NetherlandsWorldwide

Applying for a long-stay visa (MVV) for residents of the United States

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 the United States, you can apply for this visa at the Netherlands embassy in Washington D.C. or at the consulates-general in Miami, New York or San Francisco.

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.

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:

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

Long-stay visa for residents of this country or region

MVV applications can be submitted at the Netherlands embassy in Washington D.C. or at the consulates-general in Miami, New York or San Francisco.

Applicants who did the civic integration exam in Washington D.C., always have to submit their application at the Netherlands embassy in Washington D.C.

As long as you didn’t do the civic integration exam in Washington D.C. for your MVV application, you can choose submit your application at either the embassy or at 1 of the consulates-general, regardless what your IND approval letter says.

Make an appointment via the online appointment system.

Check the status of your application.

Applications from the islands

Applicants from the islands (Bahama's, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the US Virgin Islands) can submit their application in person at the Netherlands embassy in Washington D.C. or at the consulates-general in Miami, New York or San Francisco.

Once you have submitted your application, you can return to your home town with your passport and send your passport back to the embassy or the consulates-general as soon as possible. The embassy or consulates-general need will need your passport to process your application.

Have your document sent by post

Although you have to apply for your MVV application in person, it is possible to have your passport sent to you by UPS, FedEX or DHL. You will have to pay the postage charge yourself, and you will need to provide a pre-paid, electronically generated shipping label with your application.

For more details on acceptable types of labels, please read the mailing instructions.