Applying for a long-stay visa (MVV) for residents of Lebanon
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 Lebanon, you can apply for this visa at the Netherlands embassy in Beirut. Read further down this page how to make an appointment. Especially in the case of an MVV for family reunification as a refugee.
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.
Apply for your MVV at the embassy or consulate-general within 3 months of your host receiving the letter. For an MVV for family reunification, you have to apply within 6 months.
Take the following documents to your appointment:
- The MVV issue form for family reunification as a refugee or for a different purpose of stay.
- 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.
Read more about the information on your visa
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:
- orientation year as a highly skilled migrant seeking employment
- independent entrepreneur
- starting entrepreneur (start-up)
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.
Read more about the information on your visa
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
MVV application for work, study or living with a partner
Send an email to the Netherlands embassy in Beirut to make an appointment. The embassy will email you the date of your appointment 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
MVV application for family reunification as a refugee
If you have been granted an MVV for family reunification as a refugee, you can make an appointment to apply for an MVV. Please send an email with the name of the applicant(s) and the date of the IND’s approval in the subject line.
The embassy schedules appointments in order of the date of the IND’s approval. You will receive an email with the date of your appointment 1 or 2 weeks in advance.
You can apply for a temporary travel document (laissez-passer) if you meet the following 3 conditions:
- You do not have a passport.
- You are not able to get a travel document from the country where you are travelling from.
- The IND confirms this and requests the embassy or consulate-general to issue a temporary travel document.
If you meet these conditions, you also need to bring the following to your appointment:
- A filled out passport application form
- 2 additional recent passport photos
Extra information
Are you a Syrian national coming from Syria for your appointment with the Netherlands embassy in Beirut? The Lebanese authorities will only allow you to enter Lebanon for an embassy appointment if the embassy registers your name at the border.
You can also choose to enter as a tourist or for another reason than your embassy appointment. Then your name does not have to be registered.
For entry without prior border registration other entry conditions apply. Read more about the different Lebanese entry visas (information in English and Arabic).
How to get an MVV appointment?
- You email the embassy for an appointment.
- The embassy asks you permission by email for sending your personal date (name, date of birth and nationality) to the Lebanese border authorities.
- You confirm that your personal date can be shared with the Lebanese border authorities, or you inform the embassy that you do not give permission.
- The embassy sends you an email with your appointment date.
- The week before your appointment the embassy sends your personal data to the Lebanese border authorities (only when you gave permission in step 3).
- At the day of your appointment you show your appointment email at the Lebanese border.
Please be aware that your personal data are no longer protected under the General Data Protection Regulation after the embassy sends them to the Lebanese border authorities.
The Netherlands embassy in Beirut is unfortunately unable to contact the Lebanese border authorities if you encounter problems entering Lebanon. If you cannot enter Lebanon in time for your appointment, please email the embassy to make a new appointment.
Are you a Palestinian with a Syrian travel document for Palestinian Refugees? You can show your appointment email at the Lebanese border to prove the purpose of your entry. There is no procedure to register your name at the border.
Check the website of the Lebanese General Security for the other entry requirements.
Are you a Palestinian with a travel document issued by the Palestinian or Egyptian authorities? Then your appointment email is not enough to enter Lebanon. You need to obtain a visa from the Lebanese embassy in Damascus.
The Netherlands embassy in Beirut is unfortunately unable to contact the Lebanese border authorities if you encounter problems entering Lebanon. If you cannot enter Lebanon in time for your appointment, please email the embassy to make a new appointment.
From 23 October 2023, the Netherlands only recognizes Syrian passports if they contain:
- the holder’s signature, or:
- a signature via a stamp from the Syrian public office or from a consular official at a Syrian embassy or consulate outside of Syria.