Aliens who have family in the Netherlands who hold Dutch nationality or have a residence permit can apply for family reunification.
Family reunification in the Netherlands extends to spouses, registered partners, unmarried partners and minor children.
For minor children with a residence permit, it is possible under certain circumstances for the parents to come to the Netherlands in the context of family reunification. Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (ECHR) plays an important part in this.
The Aliens’ Act (Vreemdelingenwet) and IND policy lay down the conditions for family reunification in the Netherlands.
These conditions include:
- The family member in the Netherlands must earn at least a certain statutory minimum monthly wage (excluding holiday pay). These amounts are set out on the IND website. At the time when the application for family reunification is submitted, the employment contract must have a term of at least 1 more year.
- Documents such as the marriage certificate and birth certificates are also important for family reunification. At the time of the application, these documents, which must be authenticated, may not be older than 6 months.
- Most aliens who wish to come to the Netherlands in the context of family reunification will have to pass a civic integration examination. Aliens from some countries, including Turkey, the United States and EU countries are not required to take this exam. The Standard Exam Civic Integration from Abroad tests whether the alien has a basic knowledge of the Dutch language and society. You can find more information on this on the website naarnederland.nl.