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Family reunification

Family reunification

If you have an asylum residence permit and want to reunite with family members, you can ask to have your family members come over to the Netherlands. This is called family reunification. On this page you can read about family reunification.

Step-by-step plans (3)

Apply for family reunification within 3 months of your residence permit

5 Steps

This step-by-step plan tells you how to apply for family reunification. This must be done within 3 months after you receive your residence permit. This is officially called 'gezinshereniging nareis asiel' (asylum family reunification post-entry).

Conditions for family reunification in the Netherlands

Collecting and translating documents for family reunification

Applying for family reunification with the IND

Waiting for the decision on your application for family reunification

This is what you arrange when your family member comes to the Netherlands

Apply for family reunification 3 months after you received your residence permit

5 Steps

Have you not applied for family reunification within 3 months after you received a residence permit for asylum? Then you can apply for family reunification through the regular family reunification procedure. Read in this step-by-step plan how this procedure goes.

Conditions for regular family reunification

Collecting and translating documents for family reunification

Applying for family reunification with the IND for your family members

Waiting for the decision on your application for family reunification

This is what you arrange when your family member comes to the Netherlands

Family reunification with your parents, siblings or adult children

6 Steps

Do you want your (foster) parents, brothers, sisters or adult children to come to the Netherlands? If so, you can apply for family reunification through a law called 8 ECHR. This step-by-step plan tells you how it works.

Requirements for family reunification with your parents, siblings or adult children

Cost of applying for family reunification with your parents, siblings or adult children

Collecting and translating documents for family reunification

Applying for family reunification with the IND

Waiting for the IND's decision

This is what you arrange when your family member comes to the Netherlands

Information

Article

Moving after family reunification

If your family members come to the Netherlands and you have a home that is too small to live in together, the municipality will arrange another home for you. In this article you can read how this works.

A married man and woman finally see each other again after family reunification.

Article

After family reunification, you may be able to get your own residence permit

Did you come to the Netherlands because your family member applied for family reunification for you? Then you will not receive your own residence permit, but a residence permit linked to that of your family member. You can apply for your own permit. You can read more about it on this page.

Article

Divorce in the Netherlands if you have an asylum residence permit

Do you want a divorce from your partner? You can get divorced in the Netherlands, but how that works depends on your personal situation. Divorce can, for example, have consequences for your residence permit and your stay in the Netherlands. Read here how divorce works.

2 people hug each other at an airport after family reunification.

Article

In these special situations, the IND processes applications for family reunification more quickly

Do you want to apply for family reunification for family members who are still abroad? If so, it often takes a long time for the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to make a decision. In some special situations the IND can process your application faster. This article explains how that works.

Article

Here is what you can do if the IND is late in deciding

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) must decide on your application in time. If this does not happen, you can officially ask the IND to make a decision within 2 weeks. This is called 'in gebreke stellen' (notice of default).

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