Step 1: Extend or renew your residence permit
Check your residence permit card to see whether your residence permit is temporary (type I or III) or permanent (type II or IV). Then select your situation to see whether you need to extend your residence permit or simply renew the card.
If your temporary residence permit has expired, apply to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to have it extended. Visit the IND website for information about the requirements and application process.
Find out how to extend your temporary residence permit
The application process can take up to 90 days. Check step 2 to see whether you need a visa to return to the Netherlands.
If you are a student, highly skilled migrant or academic researcher, you cannot apply for an extension yourself. Your employer or educational institution must apply to the IND on your behalf.
A permanent residence permit has an expiration date, but this only means you have to renew the card itself. Make sure you do this before the date on the card. You can choose not to do this. But it is a good idea to do it, because a bank, mortgage lender, mobile phone provider, driving school or other organisation may ask to see a valid residence permit.
Go to the IND website to find out how to renew your permanent residence permit and what the requirements are. You can do this from outside the Netherlands, or after you return to the Netherlands.
Step 2: Check whether you need a visa on the basis of your nationality
If you are a national of one of the countries on the list below, you will need a visa to return to the Netherlands. First check whether your country is on the list. then select your situation to see what applies to you.
A
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
B
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina (only if you do not have a biometric passport)
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
C
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Côte d’Ivoire
Cuba
D
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
F
Fiji
G
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
H
Haiti
I
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
J
Jamaica
Jordan
K
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
L
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
M
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Mongolia
Mozambique
Myanmar
N
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
O
Oman
P
Pakistan
Palestinian Territories, the
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Q
Qatar
R
Russia
Rwanda
S
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
T
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
U
Uganda
Uzbekistan
V
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Y
Yemen
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
If you are not a national of one of the countries on the list, you do not need a visa to travel to the Netherlands.
Contact your airline to find out what documents you need for your return trip to the Netherlands. You do not need to read the rest of this page.
If you are a national of one of the countries on the list, you need a visa. But in some situations you may be able to travel without a visa. Go to step 3 to check whether you need a visa to return to the Netherlands.
Step 3: Check whether you need a visa in your situation
If you are travelling from a country in the Schengen area, you may not need a visa to return to the Netherlands. Check if the country you are in is in the Schengen area, then select your situation to see what applies to you.
I am travelling by car, bus or train
There are no border controls inside the Schengen area. You can return to the Netherlands without a visa. It does not matter whether you are a national of a country whose nationals normally require a visa.
I am travelling by plane
Contact the airline to ask whether you can travel to the Netherlands without a visa.
If not, you will need an entry visa to return to the Netherlands. An entry visa shows that you have a residence permit and are allowed to travel to the Netherlands. You can show it to the airline or at border control if you are asked for it.
You will need an entry visa to return to the Netherlands. An entry visa shows that you have a residence permit and are allowed to travel to the Netherlands. You can show it to the airline or at border control if you are asked for it.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.