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Moving & visas

Dutch residence permits: choose the right route

Look up IND (Dutch immigration service) pathways based on your nationality and reason for staying, covering family, work, study, exchange, protection, special situations, and continued or permanent residence.

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Which residence route for the Netherlands is right for me?

People who are citizens of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland rely on free movement and do not need a residence permit. If their family members qualify but do not hold EU, EEA, or Swiss nationality, those family members have to apply for toetsing EU-recht (verification against EU law). Nationals of other countries pick a route that matches their purpose, for example family, work, or study. If you require protection, you should report for asylum in the Netherlands. Before applying, review the conditions for your route below.

This guide is for you if you are relocating to the Netherlands or selecting a residence route on behalf of a family member.

Residence applications are decided by the IND. The referent (sponsor) is the person or organisation that supports your application. An erkende referent is one that the IND has approved.

Residence routes organised by nationality and purpose

The table offers common starting points, arranged first by nationality and then by family, work, study, or asylum. If your route is different, see the sections below. To review every condition, open the specific IND route.

Wide tables can be scrolled sideways.

Your situationRouteWho submitsMain evidence or check
EU, EEA or Swiss citizenFree movement; no residence permitNo IND registration unless the IND previously ended your EU residence rightValid passport or identity card; conditions after 3 months
Family member without EU, EEA or Swiss nationality, joining an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen covered by EU lawToetsing EU-rechtYou, or your EU, EEA or Swiss family member with your authorisationRelationship and your family member's lawful residence
Other national joining a Dutch citizen or residence-permit holder, where EU law does not applyFamily or partner permitSponsor or applicant, depending on the routeFor partners: relationship, age, shared address and sponsor income; other family routes have their own conditions
Employee hired as a kennismigrant (highly skilled migrant)Kennismigrant permitNormally your IND-recognised employer. If you have Turkish nationality, you or your employer can apply without employer recognition.Contract or, for a wetenschappelijk onderzoeker (scientific researcher), aanstellingsbesluit (appointment decision); market-rate pay and applicable income requirement
Other employeeGVVA (gecombineerde vergunning verblijf en arbeid, combined residence and work permit) or another work routeEmployer or employee, depending on the routeJob, employer and work-permit conditions
Other national studying in higher educationStudent residence permitAn erkende referent: your education institutionEnrolment, funds and study progress
Person seeking protectionAsylum procedureYou report in person in the Netherlands; no sponsor requiredIdentity and protection evidence, if available

Residence routes for EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens

Citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland

A residence permit is not required. You only have to register with the IND if it has previously ended your right of residence as an EU citizen. For stays of up to 3 months, a valid passport or national identity card from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland is sufficient.

If you stay for more than 3 months, you need to satisfy the conditions that apply to your situation. Examples are genuine and effective work; study with health cover and enough funds; or enough funds if you are not working. The IND conditions for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens also cover people who are looking for work.

When your stay will last more than 4 months, you must register in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database) with your gemeente (municipality). The BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) and municipality-registration guide describes how to do this.

Check which health insurance applies to you separately.

Family members who do not have EU, EEA, or Swiss nationality

You may be eligible for toetsing EU-recht if your family member is a citizen of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. Applications can only be made from within the Netherlands. A Dutch citizen comes under this route only in particular free-movement situations, for example returning after having lived with family in another EU country.

What evidence you need depends on your relationship. Examples are passports, marriage or birth records, proof of a lasting partnership, or proof that you depend on your family member. You also need evidence that your family member resides lawfully, has health cover, and has sufficient income. The national partner route has different rules for income and exams. Apply the EU-law conditions that fit your case.

For free movement and family residence under EU law, open the route that corresponds to your situation:

Permits for family, work, and study

Family and partner

The national partner permit applies when you want to join a Dutch citizen or a residence-permit holder and EU law does not apply. Certain residence purposes mean a permit holder cannot sponsor a partner. See the IND partner page for that condition.

You have to prove your relationship. You must live together and be registered at the same address. Normally, both partners must be at least 21. If both partners were already married while both lived outside the Netherlands, they meet the age condition from 18.

Usually, the sponsor must have independent, sustainable, and sufficient income. Exemptions are possible. The IND income requirements and exemptions explain how the source, duration, and amount of your income are counted.

Between 1 July and 31 December 2026, the standard amount for a partner is €2,337 gross sv-loon (salary used to calculate social insurance contributions) per month, excluding holiday allowance.

In 2026, the standard application fee for an adult is €254. A different fee or an exemption may apply.

Whether you need a machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf (MVV, provisional residence permit) depends on your nationality and circumstances. The MVV is an entry visa. If you are applying as a partner and an MVV is required, you normally have to pass the basisexamen inburgering buitenland (civic integration exam abroad) before you apply. Vrijstellingen (exemptions) and ontheffingen (waivers) are available. Use the civic integration exam abroad guide to check the exam requirement and the MVV family guide for the procedure.

Family routes have different conditions. Open the specific IND route for the person who will join you:

Work

For the kennismigrant route, an employer recognised by the IND usually applies on your behalf. If you are a Turkish national, your employer does not need to be recognised. In that situation, you may also submit the application yourself. Check the IND rules for Turkish highly skilled migrants. Normally, you need an employment contract. A wetenschappelijk onderzoeker may instead use an appointment decision that satisfies the IND requirements. Your pay must match similar jobs and meet the applicable income requirement.

For a first application in 2026, the standard gross monthly thresholds, excluding holiday allowance, are €5,942 for people aged 30 or older and €4,357 for people younger than 30. The reduced threshold is €3,122 for graduates and researchers who qualify. Different income rules apply if you are a wetenschappelijk onderzoeker or arts in opleiding (doctor in specialist training).

Whether the reduced threshold applies depends on eligibility for the zoekjaar (orientation year for graduates and researchers). The IND lists situations for current or former zoekjaar holders and for people who qualify without ever having held that permit. Applications that are relevant must meet the timing conditions listed, including the 3-year limit after graduation, a doctorate, or expiry of a research permit. Extensions and changes of employer can use different age rules. Check the IND salary table and reduced criterion for your case.

In 2026, the standard application fee is €423; exceptions to the fee may apply.

Other paid employment may require a GVVA or a different work route. With the GVVA, either the employer or the employee can apply. The employer may be recognised or unrecognised. Before you check sponsor recognition or use the kennismigrant salary figures, confirm the exact work purpose.

For work, compare the job or activity first, before you rely on a salary threshold. These are the IND work routes:

Study

For higher education, the application can be submitted only by your education institution that the IND recognises. You must be enrolled in an accredited full-time programme and have enough money for your stay. Check the higher-education student residence permit requirements.

For higher professional education or university in 2026, the study amount is €1,130.77 per month. You have to show enough money for 12 months. For instance, if you use your own savings in 2026, that means €1,130.77 × 12 = €13,569.24 for living costs. Tuition fees are additional. The IND study-income requirements explain which evidence counts.

In 2026, the standard application fee is €254; exceptions to the fee may apply.

Each study year, you must earn at least 50% of the credits. If you do not reach that, the institution first checks whether you have a valid reason. If there is no valid reason, the institution must report the shortfall to the IND. The IND then checks whether you still meet the study conditions.

Select the study route that matches your education level or your existing EU study permit. The orientation year appears with the work routes above:

Asylum

Asylum is a procedure for people who need protection. After you arrive in the Netherlands, you report in person. See the steps to apply for asylum in the Netherlands. There is no fee for the application. You apply yourself and do not need a sponsor. If you can, bring identity documents and evidence explaining why you need protection. The IND decides which asylum procedure applies and whether you qualify.

Family reunification linked to an asylum permit is a separate route. For civic integration obligations after a positive decision, see who must integrate in the Netherlands.

For asylum and renewal of asylum documents, use these official routes. Permanent asylum is marked as closed to new applications:

Exchange, including cultural exchange

If you are considering an au pair placement or a cultural stay, compare the exchange routes. Each route has its own conditions for age, nationality, and sponsor:

Residence following EU long-term status in another country

If you received EU long-term resident status from another EU country, check these Dutch routes. That status by itself does not permit you to settle here:

The Withdrawal Agreement and Brexit

If the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement applies to you, choose its residence document or frontier-worker document. British people who are not covered by that agreement use a different route, such as the work routes above:

Other circumstances for residence

For medical, humanitarian, or other special circumstances, open the route that matches. Before you submit, ask the IND which application and evidence are appropriate:

The special-permit page also covers victims of trafficking or witnesses; children under a supervision order and qualifying family; temporary child placement under the Hague Child Protection Convention; being unable to leave through no fault of your own; qualifying westernised Afghan girls and family; and terminal illness. Its non-temporary routes include Hague placement until 18 and children whose parental authority has ended. It also covers NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) personnel and family. Privileged diplomats, consular staff, and international-organisation employees, along with their qualifying family, use a special status instead of a residence permit. The Aachen student accommodation pilot is closed to new applicants; existing permits can be extended. Ask IND about the exact special route.

Continued residence and permanent residence

If you already live here, compare continued residence, changing your purpose, and permanent status. Renewing the card and qualifying for a new status are separate procedures:

Temporary protection relating to Ukraine

Temporary protection for displacement from Ukraine is a separate protection status. Before you use an ordinary permit route, check the IND eligibility and proof rules.

Checks before applying

Before submitting an application, go through these checks in order:

  1. Match your nationality and purpose to the route: free movement, toetsing EU-recht, a national permit, or asylum.
  2. Check who is allowed to submit the application and whether the organisation must be recognised by the IND.
  3. On the day you apply, recheck the IND income amounts, application fees, and evidence for your route.
  4. Create a personal evidence list using the exact IND page and application form.

Income amounts may change on 1 January or 1 July. Exceptions depend on the route.

The route you can use is determined by your purpose of stay and your circumstances. After choosing the residence route, check whether any exam requirement applies.

Common problems

If the family member you are joining is a citizen of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, check toetsing EU-recht before you use the national partner conditions. If your family member is Dutch and has used free movement, check whether EU law applies to your case.

If your income is below a standard figure, check the rule for your route before you treat it as a refusal. EU-law cases use conditions that differ from national partner permits. National partner applications may have income exemptions. The reduced kennismigrant threshold applies only if its conditions are met.

If you have less than 50% of the credits for your study year, contact your education institution about the reason and the evidence it needs.

If two residence routes might fit, or if an exception is important to your case, ask the IND or a qualified immigration adviser before you apply.

Documents and proof of integration

Start early on legalising foreign certificates and getting translations. To see which documents are required, check the IND document list that matches your route.

For these two applications, you need to look at the civic integration evidence: verblijfsvergunning regulier voor onbepaalde tijd (regular permanent residence permit) and EU-langdurig ingezetene (EU long-term resident) status. The proof accepted by the IND is listed at Permanent residence: civic integration proof for the IND.

For your documents and arrival, go on to these guides:

Official Sources

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