If you are planning to lodge an application with the Dutch immigration authority soon, read this first.

On this page:

• Authorisation for temporary stay (MVV)
• Regular temporary residence permits without MVV or a modification/restriction
• Regular temporary residence permits with MVV
• Permanent residence permits
• Residence permit extension
• Proof of lawful residence in the EU/EEA
• WHP,WHS or YWEP residence permits
• Residence permit for persons returning to the Netherlands

Reactions

• What the immigration service (IND) says
• What the professionals say
• What expats think

Fee changes

Overview current and new administration fees as of July 1st 2005
(Source IND)

Authorisation for temporary stay (MVV)

The current tariff is changing from EUR 50 on 1 July 2005:

• to stay with a family member or a relative  EUR 830
• to enter employment or work as a self-employed person  EUR 433 
• to study  EUR 433 
• to stay as an au pair or as part of an exchange programme  EUR 433 
• to stay as an adopted or foster child  EUR 331 
• to visit family/relatives  EUR 830 
• short-term authorisation (study, work, exchange)  EUR 250 
• other purposes of stay  EUR 331 
• for accompanying family members  EUR 188

Verdict: Everyone who requires an MVV will end up paying substantially more after 1 July.

Regular temporary residence permits without MVV or a modification/restriction

The current fee is EUR 430 or EUR 285 for applicants under the age of 12. From 1 July the following tariffs will apply:

• to stay with a family member or a relative  EUR 830
• to enter employment or work as a self-employed person EUR 433 
• to study  EUR 433 
• to stay as an adopted or foster child  EUR 331 
• to stay as an au pair or as part of an exchange programme via a private organisation  EUR 433 
• to visit family/relatives  EUR 830 
• other purposes of stay  EUR 331 
• for accompanying family members  EUR 188

  Fees go up, fees go down but the prize is the same

Verdict: Applications for accompanying family members will cost EUR 100 less after 1 July as will applications for adopted or fostered children as well as people coming for "other purposes". Adults coming to stay with a family members or a relative will pay substantially more.

Regular temporary residence permits with MVV

The current tariff is EUR 430 or EUR 285 for under 12s. On 1 July both fees drop to EUR 188

Verdict: Everyone in this category wins, but only if the applications are lodged on or after 1 July.

Permanent residence permits

The current tariff of EUR 890 drops to EUR 201 

Verdict: Only someone with too much money on their hands would lodge before 1 July.

Residence permit extension

The current tariff is EUR 285; this changes on 1 July to:

• extending your residence permit  EUR 188 
• extending the residence permit of a family member  EUR 52 
• extending a student's residence permit  EUR 52 

Verdict: Everyone benefits after 1 July

Proof of lawful residence in the EU/EEA

The current tariff of EUR 28 goes up to EUR 30

Verdict: Two euros more won't break the bank.

WHP,WHS or YWEP residence permits

The current tariff of EUR 28 goes up to EUR 30 

Verdict: same as above

Residence permit for persons returning to the Netherlands

The current tariff of EUR 28 climbs to EUR 30

Verdict: ditto

What the immigration service says

The new administration fees will come into force on 1 July 2005, including the reduced tariff for extending a residence permit. If a foreign national decides to submit the extension request to the IND before 1 July 2005, he or she will pay the current tariff, even if the document does not expire until after 1 July.

The starting point in this is, the IND says, that costs incurred by the IND when processing applications are charged via the administration fees. The research yielded a detailed overview of the cost structure for several types of applications for residence permits. This has lead to different administration fees for the various application procedures of the IND.

The principles underlying the fees, the IND says, are six-fold:

1. The foreign national will never pay more for the application than the processing costs
2. The fees for residence permits will be index-linked on an annual basis
3. The costs of registering complaints and appeals are not included in the fees
4. Family member applications are subject to lower tariffs. A family member is taken to be any person applying for residence with the main person (sponsor) at the same time as this main person or if several persons apply at the same time for residence with a person already residing in the Netherlands.
5. Highly skilled migrants (knowledge migrants) pay a reduced tariff
6. There is no separate tariff for the less wealthy, the poor or children under the age of 12

What the professionals say

Lawyer Jelle Kroes of immigration lawyers Everaert Advocaten notes that some applicants will benefit significantly from the fee changes, while others should think of lodging before the end of June to avoid the impending increases. The firm has not as yet received feedback on the fee changes from its clients. But Kroes acknowledges some of the increases are significant.

Immigration lawyer Patrick Rovers of the firm Van Velzen notes that if a person is not from a EU country and is coming to the Netherlands for family reunification the MVV and residence permit would cost EUR 1,018 on or after 1 July.

In addition, if and when the Immigration Ministry gets its integration exams up and running, the applicant may be faced with a EUR 350 charge for the compulsory integration exam and the EUR 50 cost of the integration introduction packet.

The total cost in that case would be EUR 1,418 as opposed to the current total of EUR 480 for MVV and residence permit.

What expats think

And what do expats feel about all this? Tell us by writing to the editor

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Moving to the Netherlands, Dutch immigration, IND, residence permits