In this guide
💡 Related: MVV Family Reunification Netherlands, Highly Skilled Migrant Visa, Moving to Netherlands Complete Checklist.
Quick answer: Bringing your non-EU partner to the Netherlands usually means passing the civic integration exam abroad first (€150, paid to DUO), then applying for the MVV and the residence permit together at the IND. The sponsor must earn at least €2,337/month gross excluding holiday allowance (IND, 1 July to 31 December 2026). The IND fee is €254. The IND has a legal decision period of 90 days, which it can extend.
What the MVV and the Residence Permit Mean
MVV, machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, is an entry visa. It is a visa sticker (type D) in your partner’s passport for stays of more than 90 days. For most nationalities a residence permit is only granted if the person has an MVV. The MVV is in your partner’s name and is also valid in the rest of the Schengen Area (IND).
You apply for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time. The sponsor in the Netherlands usually submits the application, depending on the residence purpose (IND). Your partner then travels to the Netherlands with the MVV and collects the residence permit there.
Nationals of some countries do not need an MVV: an EU/EEA Member State, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea and Switzerland. Other exemptions exist, for example for a partner who already holds a valid residence permit in the Netherlands (IND, MVV exemptions).
The IND page for this route is ind.nl/en/residence-permits/family-and-partner/residence-permit-for-partner. Conditions change, so check it before you apply.
Who Can Bring a Partner Under This Route?
The sponsor can be a Dutch national or a foreigner with a Dutch residence permit who lives in the Netherlands. Partners of EU/EEA and Swiss nationals fall under separate EU rules (see the IND pages on EU/EEA citizens). The relationship must be one of:
- Marriage. You submit a copy of the marriage certificate.
- Registered partnership. You submit a copy of the partnership deed.
- Unmarried partner. The IND asks for a declaration of relationship, a questionnaire for residence with a partner and unmarried-status declarations (see the document list below).
The IND’s standard minimum age for both partners is 21; for the spouse or registered partner of a Turkish employee it is 18 instead (IND, Turkish citizens).
The Income Requirement: What the Sponsor Must Earn
From 1 July to 31 December 2026 the IND’s required amount for residence with a partner is €2,337 gross social security salary per month excluding holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including it (ind.nl, checked 8 October 2026). The IND updates these amounts twice a year, so verify the current figure before you rely on it.
The IND checks that your income is independent, sustainable and sufficient:
- Independent: you pay tax and national insurance contributions on it.
- Sustainable, for work in paid employment: your contract is valid for at least another 12 months, probation period included. If it is valid for 6 to 12 months, you need sufficient average monthly income in the last 12 months or the last 3 years. If it is valid for less than 6 months or you have a flexible contract, you need sufficient average monthly income in the last 3 years, and you may not have received social assistance or other benefits from public funds (IND).
- Self-employed: your income is sustainable if you have already earned it for 18 months at the time of the application, and the IND looks at the average monthly profit over the last 18 months (IND).
- Sufficient: at least the required amount. The IND looks at your social security salary (SV-loon) on the payslip, and holiday allowance counts.
A few sponsors are exempt from the income requirement, for example because they have reached the state pension age (AOW); the IND lists the exemptions. If you want a second opinion on a borderline case, see English-speaking immigration lawyers. If you are a highly skilled migrant, check your own salary against the same required amount.
The Civic Integration Exam Abroad (Inburgering Basisexamen Buitenland)
Before you apply for the MVV, most non-EU partners must first pass the basisexamen inburgering buitenland (IND). The steps are:
- Check whether your partner is exempt (see the IND list).
- Prepare. The exam is at A1 level and has three parts: speaking, reading and knowledge of Dutch society (KNS). Naar Nederland offers a self-study package.
- Register with DUO and pay the fee: €150 in total, paid to DUO.
- Make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate-general and take the exam there.
- DUO emails the result within 8 weeks. The result is valid for 1 year, so the MVV application must follow within that year.
If your partner fails a part, they register again for that part and pay again for it. Parts they passed stay valid until the whole exam is passed. The PDF with the result goes with the MVV application (IND, NederlandWereldwijd).
Exemptions include nationals of an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea and Switzerland, people under 18 and people who have reached the state pension age. Some diplomas also exempt you. See the IND page for the full list.
Step-by-Step: How the Application Works
Stage 1: Passing the Exam Abroad
Your partner takes the civic integration exam first, as described above, and receives the result PDF from DUO.
Stage 2: Submitting the Application at the IND
The sponsor usually submits the application for the MVV and the residence permit together, using the IND forms. Check the IND page for the current form, the documents for your situation and how to pay.
IND fee: €254 for residence with a partner in 2026 (fees change; check ind.nl).
The IND has a legal decision period of 90 days for a regular temporary residence permit with an MVV. It can extend this by several weeks, up to a maximum of 6 months, and it will notify you if it does (IND). Do not book flights or make firm arrangements until you have a decision.
Stage 3: Collecting the MVV
After approval, your partner collects the MVV at the Dutch embassy or consulate. The embassy tells them which documents to bring. The IND does not recommend that your partner stays in the Netherlands during the MVV procedure; if there is an urgent reason, report it to the IND first.
Stage 4: Arrival in the Netherlands
With the MVV, your partner travels to the Netherlands and collects the residence permit. Anyone who arrives to live in the Netherlands for longer than 4 months must register with the municipality within 5 days after arrival, and registration is free (Rijksoverheid).
Stage 5: BSN, Bank Account, Health Insurance
After municipality registration your partner gets a BSN (burgerservicenummer), the number needed for the Dutch government, employers and tax. The BSN guide covers the registration process.
For banking, the best banks for expats in the Netherlands compares the options for recently arrived expats. In the meantime, many people use Wise for day-to-day international money management, and for sending money home from the Netherlands once settled.
Wise gives verified customers EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address), not an NL IBAN. A Dutch employer may not refuse that IBAN for salary: under the SEPA Regulation, euro IBANs from all EU/EEA countries must be accepted (De Nederlandsche Bank).
Health Insurance: The Gap Between Arrival and Dutch Coverage
Dutch statutory health insurance (basisverzekering) must be taken out as soon as possible and no later than 4 months after arrival, and coverage then applies from the day of arrival (Government.nl).
For the journey and the period before your partner moves, travel-medical cover such as SafetyWing is one option, from USD 62.72 per 4 weeks for ages 10-39 on its Essential plan (safetywing.com, 31 October 2026). Check its terms for your situation.
Once the Dutch basisverzekering is in place, see the best Dutch health insurance plans for expats for a comparison.
Registered Partnership vs Marriage: Does It Matter?
For the IND application, marriage and registered partnership (geregistreerd partnerschap) are handled in the same section of the application form. Both need a certificate. Official foreign documents must be issued and legalised by the competent authorities of the issuing country; in apostille countries an apostille is sufficient, elsewhere the Dutch embassy or consulate must legalise the document (IND form 7525). If your marriage or registered partnership is registered with the municipality (BRP) in the Netherlands, you do not need to enclose a legalised certificate.
If you are unsure whether your marriage will be recognised in the Netherlands, get legal advice before you apply; the English-speaking lawyers list includes immigration specialists.
For unmarried partners the IND asks for:
- a declaration of relationship that both partners have completed and signed;
- a questionnaire for residence with a partner, completed and signed by the sponsor;
- an unmarried-status declaration for the partner and one for the sponsor, issued in the country of origin and no more than six months old (the sponsor does not need one if they have Dutch nationality or a permanent or asylum residence permit).
Start collecting these documents early, because legalisation can take a long time; the IND advises starting several months before you apply.
Document Checklist
Requirements depend on your situation, and the IND may ask for more.
Sponsor (in the Netherlands):
- Proof of your identity and your own status (Dutch nationality or residence permit)
- Proof of your income. The IND form lists the means of evidence in its “Means of evidence of income” appendix
- Marriage certificate or partnership deed (or the unmarried-partner documents above)
Partner (abroad):
- Valid passport
- The result PDF of the civic integration exam abroad (if not exempt)
- Any documents the embassy asks for
Translations: All foreign documents must be in Dutch, English, French or German. Otherwise they need a translation by a translator sworn in by a District Court in the Netherlands, or a translation that is legalised or carries an apostille from the country of issue (IND form 7525).
If your partner has foreign professional qualifications, see diploma recognition for expats; regulated professions may need formal recognition.
Timeline: What the Official Sources Say
| Step | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Civic integration exam abroad | DUO sends the result within 8 weeks; the result is valid for 1 year (IND) |
| IND decision | Legal decision period of 90 days; the IND can extend it by several weeks, up to a maximum of 6 months (IND) |
| Registration in the Netherlands | Within 5 days after arrival (Rijksoverheid) |
Apostille and legalisation can take a long time, and embassy appointment availability differs per country, so no reliable total can be given. Start with the exam and the documents, and ask the embassy about appointment availability.
Costs: What to Budget
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| IND application fee (2026) | €254 |
| Civic integration exam abroad (all parts) | €150 (DUO) |
| Legalisation or apostille of documents | Differs per country and document |
| Sworn translations | Differs per translator |
| Travel to the embassy | Variable |
The fixed official fees are €254 + €150 = €404. Document costs come on top and depend on your country and documents.
After Arrival: Working and Next Steps
Whether your partner may work, and under which conditions, depends on your situation as sponsor and is stated on the residence permit. An IND brochure says that if the sponsor is Dutch or may work with a work permit, the family member may do so too, and in other cases the employer must apply for a work permit. Check the IND rules for your situation, and the permit card, before your partner accepts a job.
The complete first year expat guide covers the post-arrival sequence, and the moving to Netherlands checklist works as a roadmap.
Common Reasons for Delays and Refusals
Income below the required amount or not sustainable. Check the required amount and the contract-length rules above before you apply. If you are self-employed, the IND looks at the last 18 months.
Missing relationship documents. For unmarried partners, the declaration of relationship, the questionnaire and the unmarried-status declarations are needed.
Document authentication issues. Foreign certificates must be legalised or carry an apostille, and translations must be by a sworn translator or legalised. Verify the requirements for your country before you submit.
Exam not passed in time. Passing the exam abroad is required before you apply for the MVV, and the result is valid for 1 year.
The Practical Bottom Line
The route takes preparation. Check whether your income meets the required amount (ind.nl), check whether your partner’s nationality exempts them from the civic integration exam, and start gathering relationship documents early.
For the transition period between application and arrival, and the first weeks after your partner lands:
- Wise — multi-currency account with EUR account details on a non-Dutch euro IBAN, useful for managing money across borders before a Dutch bank account is open.
- SafetyWing — travel-medical cover for the period before you move (not a substitute for the Dutch basisverzekering).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the partner visa process take in the Netherlands?
There is no single fixed total. The IND has a legal decision period of 90 days for a regular residence permit with an MVV, and it can extend this by several weeks, up to a maximum of 6 months. Before that, your partner must take the civic integration exam abroad: DUO sends the result within 8 weeks, and the result is valid for 1 year, so apply for the MVV within that year (IND, DUO).
What income does the sponsor need to earn to bring a partner to the Netherlands?
From 1 July to 31 December 2026 the IND's required amount for a partner is €2,337.00 gross social security salary per month excluding holiday allowance (€2,523.96 including it). The income must be independent, sustainable and sufficient, and the IND updates the amounts twice a year, so check ind.nl before you apply.
Does my partner need to pass a Dutch language test before arriving?
Most non-EU partners must pass the civic integration exam abroad (basisexamen inburgering buitenland) before the MVV application. It is at A1 level, with speaking, reading and knowledge of Dutch society (KNS), and costs €150 in total, paid to DUO. Nationals of an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea and Switzerland are exempt, as are some other groups. The IND website has the full list.
Can my partner work in the Netherlands after arrival?
That depends on your situation as sponsor and on the conditions on your partner's residence permit. An IND brochure states that if the sponsor is Dutch or may work with a work permit, the family member may do so too, and in other cases the employer must apply for a work permit. Check the current IND rules for your situation before your partner starts work.
What is the difference between MVV and a residence permit?
The MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) is an entry visa, a sticker in your partner's passport for stays over 90 days. You apply for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time, and your partner collects the residence permit in the Netherlands after arrival (IND).
What relationship evidence does the IND require?
For married couples, a copy of the marriage certificate; for registered partners, a copy of the partnership deed; official foreign documents must be legalised or carry an apostille, and documents not in Dutch, English, French or German need a translation by a sworn translator. For unmarried partners the IND asks for a declaration of relationship signed by both of you, a questionnaire completed by the sponsor, and unmarried-status declarations that are no more than six months old (IND form 7525).