Step 1: File a police report
Report the loss or theft of your residence permit to the local police. You will need a copy of the report when you apply for a new residence permit in the Netherlands.
You will need a police report in Dutch, English, French or German.
If the report is issued in any other language, have it translated by a sworn translator in the Netherlands or abroad. Translations made outside the Netherlands must be legalised.
Find out how to have foreign documents legalised for use in the Netherlands
If you find your residence permit after reporting it lost or stolen, it will no longer be valid. In this case, you must return it to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
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, then you do not need a visa to return to the Netherlands.
When you arrive in the Netherlands, border control may contact the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to confirm that you have right of residence in the Netherlands.
Go to step 4.
If you are a national of one of the countries on the list, then 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 doesn’t 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 your residence permit.
If not, you will need an entry visa. 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.
Step 4: Apply for a replacement residence permit
After you return to the Netherlands, apply to the IND for a replacement residence permit.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.