Netherlands Shuts Permanent Residency Route for 1 Category Of Foreigners
- The Netherlands introduced sweeping changes to its asylum system, following the activation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum
- Asylum seekers granted residence permits can no longer apply for permanent asylum residency under the new rules
- Those who already held a permanent asylum residence permit before the cutoff date retain their status and are not affected by the change
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The Netherlands has closed the permanent residency route for asylum seekers, following new European immigration rules.
The changes, published by the Netherlands Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), came into force as part of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Source: UGC
Under the new framework, asylum seekers who receive a residence permit from that date onwards will no longer be able to apply for a permanent asylum residence permit, a status that was previously attainable after several years of legal residence.
What Has Changed for Asylum Holders
Asylum residence permits issued under the new rules will now be valid for three years at a time, after which holders must apply for renewal.
Importantly, the IND has clarified that the start date printed on a renewed residence card will show June 12, 2026, not the original date on which the applicant first received a permit in the Netherlands.
The IND confirmed, however, that existing rights and obligations remain unchanged for permit holders.
Those who already held a permanent asylum residence permit before June 12, 2026 are protected under a transitional provision and will keep their status.
For asylum seekers who filed their applications before the new rules came into force, the IND confirmed that their cases will still be processed under the older procedure rather than the revised one.
Decision Timelines and Family Reunification
The new asylum procedure also sets clearer timeframes for decisions. Under the standard process, applicants can expect a decision within six months.
For those in the accelerated procedure, which applies to nationals from countries classified as safe, the timeframe is three months.
Separately, the rules around family reunification have also shifted. The IND stated that it is temporarily pausing decisions on certain family reunification applications while the new requirements are assessed and implemented.
Asylum seekers who have lived in the Netherlands for at least five years with a valid residence permit may still be eligible to apply for a long-term EU residents' permit, which offers a different route to more stable legal status in the country.
Netherlands publishes guidance on work permit
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Netherlands published the full list of countries whose nationals are free to work in the country under specific conditions.
Citizens of European Economic Area member states and Switzerland fall under the exemption, covering 30 countries in total.
Source: Legit.ng
