Remigration - Returning to the Netherlands

You are always free to return to the Netherlands for a short stay, e.g. for a holiday or to visit relatives. This also applies to family members who remigrated with you.

Within 1 year, you can easily come back to live in the Netherlands again

However carefully you prepare for remigration, things do not always go as planned. During the first year after remigration, you have the option of using a simplified re-entry procedure if you want to live in the Netherlands again. You can obtain more information from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

If you make use of the simplified re-entry procedure, you will only have to repay the compensation you received from us for travel expenses and baggage transport.

Returning to the Netherlands to live after 1 year is more difficult

If you return to live in the Netherlands more than a year after remigrating, you will have to go through the normal admission procedure for people who want to settle in the Netherlands. You can obtain more information about this from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

If you return to the Netherlands between 1 and 3 years after remigrating, you will have to repay the remigration grant in full. You will not have to pay back the remigration benefit.

If you return to the Netherlands 3 or more years after remigrating, you will not have to pay anything back.