Brexit and your right of residence

It is official. On January 31st 2020 the UK left the EU. There is a transition period from February 1st 2020 up to and including December 31st 2020. During this transition period you can continue to live, work and study in the Netherlands, however after the transition period you will need a residence document in order to stay in the Netherlands.

The following information applies to UK nationals and family members of UK nationals who do not have nationality of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland.

What you should already arrange

1. Be sure you are registered in the BRP at your local town hall; the IND will be using the BRP to send out invites. If you are not sure whether you are registered in the BRP you can check on mijn.overheid.nl. Additionally, if you have not received any correspondence from the IND during January / February 2020, this is a sign you are NOT registered in the BRP and need to check.
3. You will need a DigiD to log in and submit your residence document. If you do not yet have a DigiD you can apply for one on digid.nl
4. Open a Dutch bank account. When you complete your application you will need to pay the fee (see below for more information) for your residence permit and this can only be done using iDeal.
5. Register on mijn.overheid.nl to receive post digitally; this will help ensure you receive your invitation to apply as well as any further correspondence from the IND as soon as it is available.
6. Check that your current passport is valid.

Residence document

If you wish to continue to live in the Netherlands after the transition period you will require a residence document.

An adult residence document costs €58 and a child residence document costs €31. The period of validity of the residence document is 5 years (if you have lived in the NL continuously for less than 5 years) and 10 years (if you have lived the in NL continuously for more than 5 years), after which time you would need to renew it if you wish to remain in the Netherlands.

Applying for a residence document

During the transition period the IND will send you a letter inviting you to apply online for your residence document. To avoid delays, you should submit your application within 28 days. You can apply for yourself and family members together.

After you have submitted your application, you will need to make an appointment at an IND desk or expat centre to register your biometrics. The IND will then process your application and let you know the outcome within 90 days. If you are approved you can collect your residence document at an IND desk. Unfortunately, you can only collect your card at an IND desk, NOT an expat centre.

Conditions

The following general conditions apply when applying for a residence document.

• You have been living with a right of residence in the Netherlands during the transition period
• You have a valid passport
• You are carrying out real and actual work as an employee or self-employed person
• If you are not an employee or self-employed person: you have standard health insurance and sufficient resources to be able to support yourself (and your family members)
• You are not a threat to the public order

UK nationals who already have an EU residence permit

If you already have an EU permanent residence permit you will be contacted by the IND to exchange your residence document for a new permanent Dutch residence document. You do not need to apply online, but will need to visit a IND desk to exchange documents free of charge.

For more details and answers to questions visit the IND website at ind.nl/Brexit or contact the IWCN.