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Moving & visas

Family reunification in the Netherlands: apply for an MVV (provisional residence permit) through TEV (entry and residence)

This guide is for partners or children who begin the process from outside the Netherlands. It shows which family route fits, which documents to collect, and what must be arranged before and after the journey.

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TEV joins the MVV and the residence permit

When you apply as a regular partner or child and require the visa, TEV combines the MVV with the residence permit. Submit the application to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, Dutch immigration service). The standard fee in 2026 is €254 for a partner and €85 for a minor child. The statutory decision time is 90 days. The IND may extend this period, and if it does, it must inform you.

The information here applies to ordinary applications under Dutch law for a partner or minor child beginning abroad. Adoption and foster-child cases follow different IND procedures. For your specific route, consult the IND page, and get qualified assistance for advice on your situation.

Different rules govern asylum family reunification and verification under EU (European Union) law. A Dutch citizen who returns using EU rights also follows another route. This guide does not deal with Chavez (residence with a minor Dutch child) or exceptional Article 8 cases under the EVRM (European Convention on Human Rights). Those have different conditions, fees and decision periods. For other routes, begin with Dutch residence permits: choose the right route.

1. Select the right family route

Your relationship decides the application form, conditions, evidence and fee. Pick the row that fits your family member.

Wide tables can be scrolled sideways.

RouteUse it whenConditions that differ
Regular partnerYour spouse, registered partner or unmarried partner will live with youYou must have a verifiable relationship. The general minimum age is 21 for both people. If already married when both lived abroad, both must be at least 18. If a Turkish citizen working in the Netherlands brings a spouse or registered partner, both must be at least 18.
Minor child with parentA child under 18 will join a parent in the NetherlandsThe IND checks family ties, parental authority and consent from the other parent when needed. Children under 18 are exempt from the exam abroad.
Other adult family memberAn adult relative does not fit the partner routeArticle 8 EVRM residence is exceptional. The IND says it is rarely granted. It has a separate form; use that route’s instructions.
Asylum or EU-law family routeThe sponsor has asylum status, or EU or Swiss rules may applyFollow the separate IND route. Its conditions, fees and decision period differ.

If you want to bring an adult relative who is not a partner, see IND Article 8 EVRM page. That is a distinct, exceptional route, not a general method for bringing any adult relative.

The referent (sponsor) must sign the sponsor declaration. For a partner, the sponsor is the Dutch citizen or residence-permit holder with whom your partner will live. For a child, the parent is the sponsor, including if you apply for your partner’s child. When applying for your partner’s child, get permission from the parent who holds parental authority. If the parent and child are travelling together, file their applications simultaneously. The person in the Netherlands may apply online or by post.

Alternatively, the family member can apply for an MVV and residence permit from abroad. They begin at a Dutch embassy or consulate in the country of their nationality or continuous residence (a country where they may legally stay for more than three months). Continuous residence may rest on a residence permit or a pending residence application.

Under this applicant-abroad route, send the form and documents to the IND and pay within three weeks from the date the embassy enters. Follow the submission instructions for that route.

2. Verify the sponsor’s conditions and income

For a partner residence permit, review both passports, your relationship, the age rules and the plan to live and register together. Also check the sponsor’s status and any waiting period. Certain temporary residence purposes do not permit you to bring a partner or child.

For a minor-child residence permit, confirm that the child is under 18 and remains part of your family. Also check who holds parental authority and whether the other parent’s consent is required. Apply both the child conditions and the sponsor conditions.

Unless an exemption applies, the sponsor’s income must be independent, sustainable and sufficient. The IND examines where the income comes from, how long it will last and how much it is. See that page for income exemptions and the rules for your type of income.

The IND uses sv-loon (social security salary), which is the pay used to calculate social insurance contributions and payroll tax. You can find this amount on your payslip.

The IND income amounts below are valid from 1 July through 31 December 2026. When comparing, use the same basis for amounts with or without holiday allowance.

Tables that are wide can be scrolled from side to side.

Application and householdMonthly amount excluding holiday allowanceMonthly amount including holiday allowance
Partner application or couple sponsoring another family member€2,337.00€2,523.96
Single parent sponsoring a child or other family member€1,635.90€1,766.77
Single parent applying for a partner€2,337.00€2,523.96

For instance, in October 2026 a sponsor whose monthly sv-loon is €2,400 excluding holiday allowance is €63 above the partner threshold. The IND will still assess whether the income is independent and sustainable. The amounts are adjusted every January and July. Check the current amounts and income test when you apply.

Check the fee that applies to your route

In 2026, IND fees are €254 for a regular partner or adult family member and €85 for a minor child joining a parent. Lower fees may apply to eligible Turkish nationals and family members covered by the Associatieovereenkomst EG-Turkije (EU–Turkey Association Agreement). Fees for asylum and EU-law routes are different. Check your route when you apply.

3. Check exemptions for the MVV and the exam

Check the MVV requirement and the exam requirement as two separate matters. Some nationalities are exempt from the MVV. The IND also assesses situation-based MVV exemptions.

The Basisexamen inburgering in het buitenland (civic integration exam abroad) usually applies to an adult partner who needs an MVV. If it applies to you, pass it before you apply for the MVV. Children under 18 are exempt. Other exemptions and dispensations may depend on nationality, status, residence purpose or personal circumstances.

A full pass remains valid for one year. Once you have checked whether the exam is required, use the Basisexamen preparation guide for registration and study steps.

For information on saving your exam result, applying within its one-year window and checking inburgering (civic integration) obligations after arrival, see After the basisexamen: MVV and inburgering steps.

4. Gather the evidence and file the TEV application

Begin with the document checklist for the IND route you have chosen. The documents listed below are examples; your checklist determines which ones you need.

  • Evidence from the sponsor: a copy of the passport or permit, the sponsor declaration and the required proof of income.
  • Evidence from the applicant: passport, civil-status or relationship documents, and an antecedentenverklaring (criminal-history declaration) if required.
  • Evidence for a child: birth certificate, proof of parental authority and, when required, consent from the parent who stays abroad.

Foreign official documents may require legalisatie (an official check that the document was issued by the correct authority). This can be necessary even if the document is already in Dutch, English, French or German. Check the requirements for your document and the country that issued it.

If a document is not in Dutch, English, French or German, it must be translated into one of those languages. In the Netherlands, use a translator sworn in by a Dutch court. For translations made abroad, both the original document and the translation usually need legalisatie.

Use these steps to prepare and submit your application:

  1. Arrange any legalisatie and translation that is required. Follow the IND translation and legalisation instructions for the country of the document.
  2. Fill in the application using the form for the route you have chosen.
  3. Make sure you have attached every required document.
  4. Send the application online, by post or through the applicant-abroad route described above.
  5. Pay the fee for your route by following the submission instructions.
  6. Keep copies and the IND case number or V-nummer (foreign national’s number).

5. Wait for the IND’s decision

For a regular partner or minor-child TEV application, the legal decision period is 90 days. This period begins when the IND receives the application. The IND may add several weeks, up to six months, to the decision period. If it extends the period, the IND must notify you. Asylum family reunification has its own legal period of nine months.

Check Mijn IND (the IND online portal) and the sponsor’s mail for updates. Reply to any request for information by the deadline stated in the letter. Keep travel and moving bookings refundable until the application is approved.

6. Obtain the MVV and travel

The positive IND letter states where to get the MVV sticker. For the regular partner and child routes, follow these steps:

  1. Book the embassy or consulate appointment within three months after the IND decision.
  2. Make sure your passport will still be valid for at least six months when the sticker is placed.
  3. Take the requested photo and passport to the appointment.
  4. Give biometric data (fingerprints and a signature) if required.
  5. Travel to the Netherlands during the MVV’s validity period.
  6. Book the appointment to collect the residence card when the IND says it is ready.
  7. Pick up the residence permit from the IND while the MVV is still valid.

The issued MVV sticker is valid for 90 days. This period is separate from the three months allowed for making the embassy appointment. If no appointment is available before a deadline, contact the representation or the IND before that deadline expires. Ask what to do; an extension is not automatic.

7. Complete the steps after arrival

Register with the gemeente (municipality) and pick up the permit

If you are going to live in the Netherlands for more than four months, register with your gemeente within five days of arrival. Schedule the appointment in advance. Register at the home address you share. An adult applicant must appear in person. If you are a parent, you arrange your child’s registration and bring the child with you.

Registration and collecting the residence card are separate tasks. Collect the card when the IND says it is ready, within the MVV’s validity period. The gemeente provides a BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) if you do not already have one. An existing BSN stays valid.

Use First 90 days in the Netherlands checklist for municipal registration, and DigiD (digital identity), health insurance and banking.

Check tuberculosis and inburgering obligations

If your application or decision states that you need a tuberculosis test, arrange it with the GGD (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst, municipal health service). Do so within three months after you receive your residence permit. Exemptions apply; check the conditions for your IND route.

Your residence permit may also create an inburgering obligation in the Netherlands. This obligation is separate from the exam abroad. Check Who must integrate in the Netherlands? for the rule that applies after arrival.

8. Solve common application problems

If your income is near the threshold, check both the current amount and the IND’s rules about how long the income must continue. A single payslip does not answer both questions.

If a certificate, legalisation or translation is delayed, reply to the IND letter by its deadline. If you cannot supply the item on time, follow the contact instructions in that letter.

Once the decision period is over, look at Mijn IND and any notice about an extension. If the relevant period has ended, use IND late-decision guidance.

If you receive a refusal letter, it tells you the way to file an objection and the deadline for doing so. If you want guidance on your objection, get help from a qualified immigration professional.

Verify matters before waiting in the Netherlands

While the IND is deciding on your MVV application, it advises that you remain outside the Netherlands. Should you have an urgent need to be in the Netherlands, inform the IND before you travel and give proof. A short-stay permission is not a substitute for an MVV. Staying longer than allowed may result in an entry ban, so do not exceed your permitted stay. Do not make irreversible travel or housing arrangements before the decision comes.

Go on to the page that matches your current stage:

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