Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

If you are unhappy about the manner in which the IND has processed your application, then you can submit a complaint. Your complaint is an important signal to the IND. It enables us to improve the services that we provide. The rules laid down in Chapter 9 of the General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht or Awb) apply to the handling of your complaint.

There are three different ways that you can submit your complaint: via the Internet, by post (if you want to enclose additional documents) or via the Complaints Line.

Complaints via the Internet
Please note: if you are submitting a complaint via the Internet, it will not be possible to attach additional documents.

Open the complaints form.

Complaints by post
If you have any additional documents to attach, you can use the complaint form below and submit your full complaint in writing.

Download	NL	EN
Complaints form (with annexes) (50KB)

Correspondence address:
Central Complaint Registration Bureau 
Postbus 5805
2280 HV  Rijswijk
The Netherlands

Complaints via the Complaints Line
The Complaints Line can be contacted between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Complaints Line: +31 (0)70-7795440
Fax: +31 (0)70-7794607

IND Service Guarantee, customer centred service
The IND seeks to serve its clients as well as possible. As a client, you have the right to know what you may expect from the IND. Therefore, we have set specific service standards. These standards are promises to you as a client of IND.

Service Standards Processing Complaints

• You may always expect a friendly reception from our staff workers, who are always ready to listen to you and to think along with you.
• If you have a complaint about the IND, you can choose to lodge this complaint by telephone, through the Internet, by letter, or at an IND desk.
• You will receive a confirmation of receipt of your complaint within 3 workings days after the Central Complaints Registration Office (CKrB) has received your complaint.
• The IND will contact you by telephone if your telephone number is known to the IND.
• The IND will respond to your complaint within 6 weeks.

Flyer

Frequently Asked Questions Complaints Procedure

• What can I do if I have a complaint?
• What can I complain about?
• How do I submit a complaint?
• Where can I submit my complaint?
• Can someone else submit my complaint for me?
• What happens to my complaint once it has been submitted?
• Who can I contact about the status of my complaint?
• What kind of response can I expect?
• I am not happy with the response to my complaint. What further action can I take?
• My query has not been answered by these frequently asked questions. Where can I resolve an unanswered query?        

Notice of default (penalty payment) in the event of a late decision

If you submit an application to the IND, you will want to find out where you stand as soon as possible. The Incremental Penalty Payments and Appeal in the Event of Late Decision Act [Wet dwangsom en beroep bij niet tijdig beslissen] entered into effect on 1 October 2009. The Act is intended to ensure that the government takes decisions relating to an application or an appeal on time.

If the IND does not decide on time, you can notify the IND that this is the case. This must be done in writing and is also referred to as a ‘notice of default’. You can submit a notice of default using the special 'notice of default in the event of a late decision' form. If the statutory deadline for making a decision (including postponements) has passed, the IND will still have two weeks to take a decision.

Notice of default in the event of a late decision form.

The Incremental Penalty Payments and Appeal in the Event of Late Decision Act contains, among other things, two regulations:
1. The automatic penalty payment regulation in the event that no decision is taken; and
2. the direct appeal to the court in the event of a late decision. The court will then determine whether the IND has to pay a penalty payment.

The IND only has to pay an automatic penalty payment for late decisions regarding:

• requests and objections on the grounds of the Netherlands Nationality Act [Rijkswet op de Nederlanderschap] (excluding the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba); 
• requests within the framework of the Government Information (Public Access) Act [Wet openbaarheid van bestuur]; 
• requests within the framework of the Personal Data Protection Act [Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens]; 
• requests for the refunding of fees or claims for damages on the grounds of the Netherlands Nationality Act (excluding the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba); 
• applications for a work permit with regard to which the IND has to decide.
  The automatic penalty payment applies only to applications, requests and objections which have been submitted on or after 1 October 2009.
   

In the case of the above-mentioned procedures and all other procedures you can appeal directly to the court if the IND does not decide within two weeks after receipt of the notice of default.

Send or fax the completed Notice of default in the event of a late decision form to:

Immigration and Naturalisation Service
Attn Centraal Klachtenregistratiebureau
Postbus 5805
2280 HV Rijswijk
The Netherlands
Fax: +31 (0)70-7794607

Frequently asked questions about penalty payments and the notice of default procedure

When am I entitled to a penalty payment?
What is a notice of default?
How can I declare the IND to be in default?
When is a decision not on time?
Can someone else submit a notice of default on my behalf?
What happens to my notice of default once I have submitted it?
What happens if the IND has not taken a decision within two weeks of my notice of default?
Who can I contact regarding the status of my notice of default?
Is a notice of default also a complaint?
I cannot find an answer to my question in the frequently asked questions. Who should I submit my question to?