If you want to immigrate to the Netherlands from Australia, you have to apply for a residence permit that suits your purpose of stay. Our immigration lawyer in the Netherlands can tell you what your application file should contain in order to initially obtain a visa for the Netherlands, followed by a residence permit that will be issued according to your needs, with variable validity periods.
Table of Contents
Entry into the Netherlands for Australian citizens
No visa is required unless you plan to spend less than 3 months in the Netherlands. Relocation means that the Australian national will be coming to Europe and basing his or her activities in the Netherlands for medium or long-term purposes.
For all those who relocate to the Netherlands from Australia, a residence permit is essential. Examples of types of visas that can be issued to those who want to move to the country include the following, summarized below by our immigration lawyer in the Netherlands:
- Business: Australians can also apply for a Startup visa, or to otherwise do business/join a business in the Netherlands;
- Employment: this can be under general employment by a Dutch company, as a highly qualified employee, or following an intra-company transfer. Different documents are required for the application process depending on the Australian citizen’s employment status;
- Family reunification: those who have a spouse or another family member already residing in the Netherlands can join them, subject to conditions;
- Study: Australians who want to study in Europe and are admitted to a Dutch university, such as the one in Utrecht, known for its innovative research studies, will be issued a student residence permit valid for the duration of their studies.
The residence permit is issued for various periods of time that are always linked to the motive of stay. For example, those for study are for the duration of the course, while those for employment will be issued in connection with the duration of the employment agreement, in most cases.
Some types of permits, such as those for employment and for start-up creation, will require the applicant to have a local sponsor or facilitator. These are Dutch companies that meet certain requirements, which can be explained by our immigration lawyer in the Netherlands.
How to apply for a Dutch residence permit as an Australian citizen
The application process depends on the type of residence permit one applies for when they immigrate to the Netherlands from Australia. However, there are some general requirements that apply to all applicants, summarized below by our Netherlands immigration experts:
- Have a valid travel document, such as a passport;
- Not be a danger to national security or public order;
- As an Australian, you are not required to take a tuberculosis test (Australia is among the list of countries, along with Ukraine and others, that are not subject to this requirement);
- Meet the general requirements for fee payments.
The institution that can receive your application in the Netherlands is the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). At the same time, you must also apply for a long stay visa, which will allow you to travel in Netherlands and pick up your residence permit.
For many Australians who relocate to the Netherlands from Australia, the extension will be mandatory if their purpose is to acquire permanent residence.
Residence permit fees
Some of the fees for residence permit applications for those who will move to the Netherlands from Australia include:
- EUR 423 for the start-up residence permit;
- EUR 254 for the family reunification permit (first application, to stay with a spouse or another family member);
- EUR 254 for the student residence permit;
- EUR 423 for the au pair residence permit.
Please note that other fees apply and that residence permit extensions are also subject to fees.
The costs mentioned above are not the only ones incurred by those who want to immigrate to the Netherlands from Australia. If you are interested in this relocation, you will also be asked to provide translations for your most important documents. This also means you will have to factor in translation costs (English to Dutch), as well as any costs for other related services you might be interested in.
Our Dutch immigration lawyer can give you more information about the most commonly requested services for expats, required before and/or after they arrive in the Netherlands.
Remaining in the Netherlands as an Australian citizen
Becoming a Dutch national is possible once the applicant has been living in the country for at least five years. The application for acquiring Dutch citizenship is submitted to the municipality in one’s area of residence.
Becoming a Dutch national for Australian citizens is most commonly done through naturalisation. As previously mentioned, a key condition for this is to spend at least five years in the country, with a valid residence permit at all times. Other than that, there are also other important criteria you must make sure you meet before you submit the application to the municipality in your area of residence.
You can read about the naturalisation conditions below, and you can ask our Dutch immigration specialist more details, according to your case.
Main requirements for naturalisation as a Dutch citizen for an Australian:
- Be at least 18 years of age;
- Provide valid identity documents;
- Offer proof of valid residence during the five-year period and that you have always applied for a renewal in due time;
- Have the residence permit valid on the date of the naturalization ceremony;
- Show proof of sufficient civic integration by having a language level 2 (at least);
- Prove that you are not a danger to the public order or security. This is done via a police record or other documents, if this is the case.
If you are ready to take this step, you should know that Australian nationals who wish to become Dutch citizens will renounce their Australian nationality. Our team can give you more details on the naturalization process.
Other requirements apply to minor children, since they cannot apply for themselves. If you are an Australian national who will move to the Netherlands with your minor children, you can ask our team more about the requirements for including children on your application for naturalisation. Different conditions apply according to the child’s age (for example, under the age of 16 vs. between 16 and 17 years old). Our immigration lawyer in the Netherlands can give you more details.
The cost for the naturalisation application currently stands at EUR 1,139 for one person, or EUR 1,454 when applying together with a partner. As mentioned, these costs can be subject to change and only include the fee payable to the Dutch authorities.
Feel free to contact our Dutch immigration lawyer, who will provide reliable information on how to immigrate to the Netherlands from Australia.