Applying for a long-stay visa (MVV) for residents of Iraq

Have you received the acceptance letter of the IND for family reunification as a refugee? Then please send an email to the consulate-general in Erbil with the following details of the applicant(s):

• Name (first and surname as they appear in passport)
• V number
• The date of the IND’s approval in the subject line as well as in the content

Take the following documents to your appointment:

• The MVV issue form for family reunification as a refugee.
• Your passport and a photocopy of the personal details page.
  Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months and have at least 2 blank pages.
• If you live in a country of which you are not a national: your valid visa or residence permit (or equivalent) and a photocopy of the visa or residence permit.
• A photo that meets Dutch requirements.
• A copy of the letter stating that your application has been approved.
• Your alien registration number (V number).
• All other documents listed in the letter from the IND and a photocopy of each of these documents.

Your MVV will be ready for you to collect from VFS Global within 15 working days.

Your appointment will take place at VFS Global in Erbil. You must pay a service fee to VFS Global per applicant.

Do you also need to apply for a temporary travel document (laissez-passer)? Then you must meet the following 3 conditions:

• You do not have a (valid) passport.
• You are not able to get a travel document from the country where you are travelling from.
• The IND confirms this and requests consulate-general to issue a temporary travel document.

If you meet these conditions, you also need to bring the following to your appointment:

• A filled out passport application form
• 1 additional recent passport photo
• Copy of proof of identity (ID card, UNHCR certificate, or residence permit for Syrians in Iraq) of the applicant. The applicant must also bring the original proof of identity for verification.

Syrian nationals coming to an appointment in Erbil

Are you a Syrian national coming from Syria for your appointment with the Netherlands consulate-general in Erbil? There are entry restrictions for Syrians to the Kurdish region of Iraq. Please send an email to the consulate-general to ask your personal travel exemption to travel to Kurdistan region. Attach a copy of your Syrian passport to your email.

Have you received the exemption of the consulate-general? Then you must also apply for a visa.

Recognition of Syrian passports

From 23 October 2023, the Netherlands only recognizes Syrian passports if they contain:

• the holder’s signature, or:
• a signature via a stamp from the Syrian public office or from a consular official at a Syrian embassy or consulate outside of Syria.