Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

From 1 May 2006 onwards, citizens of EU or EEA member states* or Switzerland who wish to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months have to register with the IND. They will no longer have to request proof of lawful residency and in addition, they will no longer be issued with a residence permit. Family members of these people who themselves are not citizens of an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland must still submit a request for verification against EU Community Law. This also applies to citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia, as long as the EU job market is still restricted for these people.

* Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Sweden.

For further information about the IND registration, please read the brochure 'IND registration for EU citizens' 

Registering with the IND
If a citizen of an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland wishes to stay in the Netherlands for more than three months, this person has to register with the IND after three months, or sooner. Anyone wishing to register must be able to prove the purpose of his or her residence. For example, if someone is here to work, an employer’s statement must be presented. After registering, a registration statement will be issued by the IND. This is a passport sticker that will remain valid for as long as the person remains in the Netherlands. In order to register, an appointment must always be made by telephone. You can use the telephone number 0900-1234561 for this purpose from 1 May 2006 onwards. Registration with the IND is free of charge.

Please note: Anyone who registers with the IND must first be registered in the personal records database (GBA) of the municipality in which they reside.

New EU member states
For people from Romenia, Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia, the application procedure will remain the same. They must submit a request for verification against EU Community Law to their municipal authorities, and will then be given a registration sticker with a note relating to permission to access the job market. 

Your personal situation

What to do if you are a holder of a Community citizen’s residence card?

• Have you been staying in the Netherlands for less than five years? Your current residency permit will remain valid. Four weeks before your document expires, you will be able to make an appointment for registration with the IND by telephone. You will then be issued with a registration certificate in the form of a sticker. Please note: If your residence permit expires before 1 May 2006, please do not apply for a new one, but register yourself with the IND on or after 1 May. 
• Have you been staying in the Netherlands for five years or more? Your current residence permit will remain valid. Please note: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who have been in the Netherlands for over five years will be able to obtain the document ‘permanent residence EU citizens’ from 1 May 2006 onwards. This document costs € 30. If your current document is about to expire, you will be informed of this automatically by the IND; you will then be able to apply for the ‘permanent residence EU citizens’ document.        

  
Have you just submitted a new request for verification against EU Community Law or have you just applied for an extension to your current residence permit?
A decision with regard to your application will be made as soon as possible. 

Are you an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and have you just arrived in the Netherlands?
You have to register with the IND from 1 May 2006. You will not have to submit a request for verification against EU Community Law. You will, however, have to register with the personal records database of the municipality in which you reside.