Netherlands

Migrating to Netherlands and settling is not a very complicated procedure if you know the right permit to hold at the right time. Depending on your purpose of visiting, you will need a permit that allows you to carry out the activities in your plans. Failure to comply with the regulations as per your visa can lead to your deportation. This article will help you understand the permit you will need during your visit and stay in the Netherlands.

We will look into some conditions to be met by any applicant for the different types of permits as well as answer some of the frequently asked questions. The information we will provide in this piece should act as a guide, and further information should be found on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). Which visa do you need to move to the Netherlands? Can you work in the Netherlands? Can you apply for Dutch citizenship? Read on to find out.

Do you need a Dutch Visa or Permit?

Netherlands

Migrating to Netherlands and settling is not a very complicated procedure if you know the right permit to hold at the right time. Depending on your purpose of visiting, you will need a permit that allows you to carry out the activities in your plans. Failure to comply with the regulations as per your visa can lead to your deportation. This article will help you understand the permit you will need during your visit and stay in the Netherlands.

We will look into some conditions to be met by any applicant for the different types of permits as well as answer some of the frequently asked questions. The information we will provide in this piece should act as a guide, and further information should be found on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). Which visa do you need to move to the Netherlands? Can you work in the Netherlands? Can you apply for Dutch citizenship? Read on to find out.

Do you need a Dutch Visa or Permit?

The Netherlands is a constituent of the 26 nations in the Schengen Agreement. This area has a common visa without any border controls between them. This implies than citizens from the Schengen area can freely moving into and out of the Netherlands.

Another exception exists for the citizens of the European Union member states as well as the European Economic Area plus Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland. Such citizens do not need a visa to do anything in the Netherlands. However, for a stay for more than four months, the citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland will be required to register with the personal records database (BRP) to be allocated a citizen service number – a social security and a tax number.

For citizens from other countries not mentioned in the exceptions, they will have to report to the Foreign Police offices in the municipality in which they are residing within the first three days of touching down. They will need a provisional residence permit to enter the country. After an assessment, the immigrants will be gauged for eligibility for a Dutch residency permit.

Dutch Work Permits

For nationals from non-exempted countries, they will be able to work in the Netherlands only if they have a job offer and their respective employer has acquired the work permit with their name on it. The Immigration and Naturalization Department has introduced a single permit that doubles as a work permit and a residence permit called the GVVA. This permit is issued to the workers staying in the Netherlands for more than three months. The work permit is applied for by the employer on behalf of the immigrant and is issued for a maximum of three years.

For citizens from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland wishing to work in the Netherlands, they will not be required to meet any conditions. However, for citizens of Croatia which has recently joined the EU will need to get a work permit for the first year, and after showing consistency and abiding by the law, they will work continuously without requiring a permit.

Exemptions

Immigrants with certain qualifications do not need a work permit to work in the Netherlands. A highly skilled immigrant currently holding a residence permit and a graduate from a Dutch university spending a year in the country looking for a job will not require a work permit. If an immigrant is a scientific researcher for a specific research institution, they can work without requiring a work permit. However, if during the research they decide to work for another employer, the employer will be required by law to get them a work permit.

In some instances, the family members and the partners of those granted to work without a work permit can enjoy the same privileges.

Permanent Residence

If you have been living in the Netherlands for five continuous years, you may be eligible for permanent residence. This will, however, depend on the circumstances of your stay as well as your character in the period you have been in the Netherlands. Nationals from Switzerland, EU, and EEA are eligible for permanent residency including their family members and partners. The minimum residing period of five years also applies to such citizens. This duration can be reduced if you have been working in the Netherlands.

With a permanent residence permit, you are allowed to stay in the Netherlands indefinitely and work freely without needing a work permit. The residence permit lasts for five years before renewal. At the time of application, you will need to be holding a valid residence permit – not on temporary basis – and meet the requirements for holding the residence permit. For your application to be successful, you have to show that you have fully integrated into the Dutch Society. In case you want your family to join you in the Netherlands, they have to pass the basic checks to be eligible for family visas and live in the Netherlands