Family reunification and family formation
Step-by-step plans (4)
Apply for asylum family reunification (post-travel) within 3 months of your residence permit
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In this step-by-step plan, you can read how to apply for post-travel family reunification. You must do this within 3 months after you receive your asylum residence permit.
Family reunification with siblings and other relatives (Art. 8 ECHR)
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As an adult, do you want your (foster) parents to come to the Netherlands? Or your brothers, sisters, adult children or other dependent relatives? If so, you can apply for family reunification on the basis of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In this step-by-step plan you can read how this works.
Apply for family reunification more than 3 months after you have received your residence permit
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In principle, you must apply for post-travel family reunification within 3 months after you have received a residence permit. Is that not possible? Then just apply for family reunification after 3 months anyway. The IND is less strict about this as of December 2025. If you do not qualify for family reunification, the IND will let you know. You can then apply for family reunification according to the step-by-step plan below.
Family formation
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Are you a status holder or Dutch citizen and do you have a partner abroad? And do you want to bring your partner to the Netherlands? If so, you can apply to live together in the Netherlands. This is called family formation. This step-by-step plan tells you how to apply for family formation and what you need to arrange.
Information
These are the various application options to bring your relatives or family to the Netherlands
Moving after family reunification
After family reunification, you may be able to get your own residence permit
Divorce in the Netherlands if you have an asylum residence permit
In these special situations, the IND processes applications for family reunification more quickly
This is what you can do if the IND is late in deciding your asylum case
Here is how to find free or affordable legal support in the Netherlands
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