Author
Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are granted temporary asylum status for 5 years.[1] Material rights are the same. The residence permit also has a validity of 5 years.[2]
Regardless of the ground on which the permit is granted, the permit entitles the status holder to the same rights and entitlements.
Procedure for granting a permit
The IND is responsible for issuing a residence permit. Asylum seekers who are granted temporary asylum (i.e. refugee status and subsidiary protection) status during their stay at the Application Centre should be registered immediately in the Persons’ Database at the so called “BRP-straat” (BRP stands for Basisregistratie Personen, the Persons’ Database of the municipality) and will receive their temporary residence permit from the IND. There are no problems known to the Dutch Council for Refugees regarding this procedure itself, but there is a backlog in registration at the BRP-straat.
Beneficiaries who already have been transferred to a Centre for Asylum Seekers (AZC) when granted temporary asylum status will, within a few weeks after the status has been granted, will be invited to pick up their residence permit at one of the offices of the IND. There are no problems known to the Dutch Council for Refugees regarding this procedure.
There is a backlog in registration at the BRP-straat. This problem continues in 2023, having gone on for a few years, since the period of COVID-19. The “BRP-straat” was temporarily closed on several occasions in 2020 and from that time on there has been always a backlog.[3] Due to limited capacity, logistical problems (the COA must transport people from the reception centres to the “BRP-straat”, but the service is not functioning well, so people cannot reach the “BRP-straat” for their appointments), the duration of the asylum procedure (people are waiting longer so the identification process of the IND takes place at a later moment than before), the backlog was still present at 2023. The Dutch authorities are trying to reduce the backlog by increasing the capacity of the BRP-straat and by presenting a better proces of planning the appointments.[4] It is not known if the backlog has already decreased.
Due to the backlog, priority is given to the registration of beneficiaries with a permit, who will be entitled to a house in a municipality. There is an emergency procedure for beneficiaries in need of a BSN-number for medical reasons or for people that have found a job. Priority is also given to family members of beneficiaries who came to the Netherlands through family reunification. No priority is given to asylum seekers who want to be registered, unless they provide a specific reason. For example, medical reasons or if they have found a job and the employer has asked for a permission to work for them.
In 2023 there were no big delays in the issue of residence documents by the IND.
The first issuance of the temporary residence permit for refugees is free of charge. In case the residence permit is stolen or lost, the beneficiary is requested to report this to the police.[5] In order to acquire a new permit, a form, which can be found on the website of the IND, has to be completed and sent to the IND. A copy of the police report has to be included. Costs for renewing a residence permit are € 154 for an adult and € 41 for a child.
[1] Article 28(2) Aliens Act.
[2] Article 4.22(2) Aliens Decree.
[3] For more information see the previous updates from 2020, 2021 and 2022 available at: https://bit.ly/3SMHHji.
[4] Kamerstuk 19 637, nr. 3114, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3TZGhmC.
[5] Article 4.22 Aliens Decree; Article 3.43c(1) Aliens Regulation.