Visas and residence / work permits for non-EU citizens

Internationals who do not have EU / EEA / Swiss nationality usually need a visa to enter the Netherlands. Some countries are exempt from this requirement, see here whether you need a visa. 

There are 2 types of visa, depending on how long you are staying in the Netherlands.

• For visits of up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period, you need a Short Stay/ Schengen Visa. You need to apply for a Schengen visa in your home country or the country where you legally reside. This visa is for the entire Schengen area. The visa does not give you the right to work in the Netherlands, regardless of the purpose for which the Schengen visa was granted.
• For stays of longer than 90 days, you usually need a provisional residence permit (machtiging voorlopig verlijf / MVV) in order to travel to the Netherlands to pick up your residence permit (verblijfsvergunning) at the IND. Depending on your nationality and several other factors, you may not require an MVV – check the full list of MVV exemptions. If you do not require an MVV but you do require a residence permit, you may collect your permit directly from an IND Desk upon arrival in the Netherlands, once the IND has notified you of their decision.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens coming to the Netherlands for more than 90 days require a residence permit to live or work in the Netherlands. 

The requirements for residence permits vary according to the type of permit and your country of origin. Special rules may apply if you are a student, knowledge worker or artist, for instance. Most residence permits require sponsorship, for example an employee is sponsored by their employer, a student by their educational institution. The employer applies to the IND for the residence permit for the migrant. 

More information and application forms can be found on the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) website. 

General conditions applicable to all types of permit

• You have a valid passport.
• You do not pose a risk to public order or national safety. You have not been found guilty of a criminal offence and have not been involved in war crimes, terrorism or crimes against humanity.
• You take out healthcare insurance in the Netherlands.
• You must undergo a test for tuberculosis in the Netherlands within 3 months of the residence permit being issued. If necessary, you must be treated for TB. Some nationalities are exempt from this requirement.

Municipal registration and IND formalities

You need to register with your local municipality so that your details can be entered in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen or BRP) and so that you can be issued with a BSN. You also need to complete any IND formalities, such as biometric formalities, and/or collect your residence/work permit or residence endorsement stickers. 

If you have a residence/work permit of the type that can be processed at Holland Expat Center South, and you live and/or work in one of the participating municipalities, you (and your dependents) can make use of our accelerated Expat Center Procedure and complete your municipal registration (BRP and BSN) and IND formalities at our offices in a single appointment. You can also make an appointment for either one of these services. 

Alternatively, you can make an appointment at your local town hall for municipal registration (BRP and BSN) and make another appointment at an IND office to collect your residence permit and complete your IND formalities.

If you do not fall into one of the categories above, we are unable to help you. For example, we cannot help you if you are an asylum seeker, refugee, or arbeidsmigrant or if you come under the Verification against EU law category, under the Brexit agreement, or for permanent residency. You will instead need to make two separate appointments, one for municipal registration at your local town hall and a second at the offices of the IND.

Important: 

You need to collect your residence permit before the expiry date of your MVV. 
You or your sponsor should receive a letter from the IND telling you when your permit will be ready for collection and what you need to do.

Note: 

If you are staying for less than 4 months, you need to be registered in the non-residents record database (Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen / RNI) rather than the BRP. You can only register in the RNI in certain municipalities.

Health Insurance

You need to take out health insurance within 4 months of arriving in the Netherlands. See our health insurance page or go to rijksoverheid.nl for more information about health insurance in the Netherlands.

Tuberculosis test

Unless exempt, you must undergo a test for tuberculosis in the Netherlands within 3 months of the residence permit being issued. If necessary, you must be treated for TB. For more information, see our TB test page.

1. File a report with the police.
2. Complete the Application replacement or renewal of a foreign nationals document 6013 IND form.
3. Mail the following items to the IND at Immigratie-en Naturalisatiedienst, Postbus 5 9560 AA Ter Apel

• Police report
• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence permit (if available)
• The IND form
  
   

If you have a DigiD, the application can be done online. The cost is dependent on the type of residence permit. For more information visit go to the IND website or contact Holland Expat Center South.