Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

Categories frequently asked questions: 

Where can I apply for a naturalisation application form?
There is no form to apply for Dutch nationality. You have to file a naturalisation petition with your municipality. However, you can order a brochure with general information on the subject through this web site. For general questions, you can also contact our Public Relations department (afdeling Voorlichting).

Can I contact the IND to get an employer’s declaration or a sponsor declaration?
These forms cannot be obtained independently. They are included as an annex with the form for renewal (application for renewal of residence permit). You can download these forms or order them through this web site.

How many naturalisation petitions did the IND process last year?
Check here for the IND’s annual results.

Do I have to copy every page in my passport?
Yes. Even the blank pages have to be copied, so that the IND can see that they are blank.

Where can I apply for a social-fiscal number (sofinummer)?
The IND does not issue social-fiscal numbers. Please contact the Dutch Tax Authorities (Belastingdienst).

II want to emigrate / leave the Netherlands. Is the IND the organisation I have to deal with?
IND only deals with people that immigrate to the Netherlands. Contact the embassy of the country you want to move to.

Where can I find more information on procedures?
You can consult the Residence Wizard on this web site. That contains detailed information on all procedures. You can also download or order the brochures.

What steps do I have to take if I want to bring an employee from the EU to the Netherlands?
Click here for more information on highly-skilled migrants.

What steps do I have to take if I want to bring a non-EU employee to the Netherlands?
Click here for more information on highly-skilled migrants.

Is my partner/child allowed to work in the Netherlands?
Since 13 April 2005, the rule for family members of a highly-skilled migrant – like the highly-skilled migrant him/herself – is that they don’t need a working permit to work in the Netherlands. Click here for more information on highly-skilled migrants.

What do I have to do if I want my foreign partner to come and live with me in the Netherlands?
The Residence Wizard gives detailed information on the procedures to bring someone into the Netherlands. 

My parents / acquaintances are here on holiday. Do they have to report within three days to the IND?
They need not report to the IND, but to the aliens police. Please contact the general police telephone number, 0900-8844, and ask for the aliens police station closest to where you live.

Where can I find more information on highly-skilled migrants?
Click here for more information on and intended for highly-skilled migrants.

Where can I find more information on purposes for staying in the Netherlands?
Check the Residence Wizard for more information on purposes for staying in the Netherlands.

What is a pronouncement of undesirability?
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) is entitled, on behalf of the State Secretary of Justice, to pronounce a foreign national undesirable pursuant to Article 67 of the Aliens Act 2000. A pronouncement of undesirability is an (administrative) measure for the purpose of preventing foreign nationals who are not or are no longer permitted to stay in the Netherlands from entering or remaining in the country.
In most cases, this concerns foreign nationals who have committed an offence.
The pronouncement of undesirability makes it an offence for the foreign national to reside in or return to the Netherlands without authorisation.

Balancing of interests
The assessment (on the part of the IND) of whether a foreign national will be pronounced undesirable takes into account the interests of the parties involved. In this respect, national interest (public order and national security) is examined on the one hand, and the interests of the foreign national and (if applicable) his or her family on the other hand. 

Immediate effect
A decision in favour of a pronouncement of undesirability is issued to the foreign national in person by the police (together with a leaflet regarding pronouncement of undesirability). If it is not possible to issue the decision in person, the decision shall in any event be published in the Dutch Government Gazette. 
A decision in favour of a pronouncement of undesirability shall take immediate effect. The foreign national who has been pronounced undesirable must immediately leave the Netherlands of his or her own accord (obligation to leave the country independently). 
Any foreign national who stays in the Netherlands whilst he or she is aware or may reasonably assume that he or she has been pronounced undesirable, is guilty of an offence pursuant to Article 197 of the Penal Code and may be sentenced to a maximum of six months’ imprisonment.
Once the prison sentence has been served, the foreign national who has been pronounced undesirable may be removed, if the identity and nationality of the foreign national have been established and (replacement) travel documents are available.
A foreign national may lodge an application for review in respect of a pronouncement of undesirability. The foreign national shall not, however, be permitted to stay in the Netherlands pending the outcome of such an application. If a foreign national has definitively been pronounced undesirable and has left the Netherlands, after a given period he or she may submit an application in writing for the withdrawal of the pronouncement of undesirability.

Schengen Information System
As the aim of the pronouncement of undesirability is to prohibit certain foreign nationals from entering the Netherlands, refusal of permission to enter the Netherlands is signalled in the Schengen Information System (SIS). This means that for such time that the pronouncement of undesirability is in force, the foreign national will not be able to obtain access to the countries that form part of the Schengen area.

You are a former Dutch national and you want to settle in the Netherlands again?
We regularly questions from former Dutch nationals who want to settle in the Netherlands again. This is possible for former Dutch nationals that:
1) were born and raised in the Netherlands 
2) were born outside the Netherlands, are over 18 and can prove having special ties with the Netherlands 
3) renounced their Dutch nationality (obtained through naturalization) or whose Dutch nationality was repealed because they were not willing or able to renounce their original nationality. (The latter group must file their application with the IND within six months of losing their Dutch nationality).

Anyone falling in any of the above categories must not constitute a hazard for public order or national security. In addition, some of the above categories must also meet a few additional conditions. You can find more information in the Residence Wizard, in the section I want to come to the Netherlands (state as your ‘reason for residence’: re-entry).

Do I need a provisional residence permit?
Only former Dutch nationals of the second category (born outside the Netherlands, aged over 18 and evidence that they have special ties with the Netherlands) must obtain a provisional residence permit in order to be able to enter the Netherlands (in order to apply subsequently for a temporary/permanent residence permit for the purpose of re-entry) – if they are nationals of a country from which citizens need to obtain a provisional residence permit. Former Dutch nationals of the other two categories do not require a provisional residence permit, and can simply enter Dutch territory and apply for a residence permit. The Residence Wizard also gives information in the section I want to come to the Netherlands.

Becoming a Dutch national again 
Former Dutch nationals born and raised in the Netherlands may re-obtain Dutch nationality under a simplified procedure (on the basis of a residence permit for the purpose of re-entry):
- either by following the naturalization procedure (this can be done immediately upon entry; in general, you must meet the integration requirement)
- or by opting for Dutch nationality (this can only be done after one year, subject to certain conditions; the integration requirement does not apply).
For more information on re-obtaining Dutch nationality, please consult the Residence Wizard, in the section I want to become a Dutch national.

Integration obligation 
You are exempt from the integration obligation if you are younger than 16, aged 65 or over. You are also exempt from the obligation if you resided at least eight years in the Netherlands while you were obliged to attend school, or if you have a Dutch secondary school certificate. 
For more information on the obligation to integrate, please visit: www.inburgeren.nl