Netherlands partner and family reunification visa

Under the Association Agreement, Turkish employees can bring a spouse or registered partner if both are at least 18, children under 21 (older if dependent) and dependent parents or grandparents. Family members of Turkish citizens pay reduced fees, and after three years living with a Turkish worker they can obtain an independent residence permit.

Both partners must be 21 or older, or 18 if you were already married while living outside the Netherlands. The sponsor must have sufficient, independent and lasting income: EUR 2,337 a month without holiday allowance from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Minor children can join a parent under separate conditions.

The sponsor must be Dutch or hold a valid Dutch permit, but holders of au pair, working holiday, cultural exchange, work experience, seasonal work and seafarer permits cannot sponsor a partner. A sponsor who must complete civic integration generally needs one year of lawful residence first, unless the partner’s arrival is in the interest of minor children. After arrival you live together and register at the same address, and the sponsor carries information and record-keeping duties that the IND can enforce with fines.

The partner must pass the civic integration exam abroad, a test of Dutch language and society, before the MVV application, unless exempt. Türkiye is not on the list of exempt nationalities; exemptions exist for example for medical reasons or certain diplomas. You register with DUO and take the exam at a Dutch mission or external provider; results come within eight weeks and are valid for one year.

If you fail a section you register again and pay only for that section; passed sections remain valid until you pass the whole exam. Diploma exemptions, for example a Dutch-taught MBO, HAVO, VWO or university diploma, are claimed with form 7606 and certified copies. A medical dispensation runs through a doctor assigned by the embassy, whom you pay; the medical form must not be older than six months.

The sponsor applies for the MVV and residence permit together, or the partner applies at a Dutch mission. Everyone over 12 completes the antecedents certificate, and the partner takes a tuberculosis test within three months unless exempt.

Online, the sponsor applies through the IND eForms with DigiD and pays at once; on paper, married or registered partners use form B07001E and unmarried partners B07002E. Book the MVV appointment as the mission and the IND letter instruct; scheduling can take some time. Bring a passport valid six more months with two blank pages, a Dutch-standard photo and a copy of the IND letter with your V-number. Do not use intermediaries.

After a positive IND decision you book an appointment within three months at the Dutch embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence to have the MVV sticker placed; the MVV is valid for 90 days. After arrival you register with the municipality (BRP) to receive a citizen service number (BSN) and collect your residence document at an IND desk.

If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, register with the municipality in the Personal Records Database (BRP) within five days of arrival; you then receive your citizen service number (BSN), and late registration can be fined. If the IND asked for a tuberculosis test, book it with the GGD within three months of receiving the permit and bring form 7604.

If the IND refuses the application you can lodge an objection (bezwaar) with the IND within the period stated in the decision, and then appeal to the court. The IND decision letter explains the steps.