Foreigners moving to the Netherlands to work, follow an education, or join their partners or families will have to pay higher fees for their residence permits as of 1 July. The fees are going up to make them more cost-effective. The measure does not affect the first application of knowledge migrants.

The above is the gist of a letter Immigration Gerd Leers sent to parliament on Monday. A temporary residence permit Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf, or MVV will become between 50 euros and 600 euros more expensive depending on the purpose of the applicant’s stay in the Netherlands. The fees for a permanent resident permit for foreigners who entered the country on an MVV will go up by 112 euros, with the above-mentioned exception of highly skilled immigrants.

The fees for foreigners who do not need an MVV, such as Canadians, Japanese and US citizens, will go up by 62 euros to 600 euros. The current family discount will continue to exist.

The higher fees are to yield 18 million euros a year, covering about two-thirds of actual costs. Minister Leers wants to further increase cost-effectiveness, but will also cut costs at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service IND.

The current exemptions for victims of people trafficking and for relatives of refugees who enter the Netherlands within three months after the person in question obtained refugee status will also be continued.