Do you need a Dutch residence permit? EU vs non-EU (2026)

The first question every newcomer asks. The answer depends almost entirely on your nationality and how long you're staying.

If you're an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

You have free movement. You don't need a residence permit and don't need a work permit to live and work in the Netherlands. You can start a job or a business freely. You should still register with your municipality (BRP) when you settle — that's how you get a BSN and access services — but that's registration, not immigration permission. Family members from outside the EU may have their own requirements.

If you're a non-EU citizen

It comes down to length of stay:

• Up to 90 days: you may need a short-stay (Schengen) visa, depending on your nationality. Some nationalities are visa-exempt for short visits.
• Longer than 90 days / coming to live here: you'll generally need a residence permit, and often an MVV first.

What's an MVV?

An MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, provisional residence visa) is a special entry visa that lets you travel to the Netherlands to collect your residence permit. Whether you need one depends on your nationality — citizens of countries like the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and several others are MVV-exempt, and if you already hold a residence permit from another Schengen country you usually don't need one either. For most other nationalities, the recognised sponsor (usually your employer) applies for the MVV and residence permit together in one procedure (TEV).

Permits come by purpose

There's no single "residence permit" — you apply for one tied to a purpose of stay: work (such as the highly skilled migrant permit), study, family reunification, self-employment, and so on. Each purpose has its own conditions, and your permit states what you're allowed to do — including whether you may work and whether a work permit is required (see work authorisation).

A few things to keep in mind

• Your permit has an expiry date and conditions; you must tell the IND (the immigration service) about relevant changes (job, address, relationship).
• Time on a valid permit counts toward permanent residence and naturalisation later.
• Always confirm the current requirements for your nationality on IND.nl — they genuinely differ country by country.

Working here? Start with the highly skilled migrant permit. Bringing a partner or family? That's a separate family permit — check IND.nl.

Verified against IND.nl (2026). DutchNewcomer provides information, not immigration advice — confirm your nationality's rules with the IND or an immigration lawyer.