Family reunification in the Netherlands: provisional residence permit (MVV) and entry-and-residence procedure (TEV)

This guide covers regular Dutch-law applications for a partner or minor child who starts abroad. It does not cover asylum family reunification, verification under EU law, a returning Dutch citizen using EU rights, the Chavez route, or every exceptional Article 8 case. Those routes have different conditions, fees and decision periods. Use the IND page for your exact route. This guide explains the public process; it is not case-specific immigration advice.

Partner, minor-child and other-family applications are not interchangeable. The relationship you apply under determines the conditions, evidence, form and fee.

In a regular partner or child case, the sponsor is the Dutch citizen or residence-permit holder in the Netherlands who signs the sponsor declaration. The sponsor usually applies to the IND online or by post. The applicant can instead start at a Dutch embassy or consulate abroad in their country of origin or continuous residence. In that route, the applicant must send the form and documents to the IND and pay within three weeks of the date entered by the embassy. Follow the instructions for the route you chose; the two submission methods are not identical.

For a partner application, check passports, the relationship and age rules, the plan to live and register together, the sponsor's status and any waiting period. Some temporary residence purposes do not allow a sponsor to bring a partner or child. For a minor-child application, also check that the child is under 18 and still part of the family, who has parental authority, and whether the other parent must consent. Do not assume that the partner conditions cover a child.

Sponsor income must be independent, sustainable and sufficient. From 1 July through 31 December 2026, the required gross SV salary for a partner or couple is €2,337.00 a month excluding holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including it. The single-parent amount is €1,635.90 excluding holiday allowance, or €1,766.77 including it. A single parent applying for a partner uses the higher partner amount. The IND changes the amounts every January and July, and the evidence depends on the income type, so check the live page and income test when you apply.

The MVV requirement and the exam requirement are two separate checks. Certain nationalities do not need an MVV, and the IND also assesses situation-based MVV exemptions. The Civic Integration Exam Abroad (Basisexamen inburgering buitenland) normally applies before the MVV to an adult partner who needs an MVV, not to every family member. Children under 18 are exempt, and other nationality-, status- or residence-purpose exemptions and dispensations may apply. A full pass is valid for one year. After checking whether the exam applies, use the exam preparation guide for registration and study steps.

Start with the document checklist for the chosen IND route. The sponsor usually provides a passport or permit copy, the sponsor declaration and the required income evidence. The applicant provides a passport, the relevant civil-status or relationship documents and an antecedents declaration when required. A child case can also require a birth certificate, proof of parental authority and consent from the parent who remains abroad. Official foreign documents often need legalisation and translation into Dutch, English, French or German. Submit a complete file, keep copies and save the IND case or V-number.

The legal decision period for a regular partner or minor-child TEV application is 90 days. This is not a promise that a decision will arrive sooner. The IND can extend the period by several weeks, up to a maximum of six months, and must notify you. An asylum family-reunification application has a different legal period of nine months. Monitor My IND and the sponsor's post, and answer any request for information by the deadline in the letter. Avoid non-refundable travel or moving commitments before approval.

A positive IND letter says where the applicant must obtain the MVV sticker. For the regular partner and child routes, make the embassy or consulate appointment within three months after the decision. At the appointment, the applicant provides biometrics when required and brings the requested photo and passport; the passport must still be valid for at least six months when the sticker is placed. The issued MVV is valid for 90 days. Travel to the Netherlands and collect the residence permit from the IND while the MVV is still valid. If appointment availability threatens a deadline, contact the representation or IND before the deadline instead of assuming it will be extended.

The applicant makes an appointment to collect the residence document when the IND says it is ready. The applicant then registers with the municipality at the shared address; the municipality records the registration and issues the citizen service number (BSN). The sponsor does not complete that personal registration on the applicant's behalf. Use the first 90 days checklist for the order of municipal registration, DigiD, health insurance and banking.

If the application or decision says a tuberculosis (TB) test is required, arrange it with the municipal health service (GGD) within three months after receiving the residence permit; exemptions apply. A residence permit may also create a civic-integration duty in the Netherlands. That duty is separate from the exam abroad. Check who must integrate for the post-arrival rule.

If income is close to the threshold, check both the live amount and the IND sustainability rules before submitting; one payslip does not settle both questions. If a certificate, legalisation or translation is delayed, respond to the IND letter by its stated deadline and use the contact route in that letter if you cannot provide the item on time. If the decision period has passed without a decision or extension notice, check My IND and the IND's late-decision guidance. A refusal letter explains how to object and by when; get qualified immigration help if you need advice about the merits of an objection.

The IND does not recommend staying in the Netherlands while an MVV application is being decided. If there is an urgent reason to be in the country, tell the IND before travelling and provide evidence. Permission for a short stay does not replace an MVV, and overstaying can create a separate problem. Keep travel and housing plans reversible until the decision arrives.