How do I apply for a residence permit for my partner?
What would you like help with?
Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
Start with your own residence status and the correct family route. Regular partner residence requires a genuine relationship, cohabitation, age conditions and usually sufficient sustainable income.
On this page
- Choose the correct family route
- Check relationship and sponsor
- Prove income or an exemption
- Arrange exam and documents
- File the appropriate application
- Track decision and entry
- Check work permission
- Maintain status and report changes
- Can my partner always work on a partner permit?
- Documents to prepare
- Sources
1. Choose the correct family route
This guide covers regular residence with a Dutch partner or a partner holding a valid Dutch permit. EU verification, returning with a Dutch citizen from the EU and asylum family reunification have separate routes; do not transfer their conditions. Turkish citizens/families and some British families may have exceptions. Check nationality, permit type and where both partners live. Marriage alone does not confer residence.
2. Check relationship and sponsor
Both need a valid travel document and proven marriage, registered partnership or unmarried relationship. Normally both must be 21; 18 suffices if already married while both still lived abroad. You must live together and register at the same municipal address. A sponsor cannot use an excluded au-pair, Working Holiday, cultural-exchange, work-experience/training, seasonal-work, seafarer or EU-UK trade-agreement permit. A permit-holding sponsor required to integrate normally needs one year of lawful residence first, except where minor children's interests require earlier reunion.
3. Prove income or an exemption
Income must be independent, sustainable and sufficient. Use the current IND threshold, social-insurance salary and proper holiday-pay treatment; do not automatically add the incoming partner's income. Employment: at least twelve months left on the contract; or six to twelve with sufficient previous average salary/WW/ZW over twelve months or three years; or shorter/flexible under the three-year route without public-funds benefits. Business, benefits and investment income have separate tests; each combined income must qualify. Exemptions may cover AOW(age), proven permanent total incapacity, five years' municipal employment-duty exemption continuing at least one year, certain humanitarian victim statuses or timely asylum reunification. IND's income test is preparation, not a decision.
4. Arrange exam and documents
If an MVV is required, the partner usually passes the overseas basic integration exam before applying. Check exemptions based on nationality, age, education, existing residence or temporary/asylum/EU family purpose. Request evidenced medical/personal dispensation through the appendix, not self-certification. Register with DUO then book the exam; results within eight weeks, passed components remain valid until all passed. Apply for MVV within one year of passing and attach the PDF. Use the personalised document list, relationship/income evidence, antecedents declaration if over twelve and required legalisation/translation into NL/EN/FR/DE. Check TB exemptions too.
5. File the appropriate application
The sponsor can apply online with DigiD and immediate payment, or use B07001 for married/registered partners and B07002 for unmarried partners by post. Apply jointly for MVV and residence where needed. Self-application abroad uses 9511; domestic family application 7025; EU long-term-resident situations may use 7019/7028. Existing residents choose change of purpose. Follow the official page and current fee; postal applicants receive payment instructions. Keep the entire application, attachments and receipt. Our preparation does not file anything.
6. Track decision and entry
Normally 90 days; IND's partner page specifies nine months for family reunification sponsored by an asylum permit holder. Extensions, for example for missing information, are notified. Follow the receipt and Mijn IND. On refusal check objection and urgency; for delay use the late-IND route. After MVV approval book the sticker appointment within three months at the chosen representation: passport valid another six months when affixed, new photo/biometrics, MVV valid 90 days. Collect the residence card by appointment after notification. Complete promised TB examination with GGD within three months after the permit is granted.
7. Check work permission
Read the card's work endorsement; filing alone creates no automatic right to work. With a Dutch sponsor, work is free without TWV. Partners of highly skilled migrants, blue-card holders, ICT transferees, researchers under 2016/801 or essential start-up staff may work freely; those of self-employed sponsors may also be self-employed. A student's partner cannot work. With a GVVA sponsor, the partner's employer needs a TWV. Otherwise rights often follow the sponsor; resolve uncertainty before starting.
8. Maintain status and report changes
With a temporary sponsor permit, the partner's permit ends on the same date; with a Dutch or permanent-resident sponsor it lasts five years. Renew before expiry online or with the correct partner form. The sponsor has information/recordkeeping duties, the partner information duties: notify relevant changes within four weeks and retain sponsor records for five years after sponsorship ends. Timely municipal address registration may replace a separate IND address notice. Separation requires checking change of purpose or independent humanitarian residence; five years of family residence may open permanent residence, not automatically grant it.
Can my partner always work on a partner permit?
No. It depends on the sponsor and endorsement. Work is free with a Dutch or certain work-migrant sponsors; a student's partner cannot work, and a GVVA sponsor generally means a TWV is needed. Check the card before starting.
Documents to prepare
Prepare your next stepFill in and save · Word
Tick what you have checked or collected. Note what is missing and take your overview to a meeting.
Unless saved in My overview: Your entries stay only on this screen. Download before leaving; closing or reloading clears them. Do not enter identity numbers, passwords or unnecessary personal details.
What do you still need for your next step?
Item 1 / 6 · Where do you stand with this item?
Nationalities, status and correct family route
This overview follows your own answers. It does not assess your rights or guarantee that your file is complete.
Your choices stay here. Use the buttons below if you want to save or download.
View all details, notes and timeline
Your timeline and evidence
List events and contacts. Note where you keep the evidence; no upload is needed.
What goes in my timeline?
Record what happened, when, the response and where to find the letter, message or photo. Mark uncertain dates.
Is my evidence sent?
No. You only note where it is kept. No files are uploaded or sent automatically.
How do I save my timeline?
Your entries are not saved automatically. Choose Save and continue later to store this preparation, including your timeline, in My overview. Wait for confirmation and save new changes again. You can also download a Word file without an account.
Up to 20 events. Choose a different position for an event to change the order.
0 / 6 · Checked or collected
For each event, note the date, what happened and where the evidence is kept. Example: 3 October — letter received — correspondence folder.
Describe the solution you would like, such as an explanation of a deduction and repayment of the outstanding amount.
For example: which document is missing, who can provide it and what should I do first?
Record the date and its source. If unknown, note this and check promptly. This tool does not calculate or monitor deadlines.
After your conversation
These are your own notes. Confirm agreements with the other person; these notes do not prove their agreement.
This is your preparation, not a submitted request, objection or legally reviewed document. A tick records only your own progress. Check the procedure and deadline in the original letter.
Save and continue later
Clear entries
Download anything you want to keep first. Clearing cannot be undone.
- Nationalities, status and correct family route
- Relationship, ages and shared address
- Income, contract history or exemption
- Exam/exemption, identity and certified documents
- Application, payment, decision and travel
- Work endorsement, reporting and renewal
Contact with a lawyer
You can use the chat and information without a phone number. A contact request requires a phone number, a verified email address and your wish for telephone contact. Our team assesses which partner fits your question. Data is shared only under the stated consent procedure. A partner or engagement is not guaranteed.
View the current application processSources
Need personal assistance? Request a lawyer through our chat. We explain the next step; submitting a request does not engage a lawyer. The links below support the legal information.
IND · Verblijf bij partner ↗IND · Inkomenseisen ↗IND · Basisexamen buitenland ↗IND · Plichten familie en referent ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.