As of midnight 31 January 2020, Brexit is no longer a theoretical debate but a fact of life. However, due to the 11-month transition period running until the very end of the year, nothing will immediately change for British nationals registered in the Netherlands.
Until the end of 2020, British nationals registered in the Netherlands can continue to live and work in The Netherlands without a permit. Should you have received a temporary residence permit in March or October 2020, you can discard it as this was merely a safety measure in case there would have been a no-deal Brexit. The IND will send all British nationals currently registered in The Netherlands this information letter at their registered address. It is therefore very important to check that you and / or any British family members are registered at the correct address in the municipal database (Basisregistratie Personen or BRP). If you are unsure, please visit your local municipality or check online with a DigiD.
British nationals relocating to the Netherlands during the transition period will still be allowed to register at their municipality without a permit as well. Since all municipal databases are linked to the IND, this means the IND is thereby automatically informed of their arrival.
From 1 January 2021 onwards, British nationals living in the Netherlands will need a residence permit. The IND will therefore send out an invitation to British nationals registered in the Netherlands before 31 January 2020 or during the transition period to apply for one. As this currently concerns about 45,000 people, the IND needs to spread the ensuing workload and will therefore send out these letters in batches of around 4,000 per month throughout 2020. They will start with those who have been registered the longest. Should family members registered at the same address have registered separately, the earliest registration date will be leading for the date the invitation is sent to all family members.
Please note: No immigration action therefore needs to be taken until you have received an invitation from the IND, which will be towards the end of the year for recent arrivals.
The IND advises British nationals to apply for a DigiD to able to issue an online application easily and receive mail digitally. If you do not have a DigiD yet, please apply for one online here. You can get additional security by installing sms verification on the DigiD app. Make sure that you will also receive mail from the IND digitally with the following steps:
- Use your DigiD to log in to MijnOverheid.
- Access your Berichtenbox (Message Box) where you can receive digital mail from government institutions, including the IND.
- Go to Instellingen (Settings) and under Landelijke Organisaties, check Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND).
The application process, costing €58 for adults and €31 for children under 18, is explained in this IND infographic. The conditions to receive the residence permit are the same as those that were applicable to British nationals before Brexit already.
Should you have a permanent EU residence document (EU duurzaam verblijf), you will not need to go through an application process, but you will be invited to exchange your current residence card for a new one. Again, please wait until you have received this invitation from the IND. British nationals with a permanent Dutch national residence permit or who also have another EU nationality do not need a (new) residence document and will therefore not receive any letters.
More detailed information and informative animations can be found on ind.nl/Brexit and on the IND’s Brexit Q&A page.
