If you marry a Dutch citizen, you can apply for a residence permit and for immigration to the Netherlands on that basis, and build a fully legal life in the country. This guide looks at Dutch residence through marriage from the legal side: who qualifies, what the process asks of you and which documents you need.
A look at the Netherlands
The Netherlands is one of the calmest countries in Europe, a constitutional monarchy with a wide range of immigration routes, including the Dutch startup visa. A stable economy, a high standard of living, an advanced healthcare system, respected universities and equal rights and personal freedom for all residents make it one of the best countries in Europe to move to, live in and invest in. So what exactly does the Dutch spouse route require?
Requirements for the Netherlands spouse visa
The conditions are not complicated, but each one has to be evidenced. Both partners must be at least 21 years old, and the marriage must be genuine. A marriage of convenience entered into to obtain residence leads to a refusal, and there is no realistic route of appeal from it.
The Dutch partner also has to sponsor the application financially: independent, sustainable income of at least the Dutch statutory minimum wage, including holiday allowance, and the means to cover living costs and insurance for the partner joining them. With that in place, and with identity documents in order, the residence application can be filed.
Neither partner may be married to, or in a registered partnership with, anyone else at the time of the marriage. A previous marriage that has legally ended is not a bar; an existing one is.
A Dutch national marrying a foreign resident of the Netherlands
Where one partner is a Dutch citizen and the other holds a Dutch residence permit, both attend the Dutch city hall with valid passports to register the marriage. The non-Dutch partner must sit the Dutch language exam and show a basic knowledge of Dutch society. The rest of the requirements are as follows:
- A marriage certificate
- An interview at the immigration service
- The civic integration exam
- Evidence of a year of living together, for the foreign partner’s permanent residence application
The foreign partner first holds a temporary residence permit, which is renewed while the relationship continues. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residence. Where you are married to and living with a Dutch citizen, naturalisation becomes possible after three years rather than five.
Residence through marriage for two foreign partners
If both partners are foreign nationals who hold Dutch residence, they can register their marriage in the Netherlands and build a residence case on it. Dutch law also allows same-sex couples to marry on the same terms; at least one partner must be Dutch or legally resident in the Netherlands for the marriage to be registered there. Couples in this position need the following documents:
| Couple | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Both | Valid passport and visa |
| Both | Marriage registered with the municipality |
| Both | Pass the Dutch language exam |
| Both | Marriage certificate and at least one year of cohabitation |
| Both | Health insurance |
| Both | Proof of sufficient financial means |
| Both | Interview at the immigration office |
| Both | Possible civic integration exam |
| Both | Validity and renewal are set by the IND; permanent residence after a continuous period of lawful stay - check the current IND terms |
The MVV application: the first step to residence
If you are a non-EU national planning to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, you generally need an MVV, unless your nationality is exempt from the MVV requirement. The MVV is a long-stay entry visa that lets you enter the Netherlands and then apply for a residence permit. Couples applying on the basis of marriage file for the MVV first and apply for the residence permit that follows from it.
Once the visa is issued and your partner arrives in the Netherlands, you apply to the immigration service, the IND, for the residence permit, the Verblijfsvergunning. The first permit is temporary. Provided the documents are in order and the conditions above are met, after five years your partner can apply for permanent residence.
The Dutch government publishes its citizenship rules officially on this site.
Documents required for the MVV
For Dutch immigration through marriage, where one partner is Dutch and the other is a non-EU national, the MVV application needs your passport and biometric photograph plus the following:
- Health insurance
- Police clearance certificate
- Evidence that the relationship with your Dutch partner is genuine
- Financial evidence from the sponsoring partner, covering at least one year
- Certified translations of identity and birth documents
- The marriage certificate, if the marriage took place outside the Netherlands
- A sponsorship declaration from the Dutch partner
- The rental contract for your home in the Netherlands
- Receipts for the visa and residence permit fees
A Dutch marriage visa usually takes 3 to 6 months to process. When caseloads are heavy, it can take longer.
Cost of a Dutch marriage visa application
At the time of writing the IND fee for a residence permit for stay with a spouse or partner is EUR 254, and the civic integration exam taken abroad carries a separate fee set by the Dutch government, so check the current amount before you book. Case preparation runs from EUR 250 to EUR 350. On top of that, budget for document translation, health insurance and day-to-day living costs. The IND publishes its current fees, and they are reviewed each year, so check them before you file.
The legal steps after the marriage
Anyone seeking Dutch residence through marriage has to complete several legal steps beyond registering the marriage at the city hall. A marriage conducted at a distance, with neither party present, is not accepted by the Dutch authorities, and you must be able to show that the two of you have met in person at least once in the past year.
The central issue in any Dutch marriage visa case is proving the relationship is real. Because residence and eventually citizenship can follow from marriage, the route has been abused in the past, and scrutiny is now heavy. Expect to evidence the relationship thoroughly.
As noted above, the Dutch partner must have enough income to support their spouse and be able to show that living costs are covered.
Benefits of moving to the Netherlands through marriage
This route is simpler and usually faster than the alternatives, and once you arrive in the Netherlands you can work and study legally. Health insurance follows from residence, and after five years of continuous residence you can apply for permanent residence or citizenship. Where you are married to and living with a Dutch national, the naturalisation clock is three years.
Once you naturalise as a Dutch citizen, the following also come with it:
- A Dutch passport
- The right to vote in national and provincial elections
- The right to stand for election
- Eligibility to apply to serve in the armed forces
- Dutch citizenship passed on to your children
- The right to vote in European Parliament elections
- Freedom to travel across the Schengen area and the European Union
Bear in mind that caseloads are heavy, so decisions can be delayed and the authorities may come back for more documents. A gap in any of them puts the application at risk of refusal.
What to know before you apply for residence through marriage
Dutch residence through marriage is a legal, safe and dependable route, provided your partner is a Dutch national or holds a Dutch residence permit and lives in the country.
Meet the conditions, file precise documents, and you can hold Dutch residence while working and studying. If you want guidance on moving to the Netherlands, our team at Aval Visa will review your case and prepare your file with you. Book a consultation and we will tell you where your application stands before you commit to it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Inburgering exam?
The Inburgering, or civic integration exam, is for people who have recently moved to the Netherlands. It tests Dutch language skills, knowledge of the culture and awareness of the country’s laws. You need it to renew your permit and to obtain permanent residence. - What documents prove the financial requirement?
Payslips, receipts for the consular fees, proof of your home (a title deed or rental contract) and evidence that living costs are covered for at least one year. - What if we also want the marriage registered in our home country?
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the Netherlands. Requirements for registering a foreign marriage differ from country to country, so check them before the wedding rather than after.