Residence permit
This page contains information on the residence permit. It lists the requirements and explains how the application procedure works. It provides an overview of the different purposes of stay including the highly skilled migrants and researcher under the EC regulation 2005/71, also know as the scientific visa package.
For whom?
Depending on your nationality, you might need to obtain a residence permit if you wish to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days. The Dutch term is verblijfsvergunning regulier, which is abbreviated to "VVR". Check our visa wizard to find out if you need a residence permit, and if you must first obtain a provisional residence permit.
What is it?
The residence permit is a plastic card the size of a credit card. This card serves as proof of your identity, nationality and lawful residence in the Netherlands.
Your residence permit allows you to enter and exit the Netherlands and travel through the Schengen area. Your stay in other Schengen countries is limited to a maximum period of 90 days. If you intend to stay longer, you must comply with the immigration regulations of the country in question.
You may need to travel outside the Netherlands before you receive your residence permit. If you entered the country on a provisional residence permit, this should not be a problem as long as no more than 90 days have elapsed from the first date of entry.
Purpose of stay
A residence permit is always issued for one particular purpose of stay. There are four purposes of stay relevant for researchers and or academic staff:
- Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrantenregeling)
- Scientific researcher under EC Directive 2005/71 - the transposition of the EC scientific visa into Dutch legislation
- Unpaid scientific researcher (onbezoldigde wetenschapper)
- Guest lecturer
It might be that only one purpose of stay applies to you. In other cases, it may be possible to choose between two different options. If you entered the Netherlands on a provisional residence permit, the purpose of stay must be the same.
Every purpose of stay comes with a different set of conditions and advantages. A work permit is required for some purposes, for example. Sometimes minimum salary requirements apply and bringing in family members is not always easy. Our section on purposes of stay will tell you all about the pros and cons of each option.
More information
Read more information on how to apply for a residence permit and what documents you need.
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