Immigration to the Netherlands

[Rick Rodriguez]

Introducing the Kingdom of the Netherlands which can be described as the most densely populated country in the whole European Union (EU) despite being a rather small country. It is located between Belgium and Germany in Western Europe. It has a population of 17 283 008 as recorded in 2018. The total GDP is 1,019 trillion USD.The Official language of the Netherlands is Dutch. The largest city is Amsterdam. The official currency of the country is Euro (EUR).

The Netherlands is a founding member of the Eurozone, EU, G10, OECD, NATO and WTO, as well as a part of the trilateral Benelux Union and Schengen Area. The country governs a few intergovernmental organizations, international courts, which altogether provides numerous benefits for its residents.

The Netherlands currently offers a legal residency program, allowing a direct path to citizenship or residence permit with no residency requirements for individuals and their families, provided the applicants are capable to make a financial contribution to the country’s government. If entering the country for a short stay, a certain type of visa will be required for the third-country nationals.

The Immigration and Citizenship Office is responsible for immigration services in the Netherlands, which are provided through at their local municipality (gemeente) and at the Dutch embassy or consulate. There are several different legal documents in the Netherlands, granting its holder temporary or permanent rights of immigration: short stay visa, temporary residence permit, provisional residence permit, EU Blue Card. There are many different reasons for seeking residence in the Netherlands. Therefore, it is essential to choose the purpose that best fits your situation as this influences which permit application you select and submit. There are also certain benefits while having criteria for its acquisition. However, citizens of EU / EEA countries, as well as Switzerland do not need a residence permit to work and live in the Netherlands. Although, expats from the before mentioned countries are not required to register with the IND.