How to Get an MVV in the Netherlands: A Complete Guide to Dutch Provisional Residence Permits

You will need to check to discover if you need a Dutch visa or residence permit for a legal stay if you wish to go to or stay in the Netherlands for more than three months. You might need to obtain a provisional residence permit (MVV) before leaving your home country in order to be admitted into the Netherlands, while some nationalities are exempt. If you want to stay in the Netherlands for a long time, you might also need to apply for a Dutch residence visa. This article provides vital information on Dutch permits.

Who Does not Need a Dutch Provisional Residence Permit

You can visit the Netherlands without a visa or a residency permit if you are a citizen of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), or Switzerland. If you intend to stay a while, you must register with the local authorities. Find out more about Swiss, EU, and EEA nationals relocating to the Netherlands.

You can visit the Netherlands if you are a family member of an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, but you must first apply for verification in accordance with EU rules. Read our guide for entering the EU/EEA/Swiss family to learn more about the application process. You normally require a Dutch residency permit if you are not from the EU/EEA/Switzerland or a family member of someone who is.

Dutch Entry Permits and Residence Permits

You will normally need a Dutch residence permit if you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss national and plan to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days. If you do not fall into one of the excluded categories, you must apply for both a residence permit and a combined provisional residence permit (MVV), and you might need to take an integration exam beforehand.

Since 2013, you (or a Dutch sponsor) can use the Entry and Residence Procedure to submit a single application for both the MVV and residence permit (TEV). Since you do not need a provisional residence permit to enter the Netherlands, if you are exempt from the MVV requirement, you or your sponsor may apply for a residence permit while you are still outside of the country. Alternatively, you may choose to apply for your residence permit once you have arrived in the Netherlands.

But it's crucial to remember that if you're MVV exempt, you have 90 days from the time you arrive in the Netherlands—or any other Schengen nation—to apply for a residence visa. After 90 days, you must have a residence permit in your possession or have sought for one; otherwise, you will be in the Netherlands without authorization.

Who Needs an Entry Permit?

Not everyone needs an MVV to enter the Netherlands and apply for a Dutch residence permit. You are only exempted from applying fo an MVV if:

• you (or a close relative) are from the EU/EEA/Switzerland;
• you already hold a valid Dutch residence permit;
• you already hold a long-term residence permit EC issued by another European Community (EC) state;
• you already hold a residence permit in another country that is part of the Schengen area;
• you already hold a residence permit/Blue Card for 18 months in another EC state;
• you are a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States, or the Vatican City;
• your child (under 12) was born in the Netherlands and you have lawful residence in the Netherlands.

You can apply for a residence permit immediately from either overseas or in the Netherlands if you do not need an MVV. Your application will be rejected if you need an MVV but don't apply for one; instead, you apply just for a residence permit.

Civic Integration Exam Before You Apply

If you are between the ages of 18 and 65 and your nationality requires you to apply for an MVV, you might need to complete a civic integration test back home first. You can take this three-part test on a computer at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country to see how well you understand Dutch culture and language.

This requirement is excluded from the following:

• Turkish citizens;
• those requesting a residence permit for adoption, remunerated employment, as an independent individual under an international treaty, exchange, au pair, study, or medical care;
• and those who meet certain requirements, such as higher education diplomas or university degrees, civic integration certificates, or Dutch language proficiency.

The exam currently costs EUR 150. Once you have passed the exam, you have one year to apply for the MVV.

Sponsors

In many situations, you will have a sponsor, who is a person or group having an interest in seeing you move to the Netherlands, such as a family member, business, or educational institution. The sponsor may apply on your behalf and, in some circumstances, is required to do so. If your application is denied, the sponsor may object or file an appeal.

Additionally, sponsors are required by law to fulfill a number of duties on your behalf, including reporting any changes to your situation to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), maintaining administrative records about you, and even covering the cost of your return home if you overstay your visa.

General Requirements for Dutch Residence Permits

You must meet the following requirements generally in order to be eligible for the MVV and/or a Dutch residence permit:

• A passport or other kind of identification that is good for the entire period of your stay is required.
• You must "not pose a threat to the national security, peace, or public order."
• You must be able to demonstrate that you have "sufficient means" during your stay by giving documentation of your income, such as paystubs or salary statements, official documents proving ownership of stock if you are a company director, or, if you are receiving benefits, a letter from your benefits agency.
• You must have travel insurance that covers the entire Schengen region in order to enter the Netherlands, and once there, you must have (or be able to obtain) health insurance that will protect you while you are a resident of the country.
• You must demonstrate that you have a "purpose of stay." For instance, if your intention is to work, you must present your job contract; likewise, if your goal is to reunite with a partner or family member, you must present documentation of your relationship, such as a marriage license or civil partnership certificate.
• Within three months of your arrival in the Netherlands, you must consent to a tuberculosis test and to receiving treatment if the condition is discovered. Your resident permit might be revoked if you don't take the test within that time. This responsibility does not apply to you if you:

• are a national from an EU/EEA state, or from a country that is on the list of exempted nationalities;
• have a valid resident permit from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland; or
• have an EC residence permit for long-term residents issued by another EU state (or are a family member of a long-term resident who has been allowed entry into another EU county on that basis).

Additionally, there may be additional particular restrictions based on your intended use for the trip and your personal situation.

How to Apply for a Dutch Permit

Here are step-by-step guide for applying for a Dutch residence permit

MVV and residence permit combined

You can apply on your own through the Entry and Residence Procedure (TEV) at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of origin or your country of last legal presence for a period of at least three months. As an alternative, if you have a sponsor in the Netherlands, the sponsor may submit an application for the Entry and Residence Procedure (TEV) on your behalf by completing the form, obtaining the necessary documentation from you, and sending it all to the IND. In specific circumstances, such as when your reason for staying is to study or work as a highly-skilled immigrant, your sponsor must file for the TEV procedure on your behalf.

Residence permit only

While you are outside the Netherlands, you or your sponsor can choose to apply for a temporary residence permit with the IND. If not, you must submit your application within 90 days of arriving in the Netherlands. You must apply for the dwelling permit in person at your neighborhood IND desk or by mail.

Application form and supporting documents

You (or your sponsor) will be required to provide information regarding the reason for your stay, provide documentation to support your application, and you (or your sponsor) and/or certain individuals connected to your stay (sponsors/employer/accountant/medical professional) must sign various declarations included in the application form's appendices. The links for each category of purpose of stay are below if you want more detailed information about what is necessary for various types of permits.

If you are presenting documents from another country, the documents must be legalized or validated by a government body in the country of origin. Dutch, English, French, or German must all be used on all documents. If not, they must be provided with the original documents and translated by a translator who has been sworn in by a Dutch court.

Fees

To process your application, a charge is due. It's critical to understand that the price is not for the permit itself and that you will not get a refund if your application is denied. The payment option that will be accepted must be confirmed with the diplomatic post if you are submitting an application at a Dutch embassy or consulate. When the IND receives your postal application, they will send you payment instructions. You must pay the application fee in full at your appointment, either with cash or a Dutch debit card, if you submit your application in person at an IND counter.

Click here to check the current fees.

Processing time

Although the IND's formal processing period is 90 days, processing periods can be as little as two weeks if your application is submitted by a sponsor that the IND has approved. During this time, you can call the IND public information center to check on progress (make a note of your V-number or case file number beforehand to speed things up).

What Happens if Application is Accepted?

You (or your sponsor) will receive formal confirmation that your application for the MVV/residence permits has been approved. Within three months of the approval, you must pick up your MVV at the Dutch embassy or consulate. Your passport will be sealed with the MVV sticker (make sure your passport is valid for at least an additional three months longer than the MVV). After obtaining the MVV, you will have three months starting from the sticker's start date to visit the Netherlands.

If a residence permit is issued, you must pick it up at an IND office in the Netherlands. Your personal details, V-number, reason for visit, end-of-visit date, and employment status will all be listed on the permission (whether and how you are allowed to work).

What happens if application is rejected?

The letter detailing the decision to deny your application will specify the next steps to file an objection if your application is rejected and you are qualified to register one. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) often gives you four weeks to write to them and explain why you disagree with their choice. You have a choice between submitting the objection on your own behalf or having a legal representative or attorney do it. If required, you can get legal assistance. The legal processing period for objections under the IND is 19 weeks. You can appeal your case to a Dutch court if the IND dismisses your arguments.

What happens if your residence is not ready?

You can obtain a "residence endorsement" sticker for your passport from the IND if your application for a Dutch resident permit alone has not yet been processed. You'll be able to do this to continue living in the Netherlands while you wait for the decision on your application. Whether you are permitted to work while you are applying will be shown on the label.

After you have been granted your residence permit

All non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals must register at the Municipal Administration (BRP) in their area within five working days of entering the Netherlands and receiving their residence permit. Only after receiving your residence permit with a work authorization or after receiving the residency endorsement sticker in your passport with a work permission may you begin working. Not all residency permits automatically allow for employment; your specific situation will determine whether you are able to do so. In some circumstances, a work permit must be held in your name by your company. Without the right work permit, working in the Netherlands may result in heavy fines.

How Long is the Residence Permit Valid?

After obtaining the MVV, you are permitted to travel to and from the Netherlands (as well as other Schengen nations) for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. During that period, your Dutch resident card should be accessible; once picked up, it will take the place of the MVV.

Depending on the specific situation, the residency permit may be issued for up to five years. In some circumstances, such as when your stay is motivated by the need to work as an au pair, a seasonal worker, as part of a working vacation exchange program, or in order to gain experience after graduation, it may be feasible to extend your residence visa. If your current permission cannot be extended and you wish to remain in the Netherlands, you must submit an application for a new residence permit with a different reason for staying.