EU expats exempted from residence permit

12 March 2004

AMSTERDAM — From July 2005, expats from European Union countries will no longer have to apply for a residence permit to live and work in the Netherlands.

A new EU law approved by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday means that EU expats living in the Netherlands will simply have to register with the local authorities when they move to the country.

But they will also need to prove they have the means to support themselves while living here. EU expat students will also be exempted from having to obtain a residence permit.

The European Parliament directive is expected to be officially signed into law by the end of the parliament’s session in May 2004.

EU member states will then need to change their domestic legislation within two years of the directive coming into law. This means that in most cases the directive will not take effect until 2006.

The new residence rights will also be valid for the family members of EU nationals who move to another EU member state, a European Parliament press release said.

The law has widened the definition of family members from the original proposal to include a registered partner if the host state treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage.

But other amendments were not accepted by the Council of the European Union such as recognising the same-sex marriage in accordance with the legislation of some EU member states.

The EU directive will not only apply to the Netherlands but will be valid across the entire European Union, which will be made up of 25 countries from May 2004.

The rules will not apply to non-EU expats such as US or Japanese citizens.

Subject: Dutch news