Foreign nationals who wish to immigrate to the Netherlands from Russia can do so based on a residence permit that suits their reasons for the relocation.
The immigration rules depend not only on nationality but are largely affected by the purpose of the stay. Students will be required to provide a different set of documents, compared to employees, for example.
Our immigration lawyers in the Netherlands can help you apply for a residence permit if you are looking to relocate from Russia.
We advise interested Russian nationals to reach out to our experts as soon as they decide to move to the Netherlands so that our team can provide complete assistance according to their purpose of stay.
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Types of Dutch residence permits
The goal of many individuals who immigrate to the Netherlands from Russia is to obtain permanent residence.
This is possible after a minimum number of years lawfully spent in the country, while renewing the existing residence permit and maintaining or changing its purpose, as needed.
Below, our team of Dutch immigration specialists lists the main types of temporary residence permits available to Russian nationals:
- Employment: Russian nationals can apply for a highly skilled migrant permit or as a regular employee with a Dutch company; intra-company transfer permits and researcher permits are available;
- Investment: for entrepreneurs who are able to invest a minimum amount in a Dutch company or fund;
- Study: for Russian nationals who were admitted to a Dutch university or another educational institution; examples include Leiden University or the University of Amsterdam;
- Family reunification: if the applicant’s partner is already living in the Netherlands or another family member is a Dutch permanent resident.
Our team can give you more details about the requirements for each of the aforementioned residence permit types.
Essential steps for those who immigrate to the Netherlands from Russia
Russian citizens entering the Netherlands for more than 90 days are required to apply for a provisional residence permit (MVV). This is the case in most situations, however, exemptions apply for Russian citizens who:
- apply for a residence permit for a start-up;
- have a valid residence permit for another Schengen state;
- have had a valid European blue card for at least 18 months;
- will live in the country with a family member of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
The MVV can be applied for:
- At the same time, you submit the application for the residence permit; this is done under the Entry and Residence application;
- A Sponsor can apply for the MVV and the residence permit on your behalf; this can often be the case;
- You can apply for the MVV yourself if you do not have a Sponsor. However, this is done with the Dutch embassy or consulate in Russia;
- with a valid passport and by signing an antecedents certificate that offers information about the criminal record.
Please keep in mind that the situations above are only briefly listed by our team. We can also give you details on special and individual situations that may apply, given your applicable status or situations in Russia.
If you are a Russian national already living in the Netherlands, we can help you apply for a renewal of the residence permit or for citizenship, as may be the case.
Remaining in the Netherlands permanently
Lawful and continued stay in the Netherlands (based on a proper and correctly renewed residence permit) allows a foreign national to apply for permanent residency or citizenship, if they meet the mandatory conditions for this process.
For most of those who decide to relocate, reuniting with their families will be an important step. The Dutch authorities also offer options for children, as presented below by our team.
Russian citizens who have already been living in the Netherlands will be interested in submitting an application for citizenship once they have completed the minimum lawful stay of five years. Gaining Dutch citizenship can bring certain advantages, and it is surely an option to consider for Russians who have relocated here for work or investment purposes.
Below is a brief presentation of the main conditions for foreign nationals, including Russian citizens, who want to apply for Dutch citizenship through naturalisation:
- Be at least 18 years old;
- Have lived in the Netherlands for at least 5 years;
- Holds a valid residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay (meaning that it is for work or self-employed, not for medical treatment, exchange or limited studies, or only for gaining work experience);
- Has sufficient Dutch language knowledge of at least an A2 level;
- Has met the other conditions for passing the civic integration examination.
Children of Russian parents who apply for Dutch citizenship through naturalisation cannot apply themselves to receive the same status. This means that the parent will include the child on their application. If you want to move to the Netherlands from Russia with your children permanently, you should also be aware of the conditions that apply to minors, such as:
- They must live in the Netherlands and have a valid permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. Our Dutch immigration lawyer can give you more details about the temporary residence permits for children;
- If they are over the age of 12, they must also be present in person when the parent submits the application to the Municipality. They will have to provide a short motivation in their own words for why they should be included on the application;
- Children aged 16 or older must meet different requirements, such as having lived in the country for at least 3 consecutive years.
Our immigration lawyers in the Netherlands can provide personalized assistance to Russian citizens who comply with the aforementioned conditions to become Dutch nationals.
We would like to remind those who want to immigrate to the Netherlands from Russia permanently that dual nationality is usually not permitted.
Contact us for more information about how to immigrate to the Netherlands from Russia.