Remigration
Will you be able to claim a remigration grant or remigration benefit?
Whether you will get a remigration grant or remigration benefit depends on the country you or one of your parents is from. You must also meet a number of conditions.
The country you or one of your parents is from
You can get a benefit under the Remigration Act if:
- you are, or were, a national of: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Tunisia or Turkey.
- you were part of a group that was brought to the Netherlands from the Moluccan Islands in 1951 or 1952 and you are listed in the Rietkerk Act benefits register.
- you were born in Surinam and have Dutch nationality.
- you live in the Netherlands and are a recognized refugee or has been granted asylum. In that case, it makes no difference what country you are from.
you came to the Netherlands for family reunification with a recognized refugee. In this case, it makes no difference what country you are from.
Conditions for entitlement to a benefit
You have to meet the following conditions to get a benefit under the Remigration Act:
- you must live in the Netherlands. If you are staying in the Netherlands temporarily, for example, to visit relatives or for medical treatment, you cannot claim a benefit under the Remigration Act;
- you must be 18 or over;
- if you have a partner, he or she must move abroad with you or must already be living in the country you are moving to;
- you and your partner, if you have one, must not have any debts to the Dutch authorities, such as tax debts or outstanding fines. If you still have debts, you must have agreed on a payment scheme;
- if you are moving to a country of which you are not a national, you and your family members must have official written permission to live in this country for at least one year;
- if you are a recognized refugee or have been granted asylum, you must have a statement from the government of the country you are moving to, allowing you to live there;
- if you have dual nationality, you must give up your Dutch nationality before you leave the Netherlands;
if you only have Dutch nationality, you must make every effort to obtain the nationality of the country you are moving to once you have settled there.
Additional conditions for the remigration grant
If you wish to claim a remigration grant, you must also meet the following conditions:
- if you do not have Dutch nationality, you must have lived in the Netherlands for at least one year when you submit your claim;
- the taxable value of your possessions minus your debts must be less than € 91,000.
you must not have received a remigration grant before, or if you have, you must have paid it back.
Additional conditions for the remigration benefit
If you wish to claim a remigration benefit, you must also meet the following conditions:
- you must be 45 or over;
- if you do not have Dutch nationality, you must have lived in the Netherlands with a Dutch residence permit for at least 3 years before submitting your claim;
before submitting your claim, you must have received a Dutch benefit for at least 6 months.