Netherlands Clarifies Permanent Residence Rules for Children
Pecohub The Netherlands has set out clear age requirements that children must satisfy before they are eligible to apply for a permanent residence permit in the country.
According to information published on the Dutch government’s official website, a child must have held a valid residence permit from the age of 8.
The 5-year qualifying period that the country requires for permanent residency only begins counting from that age, meaning any time spent in the Netherlands before a child turns 8 does not contribute towards the required duration.
Beyond completing the 5 years, there is a second condition: the child must be at least 13 years old before an application can be submitted. Both conditions must be met simultaneously for the application to be considered valid.
The official statement from the Netherlands reads: “Only years from the age of 8 on count towards the 5-year period. Children can only apply for a permanent residence permit if they are at least 13 years old and have had a valid residence permit from the age of 8.”
The government also requires that the child must have maintained their main residence in the Netherlands throughout the entire 5-year qualifying period, with no significant breaks in that time.
This means, in practical terms, that a child who first received a residence permit at age 8 would be eligible to apply for permanent residence at age 13, having completed exactly 5 years of continuous residency in the country.
