NetherlandsWorldwide

Applying for an MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands in Iraq

Has your application for a residence permit for family reunification as a refugee been approved? And does the letter from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) informing you of its positive decision say that you can apply for an MVV visa sticker in Iraq? Find out how to apply for an MVV visa sticker to travel to the Netherlands.

Information:

If you are applying for an MVV visa sticker for a different purpose of stay than family reunification as a refugee, the letter from the IND will say where you can do this. For example in Iran, Jordan, Lebanon or Türkiye. Find out how to apply for an MVV visa sticker in:

Does it say another country in your letter from the IND? Select the country and find out how to apply for an MVV visa sticker.

Make an appointment for family reunification as a refugee

You can only apply for an MVV visa sticker in Iraq if that is what it says in the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision.

Email erb-nareis@minbuza.nl to make an appointment through the consulate-general in Erbil.

State the date of the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision in the subject line of your email.

In the body of your email, state:

  • your first name and surname, as they appear in your passport
  • your V number
  • the date of the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision

If you are applying for an MVV visa sticker for yourself and for a member of your family, please clearly indicate this in your email.

If you are a Syrian national and are travelling to Erbil by plane, you will need an e-visa to travel to the Kurdish region of Iraq.

After you have made an appointment for your MVV visa sticker, the Dutch consulate-general can send your details to the local authorities and confirm that you are travelling to Erbil to apply for your MVV visa sticker.

If you need an e-visa, please email erb-nareis@minbuza.nl with the following information:

  • a copy of your Syrian passport
  • the statement that you are travelling to Erbil by plane
  • the request to inform the local authorities that you wish to travel to the Kurdish region of Iraq to apply for your MVV visa sticker

You can then apply for an e-visa through an authorised mediation agency or lawyer. The consulate-general does not mediate in the application for your e-visa.

About your appointment

  • Your appointment will take place at VFS Global in Erbil. You will need to pay a service fee to VFS Global for each family member.
  • Once your appointment is scheduled, you will receive confirmation of this by email.
  • Make your appointment in good time. After receiving the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision, you have 3 months to apply for an MVV visa sticker. If you are applying for an MVV visa sticker in a country other than the one where you live, you have 6 months.

If you did not receive an email confirming your appointment, check your spam folder. It is possible that it may have ended up there. If the email is not in your spam folder, contact NetherlandsWorldwide.

Bring the correct documents with you

You will need a number of documents to apply for an MVV visa sticker.

Bring the following documents with you to your appointment:

  • A completed and signed MVV issue form for family reunification as a refugee.
  • Your passport and a photocopy of the page with your photo on it. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the appointment and contain at least 2 empty pages.
  • If you are not a national of the country where you live: your residence permit (or comparable document) and a photocopy of it.
  • A passport photo that meets Dutch requirements. Find out how to have a Dutch passport photo taken in Iraq.
  • A photocopy of the letter from the IND stating that your application has been approved (letter informing you of the positive decision) and which includes your alien registration number (V number).
  • All other documents listed in the letter from the IND and a photocopy of each of those documents.

Keep in mind that you will need to hand in your passport at the appointment. You will get it back when you collect your passport with the MVV visa sticker. This can take up to 15 working days.

I do not have a passport

You can apply at VFS Global for a replacement travel document if you meet all of the following 5 conditions:

  1. You do not have a passport.
  2. You can prove that you cannot obtain another travel document.
  3. The IND has given you approval to apply for an MVV visa sticker.
  4. You can demonstrate that you are the person who has received approval from the IND. For example, with an official identity document that bears your photograph.
  5. You are applying for the MVV visa sticker in a country other than the one where you live.

If you meet all 5 of these conditions, bring the following documents with you to the appointment as well:

If you are under the age of 18, your parent(s) must give consent by signing the passport application form. You will also need photocopies of the passport(s) of your parent(s). This is not required in the following situations:

  • One of your parents cannot give permission, or refuses to give permission:
    You will need a declaration from a court. This must have been issued within the last 3 months.
  • One parent has parental responsibility:
    You must be able to demonstrate this with a court judgment.
  • A person or institute other than your parent(s) has parental authority:
    You must be able to demonstrate this with an official document. For example, a court judgment.

Collecting a passport with an MVV visa sticker

VFS Global does not issue MVV visa stickers immediately. It can take up to 15 working days. At your appointment you will be informed when you can collect your passport with the MVV sticker.

Verify the information on your MVV visa sticker

Verify at the front desk of VFS Global that the information on your MVV visa sticker is correct. This includes your name and the period of validity. If any of the information on your MVV visa sticker is incorrect, please inform an employee at the desk immediately.

Find out more about the information on your MVV visa sticker

Contact

If you have any questions about applying for an MVV visa sticker, contact the consulate-general in Erbil: erb-nareis@minbuza.nl

If you have any questions about applying for an MVV or residence permit from the Netherlands, contact the IND.

Also useful

How long is my MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands valid?