The conditions

  • Five consecutive years of lawful residence here, with a valid permit throughout.
  • Your current permit serves a purpose that counts as lasting (non-temporary).
  • Sufficient and stable income when you apply.
  • A passed civic integration examination at level A2 or above, or an exemption from it.
  • Registration in the population register of your municipality.
  • Absences kept within the limits: staying outside the country for more than six consecutive months breaks the continuity.

Which years count

Years on a work permit, as skilled staff, as a business owner or through family reunification count in full. Years on a study permit count for half. Several purposes are left out of the count, because they are temporary:

  • Transfers within a group.
  • The orientation year for graduates.
  • Cross-border service provision.
  • Seasonal work, on-the-job learning, exchange and au pair arrangements.

If your first years here fall under one of these purposes, switch to another permit type in time. See the year after graduating and the transfer permit.

The language examination

The examination at level A2 tests everyday Dutch and knowledge of Dutch society, at a level for daily life. Exemptions apply, for instance for holders of certain Dutch diplomas. Book the examination early. Waiting lists can take months, and your application is only complete with this result.

The application

After five years, you can apply at any moment, also long before your current permit expires. The fee for an adult is €254, and the service has six months to decide. You may stay here while the decision is pending.

The European long-term residence permit

Alongside the Dutch permanent permit is the European long-term residence permit, which gives rights in other member states. The service checks both when you apply and grants whichever matches. There are exceptions to the five-year rule for defined groups, including holders of the European permit for highly qualified staff who spent part of those years elsewhere in the Union.

You can arrange the notary, the KVK registration and the VAT number from abroad. See setting up a BV in the Netherlands.

Your company and your residence permit

We arrange both. We set up your company: the entity, the salary and the tax position. An immigration lawyer from our network prepares your residence application and files it with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The lawyer follows the case law and the forms every week. We plan the company and the application together, so your company meets what the IND asks for.

Want the company and the permit arranged together? See how we work with immigration lawyers and other partners.