Applying for a long-stay visa (MVV) for residents of North Macedonia

If you want to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, you may need a residence permit. In many cases you will also have to apply for a long-stay visa before you travel to the Netherlands. This visa is also called an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV).

In North Macedonia, you can apply for this visa at the Netherlands embassy in Skopje.

Do I need an MVV and/or a residence permit?

You should check whether you need an MVV and/or a residence permit. This depends on things like your nationality and the purpose of your stay.

Applying for a residence permit and an MVV

You can apply for a residence permit and an MVV in 2 ways:

through a host in the Netherlands (such as an employer, family member or educational institution)
in person at a Netherlands embassy or consulate-general

If you have a host in the Netherlands, in most cases your host will have to submit the application to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

First check whether you need to take the civic integration examination.

What is your situation?

Applying through a host in the Netherlands

Depending on the purpose of your stay, your host may have to submit the application in the Netherlands. This applies if the purpose of your stay is:

study
work
a work placement
co-habiting with or marrying someone who lives in the Netherlands
family reunification

In these cases your host will be an educational institution, your employer, a family member or your spouse or partner.

Your host can submit the application directly to the IND. How they need to do this depends on why you need a residence permit and/or an MVV, for example for work or study. The IND website has a list of the documents your host will need to provide. It also explains how your host can apply for your residence permit. If you have any questions about this, you can contact the IND.

The IND will send your host a letter confirming that the application has been approved. The letter also explains how you can apply for an MVV and what documents you need.

You must apply for your MVV at the embassy or consulate-general within 3 months of receiving this letter. You have 6 months to apply if you meet both of the following conditions:

You are applying for an MVV for family reunification as a refugee (nareis asiel), and:
You are applying for an MVV in a country that is not your country of residence.

Take the following documents to your appointment:

The MVV issue form
Your passport and a photocopy of the personal details page. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months and have at least 2 blank pages.
If you live in a country of which you are not a national: your residence permit (or equivalent) and a photocopy of the permit
A photo that meets Dutch requirements
A copy of the letter stating that your application has been approved and what your alien registration number (V number) is
All other documents listed in the letter from the IND and a photocopy of each of these documents

Your MVV will be ready for you to collect from the embassy or consulate-general within 10 working days.

Verify that the information on your visa is correct. This includes your name and the visa’s validity period.

If any of the information is incorrect, contact the embassy or consulate-general where you applied for your MVV.

You must travel to the Netherlands with the MVV in your passport. The IND will let your host know when your residence permit is ready. You can then make an appointment at the IND office to collect your permit.

Applying yourself at an embassy or consulate-general

For the following purposes of stay you should submit your application for an MVV and residence permit yourself:

You will find the application form and all information about the required documents and the application procedure on the IND website.

The IND will process your application within 90 days. If the IND’s decision is positive, you must hand over your passport at the embassy or consulate-general where you submitted the application. Your MVV will be placed in your passport within 10 working days.

Verify that the information on your visa is correct. This includes your name and the visa’s validity period.

If any of the information is incorrect, contact the embassy or consulate-general where you applied for your MVV.

You must travel to the Netherlands with the MVV in your passport. The IND will let you know when your residence permit is ready. You can then make an appointment at the IND office to collect your permit.

Long-stay visa for residents of this country or region

For all visa types you will need to schedule an appointment via our online appointment system.

Check the status of your application.

Visa applicants coming from Albania and Kosovo

Please enter North Macedonia with your ID card, because the Netherlands embassy in Skopje needs to keep your passport in order to add the entry sticker visa. You can then return to Albania or Kosovo with your ID card.

It takes 2 weeks to process your application. Once the entry sticker visa is placed in your passport, it will be sent to either the Netherlands embassy in Pristina or Tirana. You can collect your passport there and do not have to travel twice to Skopje.

However, if you enter North Macedonia with your passport you will have to travel back to Skopje in about 2 weeks time to have the entry visa sticker added to your passport.