Legal requirements

Visa and residence-permit

Before moving to the Netherlands, it is important the right type of visa will be released so you can stay in the Netherlands legally. Important general conditions for a visa are a valid passport, no criminal record, dispose over a Health Insurance and sufficient financial resources. Every type of visa has its own extra conditions which have to be filled up before the visa can be released.

MVV and residence permit.

When you want to stay in the Netherlands longer than three months and you’re coming from a country which is MVV-required*, it’s necessary you apply for an MVV (Machtiging voorlopig verblijf, visa type D: Temporary resident permit). You have to apply for an MVV in the country of origin. When you possess an MVV, you can apply for a residence permit.

There are a couple of general conditions that have to be completed before applying for an MVV. Examples are:

•          You have to demonstrate you can support your means of existence, for example by showing a contract of employment
•          You have to be able to identify yourself with a valid identification card
•          You have to demonstrate you haven’t got any criminal past.

Very often documents have to be legalized so they are valid in the Netherlands as well. The legalization might cost a lot of time. Make sure you do this on time in country of origin. These documents have to be made up in Dutch, English, French or German. If the documents are made up in another language, they can be translated by a translator who is accepted by the court.

* These countries aren’t MVV-required (they can apply for a residence permit without owning an MVV):
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, New-Zealand, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Nordic-Ireland, United States, Iceland, Vatican City, Sweden, Switzerland.

Applying  for a residence permit

It is recommendable you request for a residence permit within eight days after your arrival at the IND office window in the area you are staying.

The forms are available at the IND. You can apply for these forms telephonic through phone number 0900-12 34 561, download them via the website of the IND http://ind.nl/ or pick them up at the IND office window in your area.

Appointment IND office window

In the following step you have to make an appointment to go to the IND office window of your region. They tell you which data you have to bring. For the application you have to collect these data and hand over when you do the request. These documents are for example documents of the person/employment you are staying with or working with like an employer’s declaration. Which documents you have to bring is depending on the goal of your stay. You have to bring at least your passport or another travel document and a recent passport photograph.
The IND has the right to consider an application for six months, though the waiting time is mostly shorter. The residence permit is valid for one year. After this year it can be extended. When the application is rejected, they will (mostly) give you four weeks to note an objection.

When you are obligated to possess an MVV, but you haven’t one, you have to apply for a residence permit at the IND in Hoofddorp or Rijswijk. There’s always a chance you will be deputed to the foreign police because of a missing MVV though this is required, so it’s recommendable to always apply for an MVV at the Dutch embassy when this is necessary.

Fees

For the application there have to be paid costs, also called ‘fees’. They have to be paid at the IND window when you did your request. The fees you pay, you pay for the application, not for the residence permit. When your application is rejected, you do have to pay the fees for the application.