Partner visa Netherlands: requirements and IND procedure

To bring a non-EU spouse or partner to the Netherlands, the Dutch sponsor usually applies to the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) for a provisional residence permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, MVV) and a residence permit at the same time, in the entry and residence procedure (TEV). Both partners must be 21 or older, the sponsor must have independent and sustainable income at least at the level of the statutory minimum wage, and the partner normally has to pass the civic integration exam abroad first.

The main exception is the EU route: if the sponsor is an EU citizen living in the Netherlands, or a Dutch citizen who genuinely lived with the partner in another EU country, EU free movement rules apply instead and the income and exam requirements do not.

Who qualifies for a partner residence permit?

Under Articles 3.14 and 3.15 of the Aliens Decree 2000 (Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000, Vb) both the partner and the sponsor must be 21 or older. The partner must be married to the sponsor, be in a registered partnership, or have a duly attested durable and exclusive relationship with the sponsor.

The sponsor must be a Dutch national or a foreign national with lawful, non-temporary residence. A residence permit for a temporary purpose, such as seasonal work, does not allow a partner to join. The couple must intend to live together at the same address and register there with the municipality.

რა შემოსავალი სჭირდება სპონსორს?

The sponsor’s income must be independent (Article 3.73 Vb), sufficient (Article 3.74 Vb) and sustainable (Article 3.75 Vb). Sufficient means at least the statutory minimum wage; the IND publishes the exact gross monthly amount, which changes on 1 January and 1 July, so check the current figure on ინდ.ნლ სანამ შეიტანთ.

Sustainable means, as a rule, that the income is still available for one year after the application is received or the decision is taken. Income from salaried work, self-employment or social insurance benefits for which premiums were paid counts. Social assistance (bijstand) does not count. Only the sponsor’s income counts at the first application; a sponsor who is permanently and fully unable to work can be exempted.

How do you prove the relationship?

For a marriage or registered partnership, the IND wants the certificate, legalised or with an apostille and translated where required. For an unmarried relationship, you must show that it is durable and exclusive with documents such as a joint lease, shared bills, travel records and correspondence over a longer period.

The IND can invite both partners for an interview if it doubts the relationship. Inconsistent answers about everyday matters are a common reason for refusal, so make sure your statements and documents tell the same story.

Does your partner have to pass the civic integration exam abroad?

Usually yes. Under Article 3.71a Vb the partner must have passed the basic civic integration exam abroad (basisexamen inburgering buitenland) within one year before the MVV application. The exam tests Dutch at level A1 and knowledge of Dutch society, and is taken at a Dutch embassy or consulate.

Nationals of a limited number of countries do not need an MVV and do not take the exam; the IND lists them. Article 3.71a(2) Vb also exempts, among others, family members of holders of an asylum permit or an EU long-term residence permit with the relevant endorsement, and partners for whom passing the exam is impossible or extremely difficult because of special individual circumstances. Plan the exam early, because a retake can delay the whole application.

როგორ მუშაობს განაცხადის პროცედურა?

In the TEV procedure the sponsor files one combined application with the IND, usually online with DigiD, and pays the IND fee. The partner collects the MVV sticker at the embassy after approval and travels to the Netherlands.

Under Article 25 of the Aliens Act 2000 (Vreemdelingenwet 2000, Vw) the IND must decide within 90 days. If documents are missing, the IND sends a request to remedy the omission (herstel verzuim) with a short deadline; respond in time, because otherwise the application can be refused or not considered.

If the IND does not decide in time, send a written notice of default (ingebrekestelling). If there is still no decision two weeks later, you can appeal to the court against the failure to decide. Since 15 April 2025 the IND no longer owes an administrative penalty (dwangsom) for late decisions; the court can still order the IND to decide within a set period, with a penalty.

What if your partner already lives in the Netherlands?

A partner who already has lawful residence in the Netherlands, for example on a work or study permit, may in some cases apply for the partner permit from within the country without an MVV (Article 3.71(2) Vb lists the exemptions). A partner who is in the Netherlands without lawful residence cannot use this route as a rule.

When does the EU route apply?

If the sponsor is a citizen of another EU country living in the Netherlands, the application falls under EU free movement law (Directive 2004/38/EC). A Dutch sponsor can use the same route after genuinely living together with the partner in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland.

Under the EU route the national income requirement and the civic integration exam abroad do not apply. The IND does check strictly whether the stay in the other country was genuine and long enough, and not set up only to avoid the Dutch rules. Get advice before you move abroad for this purpose.

რა ხდება ჩამოსვლის შემდეგ?

Your partner must register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) of the municipality no later than the fifth day after arrival (Article 2.38 of the Personal Records Database Act). After that, the partner collects the residence permit at an IND desk, where biometrics are taken.

A partner permit allows your partner to work without a separate work permit; the card states “arbeid vrij toegestaan”. Your partner must also take out Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) and, depending on nationality, take a tuberculosis test. Report changes such as a move or the end of the relationship to the IND.

რა მოხდება, თუ ურთიერთობა დასრულდება?

The partner permit depends on the relationship, so the IND can withdraw it if the relationship ends or the couple no longer lives together. Continued residence on another basis is possible in certain situations, for example after a long period of lawful residence or where there has been domestic violence. Get advice before you inform the IND, because the timing can affect the options.

What can you do if the IND refuses the application?

You can file an objection (bezwaar) with the IND within four weeks of the decision. Article 69 Vw sets this period at four weeks instead of the usual six weeks under the General Administrative Law Act.

If the objection is rejected, you can appeal (beroep) to the district court within four weeks, and then to the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State (Raad van State). When the refusal was only about a missing document, a new complete application can sometimes be faster than an objection.

What should you check as a sponsor?

• Are you 21 or older, and is your residence status non-temporary (Article 3.15 Vb)?
• Does your gross income meet the current IND amount, and will it be available for at least one more year?
• Is your income from work or insured benefits, and not from social assistance?
• Do you have a recent employer’s statement and payslips ready?
• Can you register with your partner at the same address?

What should you check as the partner abroad?

• Do you need an MVV and the civic integration exam, or are you exempt because of your nationality?
• Did you pass the exam within one year before the application (Article 3.71a Vb)?
• Are your marriage or partnership certificate and birth certificate legalised or apostilled and translated where needed?
• For an unmarried relationship: can you document that it is durable and exclusive?
• Does your passport remain valid long enough for the MVV sticker?

What can we do for you with a partner visa?

ჩვენი საიმიგრაციო იურისტები assist sponsors and partners at every stage; see also our guide to ოჯახის გაერთიანება ნიდერლანდებში.

• We check whether you meet the age, income and relationship requirements before you file.
• We assess whether the EU route is available to you.
• We review the documents and the relationship evidence for the TEV application.
• We respond to IND requests and send a notice of default if the IND does not decide in time.
• ჩვენ ვამზადებთ საჩივარს და ოთხკვირიან ვადაში წარვადგენთ მას ინდოეთის ინფორმაციულ სამსახურში.

შემაჯამებელი

• A non-EU partner normally needs an MVV and a residence permit, applied for together by the sponsor in the TEV procedure.
• Both partners must be 21 or older, and the sponsor needs independent, sufficient and sustainable income (Articles 3.73-3.75 Vb).
• Most partners must pass the civic integration exam abroad within one year before the MVV application.
• The IND decides within 90 days; an objection must be filed within four weeks (Article 69 Vw).
• Under the EU route the income and exam requirements do not apply.

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