Family visa
Partner Visa Netherlands
No application carries more weight than the one that brings the person you love to your doorstep. The Dutch partner visa is very doable, but it is unforgiving of small mistakes: an income document in the wrong format, a missed exam registration, a certificate without the right stamp, and you lose months.
We treat these cases with the care they deserve. Johanna personally goes with clients to their appointments, from the municipality desk to the IND, so neither of you ever sits across from an official unprepared.
What is a partner visa?
A partner visa is residence granted on the basis of your relationship rather than your job. One of you, the sponsor, already has the right to live in the Netherlands. The other applies to join them. Marriage is not required, but an unmarried relationship has to be evidenced as durable and exclusive.
The Dutch procedure tests three things: that the relationship is genuine, that the sponsor earns a stable and sufficient income, and that any civil documents from abroad are properly legalised and translated. Most refusals come from the third, not the first.
Who we help
- Dutch citizens and residents bringing a partner from abroad
- Expats already in the Netherlands whose partner is following later
- Married and unmarried couples, including long-term partners without a marriage certificate
- Couples who were refused before and want it done right this time
What has to be true
Partner applications are refused on evidence far more often than on eligibility. These are the conditions, and the places files are usually lost.
- The sponsor in the Netherlands must earn at least 2,523.96 euro gross per month including holiday allowance (2026, revised twice a year).
- That income must be durable. A permanent contract clears it outright, a temporary one is judged on what remains.
- The relationship must be exclusive, long-term and demonstrable. Marriage, registered partnership and documented unmarried relationships all qualify.
- Both partners must be at least 21 years old.
- Most partners must pass the basic civic integration exam abroad before an MVV can be issued.
- Foreign birth, marriage and unmarried-status certificates usually need legalisation or an apostille plus a sworn translation.
What we manage together
Honest eligibility review
We assess the sponsor’s income against the IND requirement, the relationship evidence and both nationalities before promising anything.
The MVV and integration exam
Many nationalities must pass the basic civic integration exam abroad and collect an entry visa at the Dutch embassy. We plan exam preparation and the appointment itself.
Document legalization
Birth and marriage certificates must be legalized or apostilled in the country of origin. We map exactly which documents need which treatment.
Application and follow-up
We prepare and submit the full application and stay on top of the IND until the decision arrives.
Arrival as a couple
Registration, BSN, health insurance and the first practical weeks. Your partner should arrive to a life, not a to-do list.
The path, step by step
- 01
Intake for two
We speak with both of you, review income and documents, and set a realistic timeline.
- 02
Prepare abroad
Exam, legalizations and embassy logistics in your partner’s country, coordinated from here.
- 03
Submit and decide
The application goes to the IND. We track it and handle any additional requests immediately.
- 04
Reunited
Your partner travels, registers and receives the residence permit. We are there for the landing.
Professional fees for a partner visa application
Investment from €895
- Assessment of the relationship evidence before anything is filed
- Sponsor and applicant files prepared together so they cannot contradict each other
- Legalisation and translation requirements mapped for your country of origin
- Application filed and monitored until the decision
Investment figures represent our professional service fees only and are intended as a guideline. Government fees (including IND filing fees), VAT, legalisation and apostille costs, sworn translations, consular charges and any third-party expenses are not included unless explicitly stated in the proposal.
The sensitive points we manage
What counts as durable income?
A permanent contract clears it outright. On a temporary contract the IND asks whether the income will still be there for the next twelve months, and a contract with at least a year to run, or a three-year employment history, usually satisfies that. Self-employed sponsors are assessed on three years of accounts.
We are not married. Does that count against us?
No, but it raises the evidence bar. We build a relationship file: joint address history, shared finances, travel, photographs across years, communication records and statements from people who know you. This is where refused applications are lost, and where careful preparation wins them.
Who is exempt from the integration exam abroad?
Nationals of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, among a few others, plus applicants who cannot sit it for medical reasons or who hold a Dutch or Belgian qualification. Everyone else takes the exam at a Dutch embassy.
We were refused before. Can that be repaired?
Often, yes. A refusal is not a permanent bar, but the second file has to answer the exact ground of the first refusal rather than repeat the first attempt. Send us the decision letter and you will get an honest read on whether a fresh application or a formal objection is the better route.
Couples ask us
Can my partner work once they arrive?
Yes. The partner residence permit comes with free access to the Dutch labour market, so they can take any job without a separate work permit.
How much income do I need as a sponsor?
The IND requires sustainable, independent income at a level it adjusts twice a year. We check your exact situation, including contracts and self-employment, during intake.
We are not married. Is that a problem?
No. The Netherlands recognizes durable relationships between unmarried partners. You will need to evidence the relationship, and we help you build that file convincingly.
Start your life here, together
Tell us about the two of you. We will give you a clear, honest picture of the route and how long the wait really is.
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