What an MVV is and who needs one
A provisional residence permit, known in Dutch as a machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf (MVV), is an entry visa sticker placed directly into your passport. This Type D visa allows you to travel to the Netherlands to collect your regular residence card. The visa is personal. Only the named passport holder can travel on it. Because the MVV is a multiple-entry visa valid across the Schengen Area, you can transit through other Schengen member states or leave and re-enter while it remains valid before collecting your residence card.
Your nationality determines whether you need an entry visa before relocating. Citizens of specific countries do not need an MVV:
- Australia, Canada, Japan, and Monaco
- New Zealand, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, and the United States
- South Korea and Switzerland
- Any EU or EEA member state
You also qualify for an MVV exemption under specific legal scenarios set out on the IND MVV exemptions page. For example, you do not need an MVV if you hold a valid Dutch residence permit, or if you held one that expired less than two years ago while you continued living in the country. Family members joining an EU, EEA, or Swiss national living in the Netherlands can also skip the MVV under European law.
The TEV procedure: your partner in the Netherlands applies
The standard route to bring a partner or child to the country is the combined application for entry and residence, known as the Toegang en Verblijf (TEV) procedure. Through this single procedure, you apply for the MVV and the residence permit simultaneously rather than running two separate processes. Your sponsor in the Netherlands usually submits this request directly to the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND).
If you do not have a sponsor in the Netherlands, you must start the application yourself from your country of origin or continuous residence. You must book an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate using Netherlandsworldwide, as explained on the IND application from abroad page. Bring your valid passport, a passport photo, and completed forms. Staff at the diplomatic post will register your application date, take your biometric details—including fingerprints and your digital signature—and issue a receipt containing your personal V-number.
Two critical three-week deadlines follow that initial embassy appointment:
- Post your completed application file and supporting records to the IND in the Netherlands within three weeks of the registered date.
- Pay the mandatory application fee to the IND within three weeks of that same embassy appointment date.
If you miss either deadline, your application will not proceed.
The income requirement for the sponsor
Your sponsor in the Netherlands must demonstrate sufficient independent income to support you before the IND approves your family reunification application. This calculation relies on the gross social security wage, known in Dutch as the sociaalverzekeringsloon (sv-loon), which appears on your sponsor's monthly Dutch payslip. This amount represents gross pay after deducting statutory social security contributions.
The required amounts are updated every six months by the Dutch government. For applications submitted between 1 July 2026 and 31 December 2026, the gross monthly sv-loon standards for family permits are:
- Partner applications: €2,337.00 without holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including holiday allowance
- Single parents bringing a child: €1,635.90 without holiday allowance, or €1,766.77 including holiday allowance
When a single parent sponsors both their partner and their child simultaneously, the IND applies the higher couple threshold rather than the single-parent figure. Always verify the current minimums directly on the IND income requirements page before lodging your dossier.
The civic integration exam abroad
Before you can apply for an MVV to join a partner in the Netherlands, you must first pass the Basisexamen inburgering buitenland (civic integration exam abroad). This test measures foundational Dutch language skills and cultural knowledge. You register with the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) via the registration form and sit the exam at a Dutch embassy, consulate, or designated external examination site.
DUO issues the exam results by email within eight weeks as a PDF statement. If you pass every part, include this result with your MVV application. Your passing result remains valid for exactly one year, meaning you must lodge the MVV dossier before that year expires or retake the entire exam. If you fail an individual component, you can re-register and pay to re-sit only that specific section while your passed parts remain valid.
Certain applicants do not have to take this pre-entry exam, as outlined on the IND civic integration abroad page. Exemptions apply if:
- You are under 18 years old or have reached the Dutch state pension age (AOW).
- You hold citizenship from an MVV-exempt country such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, or an EU member state.
- You hold an accepted qualification, such as an NT2 diploma or another qualification the IND lists.
- A recognised physician certifies a serious medical condition that permanently prevents you from taking the exam.
Fees and the IND decision period
Every family migration application requires an upfront processing fee that you must pay to the IND. Under the official fee schedule, a first residence permit application to stay with a family member or partner costs €254.00. For a minor child joining their parents, the fee is €85.00. These charges are administrative and non-refundable, even if your request is subsequently refused.
Plan ahead carefully.
The statutory decision period for regular entry and residence applications is set by Dutch law at 90 days. The countdown begins once the IND receives your complete dossier and payment. If the statutory deadline ends on a weekend or public holiday, it moves to the following working day. You can review standard handling times on the IND decision periods page.
After arrival: collecting the residence document, registering and inburgering
Once the IND approves your file, you travel to the Netherlands on your MVV visa sticker to start your legal residence. If your biometric data was not recorded abroad, you will receive an IND letter instructing you to book an appointment at an IND desk. The IND captures your digital photo, fingerprints, and signature at this visit, as described on the IND biometrics appointment page.
Next, you must register your address at your local gemeente (municipality) within your first days in the country. The municipality enters your details into the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) and issues your citizen service number, known as the burgerservicenummer (BSN). You need this BSN to arrange mandatory Dutch health insurance (zorgverzekering) and register with a local huisarts (GP). Following registration, immigrants subject to integration obligations begin their domestic integration course through DUO, tracking their formal timeline via the official inburgeren site.
What the KNM exam asks about this
The Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij (KNM) exam evaluates how well you understand Dutch public administration and civic procedures. Under the theme Instanties, a question may present a scenario involving an immigrant sponsoring family members. It may ask whether you know that family reunification requires a minimum income, that you register with the municipality, and that residence documents have a limited validity. Knowing which agency handles permits (IND) and which manages civil registration (gemeente) helps you navigate these exam questions quickly.