Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you do not need a residence permit to stay in the Netherlands if your stay is based on the EC Treaty. Your passport (or ID document) from the country of which you hold the nationality is evidence enough that you are permitted to stay in the Netherlands. You are not required to register with the IND.
Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland fall under the laws and regulations of the EU, EEA and the treaty between the EU and Switzerland. These regulations are different from Dutch national law.
Please note! If a family member who is not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen intends to stay with you in the Netherlands, you do have to register with the IND.
To stay in the Netherlands as an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you:
- are a citizen from an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland (citizens of Croatia excepted).
- are not a risk to public order or national security.
- have a valid travel document (such as a passport).
Even though you do not need to get a residence permit as a European national, you will need to register with the personal records database (BRP) at your local municipality if you are planning to stay longer than 4 months in the Netherlands. You will then be issued a Citizen Service Number (BSN number). The BSN number is also compulsory for employment, opening a bank account, applying for health insurance etc. For further information please check the website of the municipality where you live, or go to www.burgerservicenummer.nl.
If you intend to stay for less than 4 months in the Netherlands but still want to work, you do not need to register with your local municipality but instead apply for a BSN number from one of the municipalities with a desk for non-residents. More information to be found at www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/persoonsgegevens. You can also call the government information service via 1400.
Family members of citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
If a citizen of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland is living in the Netherlands, their family members who are not EU/EEA or Swiss citizens also have the right to live here.
If you intend to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, and you are a family member of an EU/ EEA or Swiss citizen and you yourself do not hold an EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, you may apply for verification against EU Law and request the issue of a certificate of lawful residence permit. To request this certificate (document) you must meet certain requirements.
A family member can be a partner, a registered partner or spouse, a child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or a relative other than the family members mentioned. You may apply for the certificate of lawful residence permit (proof of lawful stay) if:
- You are the spouse, partner or registered partner of an EU citizen.
- You are the child or grandchild of an EU citizen.
- You are a family member in the ascending line (parent or grandparent) of an EU citizen.
- You are a relative of an EU citizen, other than parent, grandparent, child, grandchild of an EU citizen.
- You are a Dutch national who derives rights from the Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community
Although Dutch citizens are also EU citizens, it is not possible to apply for the certificate of lawful residence permit if you want to stay in the Netherlands as a family member or relative of a Dutch national, with the exception being if the Dutch citizen has been living for a longer period in a EU/EEA Member State. More information can be found on the website of the IND (Immigratie en Naturalisatie Dienst) – www.ind.nl
Non – EU/EEA or Swiss nationals
Please note Abroad Experience can only assist persons with a valid work and residence permit to find a job in The Netherlands. As required by law, we request and verify the authenticity of identification documents and, if applicable, the work permits of all our temporary employees.
If you wish to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months as either an expat or an immigrant for study, work or another reason and you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national (or a family member of one), you do not need to apply for a residence permit. There are different requirements depending on your origin and your reasons for coming to The Netherlands. Most nationals need to start the application procedure in their home country. This does not hold if you are a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States of America or Vatican City, or you have an EC permanent residence permit, issued by another EU member state, in which case you will need to apply for a residence permit within 3 days upon your arrival in the Netherlands. Please visit the website of the IND for more information (www.ind.nl) or call them on 0900-1234561 (+31 20889 3045 from abroad).
Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck with your residence permit!
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