After MVV Approved: What Happens Next Step by Step

Months of preparation, a passed language exam, a stack of legalised documents, and weeks of waiting — and now the IND has issued a positive decision on your partner visa application. The approval is genuinely worth celebrating. It is also the start of a concentrated period of action, because there is a specific sequence of steps to complete, several of which have hard deadlines. Here is exactly what happens after MVV approval, in order.

Step 1: Receive the IND Decision Letter

Your sponsor in the Netherlands receives the IND decision letter. It will state that the TEV application has been approved and that the relevant Dutch embassy or consulate has been notified. Keep this letter — you may need it at the embassy and on arrival in the Netherlands.

The IND also notifies the embassy directly. You do not need to forward the letter yourself, but you should wait for the embassy to contact you about scheduling your appointment.

Step 2: Book the Embassy Appointment (MVV Collection)

Within a few weeks of the IND decision, the Dutch embassy in your country will contact you to schedule an appointment for MVV collection. At this appointment, the embassy places the MVV sticker directly in your passport. The appointment is typically brief — 15 to 30 minutes — and involves presenting your passport and any documents the embassy specifies.

Timing is critical: The MVV sticker has a validity of 90 days from the issue date on the sticker. This is the window within which you must enter the Netherlands. If you miss this window — if you fall ill, face a family emergency, or delay your travel — the MVV expires and you need to request an extension from the embassy or, in some cases, a new IND assessment.

Book your flights as soon as you have the MVV. Do not leave the embassy appointment until you know when you are travelling.

Step 3: Prepare for Departure

In the period between the embassy appointment and your flight:

Sort your affairs at home. Any practical matters — ending a lease, notifying an employer, shipping belongings — should be wrapped up in this window. The Netherlands has removal storage services if you are shipping a container; DTTN and other relocation services operate direct routes to major Dutch cities.

Understand Dutch health insurance. Once you register in the Netherlands, you have four months to take out Dutch health insurance (zorgverzekering). The four-month clock starts from your BRP registration date. You do not need to choose a provider before you land, but it is worth researching options in advance. Premiums in 2026 range from approximately €125 to €150 per month for basic coverage.

Download the MijnOverheid and DigiD apps. DigiD is the Dutch digital identity system you will need to access government services online. You can only activate a DigiD after receiving your BSN in the Netherlands, but knowing the process saves time.

Step 4: Enter the Netherlands

At the Dutch border, present your passport with the MVV sticker. If questioned, you can also show the IND approval letter, though the MVV sticker itself is your authorisation.

Congratulations — you are now in the Netherlands.

Step 5: Register at Your Municipality Within 5 Days

This is a hard deadline: within five working days of arrival, you must register at your local gemeente (municipality). Go to the burgerzaken desk with:

• Your passport (with the MVV sticker)
• Proof of your address in the Netherlands (rental contract or a declaration from your sponsor)
• Your partner's details for joint address registration

The registration creates your BRP (Basisregistratie Personen) entry. Your BSN (Citizen Service Number) is generated from this registration — sometimes issued the same day, sometimes arriving by post within a week.

Want the full arrival checklist with every step mapped out? The Netherlands Partner/Family Visa Guide includes a month-by-month post-arrival planning section.

Step 6: Collect Your Residence Permit Card

Within a few weeks of BRP registration, the IND sends a letter to your registered address directing you to book an appointment to collect your verblijfspas (residence permit card). This is a biometric appointment — you provide fingerprints and a photo, and the IND produces your chip-embedded ID card.

The residence permit card is your long-term residency document. It shows "Arbeid vrij toegestaan" (employment freely permitted), confirming your full work rights. Keep it with you or readily accessible — you will need it for starting employment, opening bank accounts, and travelling internationally.

Step 7: Open a Bank Account

With your BSN in hand, you can open a Dutch bank account. Major Dutch banks (ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO) and online banks (Bunq, N26, Revolut) all accept recent arrivals with valid residency documents and a BSN. Some banks are faster to onboard new arrivals than others — Bunq and ING typically have faster application processes for newcomers.

A Dutch bank account is essential for receiving a salary, paying rent, and setting up direct debits for utilities and health insurance.

Step 8: Register for Health Insurance

Within four months of BRP registration, select a Dutch health insurer and take out a policy. This is a legal obligation for all residents, including you. Coverage is backdated to your BRP registration date, so there is no gap in coverage — but the policy must be taken out within the four-month window.

If your household income is below a certain threshold, apply for "zorgtoeslag" (healthcare allowance) via the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority). This subsidy can reduce the effective premium significantly.

Step 9: TB Screening If Applicable

If you come from a country with a high TB incidence (the GGD maintains a list of exempt countries), you must attend a chest X-ray screening at the local GGD within three months of arrival. The GGD will send a letter to your BRP address. Respond promptly and attend the appointment — failure to attend can be flagged to the IND.

Step 10: Begin Your Integration Trajectory

Within weeks of BRP registration, DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) will write to you confirming your integration obligation and starting your three-year deadline. Contact your municipality proactively to schedule the Broad Intake interview, which will assign you to a learning route (usually targeting B1 Dutch) and establish your Personal Integration and Participation Plan.

The three-year clock starts from the DUO letter date. Treat integration as a concurrent obligation that starts immediately — not something to address once you feel "settled."

The First Month: Summary

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