Application procedure
06 Jul 2011
This page contains information on how to apply for a provisional residence permit (MVV).
Your Dutch host institution will probably handle most of the paperwork in the form of an ’advisory procedure‘. This precedes the formal application for the provisional residence permit. You must submit this formal application yourself in person at a Dutch embassy or consulate.
Advisory procedure
The advisory procedure is a short-form procedure. Your Dutch host institution will ask the Dutch immigration authorities (IND) to contact the Dutch embassy or consulate and inform them of your plans to apply for a provisional residence permit. Your host institution will send all the necessary paperwork to the IND. The IND will then assess if you meet all the criteria.
If the IND concludes that you are not eligible for a provisional residence permit, they will notify your host institution.
If the IND concludes that you are eligible for a provisional residence permit, they will notify both the host institution and the Dutch diplomatic post in your country accordingly. From that moment on, you may hand in your formal application to the Dutch embassy or consulate. Since the IND has already assessed your case, this will now be a mere formality. The embassy or consulate will confirm your identity based on your passport, and you will need to complete a form.
An advisory procedure usually takes about two weeks.
Applying for the provisional residence permit
You must apply for a provisional residence permit in person at a Dutch embassy or consulate. It is not possible to authorize somebody else to apply on your behalf. You may visit the nearest Dutch diplomatic post in your home country.
It is also possible to apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate in another country, as long as you have lawful residence in that particular country. Lawful residence means that you have a residence permit for that country, which is valid at the time of application for the provisional residence permit. If you hold a tourist visa, you do not qualify as a lawful resident.
The embassy or consulate might ask you to show a legalized birth certificate.
Since the provisional residence permit is an entry visa you can not collect it in the Netherlands. Though the formal application is a mere formality you can never be sure that your application will be granted. For this reason, you are advised to wait until you have the MVV-sticker in your passport before you buy a ticket for your trip.
You can find the nearest Dutch embassy or consulate on the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Costs
Check the administration fees to find out what your costs will be.