Information about immigration (incl. visa) to The Netherlands
The main body of this website is in Dutch, so if you can read Dutch I would advise you to go to that section because it contains much more information. But for the people who cannot read Dutch we made this page to provide them with hopefully some usefull information and links.
On this site there is information and also usefull links for:
1. People who want to visit The Netherlands or even live there for a while or want to immigrate to The Netherlands;
2. People who have problems returning to their country of origin;
3. Refugees and asylumseekers;
4. People who want to know more about Dutch migration and asylum law e.g. jurisprudence, courses and publications;
5. People who want to work for refugees or in the field of migration law (vacancies)
There is also the possibility to ask a legal question for free
If one wants to come to the Netherlands (not as a refugee):
a visa or a mvv?
Most countrynationals need a visa if they want to come to The Netherlands as a tourist or to visit family. An application for a visa can be done at the Dutch ambassy in your country. With a visa you are allowed to stay 3 months in the Netherland but you can not apply in Holland for a residencepermit.If you want a permit to stay in The Netherlands (e.g. for study, familyreunion, marriage) you have to apply for a special visa called mvv in your own country and wait there for the decision. In most cases it also means that you did an exam first to show that you know a bit Dutch and some about the Dutch culture ("inburgeren in het buitenland").
When one gets a residence permit one has in general (kennismigranten and students do not) the obligation to go to school and do a course to learn Dutch and to learn to function in Dutch society (verplicht inburgeren. See http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=3ST2Xgj7e5g for an example. For languagecourses and inburgeringscurssussen abroad see our Dutch page on products. I also tried to collect some international available products about The Netherlands which can be handy to learn more about customs, etiquette, geography, history and Dutch music. See on the lower left of this page.
It is difficult to get a residence permit if you want to come to The Netherlands just to find a job there because Dutch nationals and residents of the Eu get priority. However, the is a seperate regime for the so called knowledge workers (kennismigranten). If an employer is willing to pay a high salary for a foreign worker the immigration procedure is very simple.
On the site of the immigration service is stored a lot of usefull information. You can also contact the Dutch embassy in your country of origin.
http://www.ind.nl: website of the Dutch immigration service for information about the procedure
On this website are a lot of brochures in english on several subjects.
Website with the adresses of the Dutch embassies where one should apply for a visa or mvv (visa for long stay)
http://www.advocatenvreemdelingenrecht.nl:
legal aid:adresses of immigrationlawyers
If one needs help to leave the Netherlands:
When one has no permit to stay in The Netherlands and is not in a procedure to get one, a person has an obligation to leave the country. When one has not done that the government has the right to punt this person in alien detention untill he or she can send back to his or hers country of origen (nationality). So it is wise to take matters in your own hand an make plans to return or migrate to a third country.http://www.iom.int: website of the International Organisation for Migration
This organisation assists with repatriation and also helps with migration to a third country.
http://ambassade.pagina.nl: Adresses of the ambassies of other countries in The Netherlands
Refugees and asylum
The Netherlands is a party of the Vluchtelingenverdrag (United Nations treaty on refugees) and also of the EVRM (European Covention on Human Rights). But nowadays the Dutch asylum policy is really strict. A person who wants to flee to The Netherlands has to prove (if possible) his identity, nationality and travelroute and has also to convince the Dutch migration authorities that his story is really true. He/she should best bring identity papers (the real ones) and all the (real!)prove he/she has to support his/her story (like newspaperarticles, orders for his arrest, papers from a hospital where he was treated). Smuggles will tell refugees to lose their papers but that is not wise. Moreover, one should before starting the journey think it over if leaving country, family, climate, language, familiar food and all that stuff is really necessary. Maybe, going to a another part of the country where one is less known already does the trick.For people who already applied for asylum and also for people who are planning to flee it is important if articles from e.g. Amnesty International, from newspapers, internet article or Dutch "ambtsberichten" support their story. Let your lawyer send them to the IND as soon as possible! Waiting untill you see a judge is too late. Not only lawyers and but also organisations as VluchtelingenWerk (an aid organisation for asylumseekers) can assist. But always check with your lawyer.
If you want to apply for asylum in Holland you have to come to Holland first. When you arrive you have to contact the authorities as soon as possible because waiting is interpreted as "not desperate for help". You will be brought to a special centre called Aanmeldcentre (AC) where you will get interviewed bij the Immigrationservice (IND). First about your nationality and identity and later about your reasons to ask asylum. Bring all the prove you have and answer as secure as possible (do not guess and be clear about why you are afraid: you know the situation in your country but for the Dutch interviewer some explanation can be handy). If it is clear your application will be denied your will get a "voornemen". If you have still a change you will be send to a different kind of centre (OC) where the interviews will start again. If you are granted asylum you get a possitive decision. If not you also get that "voornemen". Your laywer can give a reaction to that (with extra proof and jurisprudence preferably) which is called a "zienswijze". The IND will then decide to give or deny you a status. If the decision is negative you can go to court. The judge will decide if the IND made the right decision. If so, you have one more change. In case some legal mistake was made by the judge you can appeal at the Raad van State (Higher court). If you lose all you have to leave the country. If you get a residence permit you have to go to school and learn the language and the culture of your new country. But beware: if you only get a permit because the situation in your country is very dangerous for everybody (e.g. Iraq) the IND can revoke your permit if the situation in your country gets better.
Not all centres are like this. Some of them are in a highrise building. Families get one room and singles share with others. As you see not the luxury some smugglers tell about.
Information on the internet
http://www.ind.nl:legal aid
Website of the Dutch immigration service for information about the procedure
http://www.advocatenvreemdelingenrecht.nl:
adresses of immigrationlawyers
http://www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl:
(legal) aid for refugees
http://www.advocatenorde.nl:countryinformation:
Website of the Dutch Lawyers Association(also for complaints about lawyers)
http://www.amnesty.org: Amnesty Internation (global site)
http://www.amnesty.nl: (Dutch site)
http://www.unhcr.ch
http://www.iom.int
Country reports of the CIA
http://www.countryreports.orgfor refugee students:
Check also the newspapersites on internet
Search the internet:
http://www.uaf.nl
Looking for a lawyer specialised in immigration law?
On the website www.advocatenvreemdelingenrecht.nl I collected many adresses of lawyers in the Netherlands who are well versed in Dutch immigration law. One can also find adresses of Belgium lawyers or from other countries but their specialisation is their own national legal system
A normal fee is around 150 euro pro hour. But when one does not earn a lot of money one can ask help from the Raad voor de Rechtsbijstand. The Raad voor Rechtsbijstand (Council for Legal Aid) was instituted by the Minister of Justice (Lord High Chancellor). Its aim is to make sure you will have legal representation should you require any. If you cannot afford a solicitor, the Council will provide financial support. Your solicitor will receive a ‘toevoeging’, a monetary allowance. You will pay part of the cost yourself. The size of your contribution depends on the height of your income. But this is only available when you are already in the procedure and your application is rejected. It does not pay for the legal advise during the application procedure. For more information see www.rvr.org.
The lawyer has an obligation to send a copy to you of all the letters he writes on your behalf and the answers he gets in your case. Be carefull when you select a lawyer. Ask about his or hers specialisation and do not focus on the fact that he or she is of your own nationality or faith. You need him or her to give you good legal advise!!!! Sometimes it is wise to ask for a second opinion elsewhere.
Do you have a question?
This is not a governmental website or one owned by a commercial firm but just a hobby project of a lawyer who wanted to learn how to build a website. The topic of Dutch immigration law and regulations was easily found because that is my day-job.
My name is M.W.W. Raspe and from 1995 on I had several jobs in the immigration field e.q. Vluchtelingenwerk (legal aid for refugees), IND (Dutch immigration service), District court, teaching immigration law and nowadays I am working at a law firm as an immigration law specialist.
This is just a hobby website. Always check the official Dutch governmental website of the IND (www.ind.nl) as well or contact the Dutch embassy in your homecountry. It can also be a wise idea to contact a lawyer too. A good preparation is something I would strongly recommend.
You can ask me a question about Dutch immigration law and I will try to answer you. In case it is too time consuming or too complicated to anwer without your dossier I will refer you to a law firm. Keep in mind that I reject all claims for damages resulting from consulting this site. You should always take your own responsibility and check and double check for instance on the Official website of the Dutch Immigration Service (www.ind.nl), with the Dutch ambassy in your country of origin, a law firm etc.
If you would like to have me as your official lawyer, I normally would like to point you to the official website of my boss (www.bendersadvocaten.nl). But at the moment because of a serious illness I can not work. Nevertheless I do know lots of good immigration lawyers to send you to.
Ask a question or mail your remark
You can mail me at webmaster@vreemdelingenrecht.com
More about migration and asylum law e.g. jurisprudence, courses and publications
http://www.rechtspraak.nl
(jurisprudence in Dutch)
Migration law courses and online texts
http://www.vreemdelingenrecht.be (Belgian migration law)
http://www.brill.nl (publisher)
Vacancies:
http://www.reliefweb.int
My apologies in case you find a link that does not work or see a very nasty spelling mistake: this site is still under construction .
For remarks and/ or suggestions you can mail the webmaster by clicking on this link
Op de andere pagina's van deze site vindt u nog meer informatie over asielzoekers, asiel in Nederland, de asielprocedure, vluchtelingen, VluchtelingenWerk, de IND, het IOM, de UNHCR, Amnesty, vreemdelingenrecht, rechtshulp, gespecialiseerde advocaten, de manier om een goede advocaat te vinden, cursussen vreemdelingenrecht, cursussen Nederlands en inburgering, visa, ambassades van Nederland, buitenlandse ambassades in Den Haag, integratie, verblijfsvergunningen, rechtbanken en Raad van State, gezinshereniging enzovoort.
On the other pages of this website you can find information about: asylum, migrants, refugees, specialised lawyers, legal aid, immigration, migration law, asylumseekers, the Dutch asylum procedure, Dutch lessons, migration law courses, visa, ambassies of The Netherlands, the ambassy of other nations in The Hague, IND, IOM, UNHCR, Amnesty, permits to stay, family reunification, government websites etc. etc. http://www.vreemdelingenrecht.com/engels.html
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