the application the IND issues a receipt notice and starts examining your documents, and may request more.

• The legal period for many applications ranges between weeks and months depending on the type.
• After approval an appointment is set for you to register your fingerprints and photo and collect the residence card (verblijfsdocument) at an IND office or the Expat Centre in certain cities.
• The card is credit-card sized and includes your data, the purpose of residence, its duration and whether it allows work (the remark arbeid vrij toegestaan or TWV vereist makes this clear).
• Check the accuracy of its data as soon as you receive it and report any error.
• And register your address with the municipality within the stated days.

Submit the extension application well before your permit expires, often at least two to eight weeks depending on the type, and check the timing on the IND site.

• An application submitted in time keeps you in a legal position during processing.
• After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residence (verblijfsvergunning onbepaalde tijd) under conditions: sufficient income, no dependence on benefits and completing the integration exam (inburgeringsexamen) or its equivalent, then Dutch citizenship (naturalisatie) with language conditions (usually level A2 or B1 depending on the regime) and knowledge of society, a declaration of allegiance and fees.
• Avoid serious crimes and dependence on benefits since they affect eligibility.

If your application is refused you will receive a written decision with reasons and a deadline for objection (bezwaar), often four weeks, so do not ignore it and seek legal help at once.

• Then appeal before the court.
• Institutions offer free or reduced help: VluchtelingenWerk for refugees, the Juridisch Loket for initial advice, and immigration law firms with subsidised legal aid (gesubsidieerde rechtsbijstand) for those with limited income.
• Avoid unlicensed intermediaries who promise a visa for money, and some are fraudsters.
• And keep all your application documents and IND letters.
• If your circumstances change such as job, marriage or moving report to the IND within the stated time.

What is the IND?