Permanent residence permit renewal: how to renew your Dutch card

A Dutch permanent residence permit gives you an indefinite right of residence, but the card that proves it has an expiry date. It is usually valid for five years, or ten years for the permanent residence document of an EU citizen, and has to be renewed when it expires. That renewal replaces a document; it is not a new application for a status. The main exception: your right itself can still be lost, for example after a long absence from the Netherlands or the EU, or after a serious criminal conviction.

You apply for the new document to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, IND). On Dutch forms and letters the procedure is called the renewal of the residence document (verlenging verblijfsdocument).

What does renewing a permanent residence permit mean?

It means the IND issues you a new residence card with your current details and a new photo. Your right to live and work in the Netherlands indefinitely stays as it is.

The IND uses this renewal route for five types of permanent residence: the permanent regular residence permit, the EU long-term resident permit (langdurig ingezetene-EU), the permanent asylum residence permit, permanent residence for EU/EEA citizens and their family members, and permanent residence under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The route is broadly the same for all of them.

With permanent residence you may work in the Netherlands without a work permit under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act (Wet arbeid vreemdelingen). You have almost the same rights as a Dutch national, apart from voting in national elections and certain government positions.

How does the renewal differ from extending a temporary permit?

With a temporary permit the IND checks again whether you still meet the conditions for your stay. With a permanent permit that check does not return: your right of residence is already established.

A temporary permit is linked to a purpose, such as work as a highly skilled migrant, study or living with a partner. When you extend it, the IND looks again at your income, employer or relationship. When you renew a permanent document, the IND only checks that you hold an eligible permanent permit and still reside lawfully in the Netherlands.

That does not mean the IND ignores your situation. If it learns during the process that you have moved abroad or have been convicted of a serious offence, it can start a separate withdrawal procedure, with its own decision and its own right of objection.

Can you lose permanent residence?

Yes, but not because the card expires. Permanent residence can end through a long absence or on public order grounds.

Under Article 22 of the Aliens Act 2000 (Vreemdelingenwet 2000, Vw), the IND can withdraw a permanent regular permit if you move your main residence outside the Netherlands. A holiday or a temporary posting abroad does not count. What matters is where the centre of your life is: your home, your work, your registration and your family.

How long can you stay outside the Netherlands?

For a regular permit, the IND assumes you have moved your main residence after more than six consecutive months abroad, or after more than four consecutive months abroad in each of three consecutive years. An absence you did not choose, for example through force majeure, is treated differently.

For the EU long-term resident permit the rules come from Directive 2003/109/EC. You can lose this status after more than twelve consecutive months outside the EU, or after six years of living in another EU country. If you plan a long stay abroad, check first which type of permit you hold.

A serious criminal conviction can also lead to withdrawal. The IND weighs the seriousness of the offence against the length of your lawful stay and your ties to the Netherlands: the longer you have lived here, the heavier the offence must be.

What should you check before you apply?

Check three things: a valid passport, your main residence in the Netherlands and correct details in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen, BRP). Most delays start with one of these.

The IND copies the details from your passport onto the new card, so renew a passport that is about to expire first. The IND also compares your application with the BRP: name, address, date of birth, marital status and passport details must match. Have errors corrected at your municipality (gemeente) before you apply. Our overview of Dutch immigration law shows how the different permits fit together.

Has anything happened, such as a criminal conviction or a long stay abroad, that could affect your status? Then get advice before you submit anything, because a renewal can bring such matters to the IND’s attention.

How do you apply for the new document?

You apply online with DigiD or by post with the IND’s paper form 6013. Online is usually quicker, because you pay straight away and upload your documents as you go.

The IND’s page on renewing a permanent residence document links to the online application and the form. For the online route you need DigiD with SMS verification or the DigiD app. For the postal route you send the signed form with copies of your documents; never send originals.

The IND usually tells you when your card is about to expire, but you remain responsible for applying. Start preparing a few months before the expiry date, so a new passport or a BRP correction does not push you past it.

Which documents do you need?

For a standard renewal you normally need three items. The IND can ask for more, for example if your details have changed or your card was lost.

• the completed application, online or on form 6013;
• a copy of the photo page of your valid passport;
• a copy of the front and back of your current residence card.

What about the fee?

The IND sets the fee and usually adjusts it on 1 January, so check the amount on the IND’s fees page just before you apply. Online you pay immediately with iDEAL or Wero; by post you receive a payment letter, and the IND does not start assessing your application until the fee has been paid.

What happens at the biometrics appointment?

The IND invites you to an IND desk (IND-loket) to take a passport photo, your fingerprints and your signature for the new card. Bring the appointment confirmation, your valid passport and your current residence card.

What happens after you submit the application?

The IND confirms receipt and then assesses your application. Under Article 25 of the Aliens Act 2000 it must decide within 90 days, a period that can be extended in some cases.

The 90 days start once the IND has received your application. If information is missing or the fee is unpaid, the IND asks you to complete the file, which delays the decision. You can follow the status in the My IND portal (Mijn IND) with DigiD.

What if your card expires while you wait?

You keep your right of residence, but you cannot prove it with an expired card. At an IND desk you can have a residence sticker (verblijfssticker) placed in your passport to bridge the gap.

The sticker shows that you have applied and reside lawfully while the IND decides. It also allows you to travel and return to the Schengen area. A printout of your application receipt is not enough at the border, so arrange the sticker before you travel.

How do you collect your new card?

After approval you receive a decision letter and later a letter saying at which IND desk the card is ready. Bring the collection letter, your valid passport and your old card, which you hand in; the new card again carries an expiry date.

What if something goes wrong?

Most problems fall into four groups: a lost or stolen card, a refusal, a delay or incorrect personal data. Each has a clear first step.

What if your application is refused?

You can file an objection (bezwaar) with the IND within four weeks. That is shorter than the usual six weeks under Article 6:7 of the General Administrative Law Act (Awb), because Article 69 of the Aliens Act 2000 sets a shorter term.

A refusal to renew the document is unusual. When it happens, the reason is often a question about your status: the IND believes you have moved your main residence abroad, or it relies on a criminal conviction. If you miss the four-week deadline, the decision in principle becomes final. Our article on an objection or appeal against an IND decision explains the procedure, including the appeal to the administrative court.

What if the IND takes too long?

Once the decision period has passed, you can send the IND a notice of default (ingebrekestelling). If the IND still does not decide within two weeks, you can appeal to the court against the failure to decide.

Since 15 April 2025 the IND no longer owes a penalty payment (dwangsom) for late decisions in immigration cases. The court can still order the IND to decide within a set period, with a penalty for each day it fails to do so.

What should you check as a permit holder?

• Note the expiry date on your card and start preparing a few months before it.
• Check that your passport stays valid during the 90-day decision period.
• Check your name, address and marital status in the BRP at your municipality.
• Count your stays abroad: more than six consecutive months can put a permanent regular permit at risk.
• Arrange a residence sticker before you travel if your card expires while you wait.
• Extend the temporary permits of family members separately; they do not follow your renewal.

What should you check as an employer?

• Under the Wav, keep a copy of the employee’s valid residence document in your records.
• Ask for a copy of the new card as soon as the employee collects it.
• If the card expires during the procedure, accept the residence sticker or the IND’s pending letters as proof.
• Record the expiry date of the card in your HR system and remind the employee a few months in advance.

What can we do for you with the renewal of your permanent residence permit?

Our immigration lawyers assist permit holders, families and employers in IND procedures.

• We check before you apply whether your stays abroad or a conviction could affect your permanent residence.
• We prepare and check your renewal application and the supporting documents.
• We send the IND a notice of default when the 90-day period has passed.
• We draft the objection (bezwaar) and file it with the IND within the four-week deadline.
• We respond on your behalf when the IND announces that it intends to withdraw your permanent residence.

Summary

• Your permanent right of residence is indefinite; only the card expires, normally after five years.
• Renewal replaces the document and does not reassess the purpose of your stay.
• Check your passport, your main residence and your BRP data before you apply.
• The IND must decide within 90 days; a residence sticker bridges the gap if your card expires.
• After a refusal you have four weeks to object; a long absence or a serious conviction can put your status at risk.

Frequently asked questions