Travelling with a Residence Permit

Europe is a beautiful continent full of history and nature that you definitely would like to explore. Luckily, a valid Dutch residence permit and a valid national passport allow you to travel to and within the Schengen area.

With a valid Dutch residence permit, you can travel within the Schengen area freely (without any additional visa). Be sure to always bring your passport too while traveling! A residence permit card in itself is not a sufficient travel document.

Travelling Permit FAQ

Still have some questions about traveling permit? Maybe the following FAQ could help!

I would like to travel, but my residence permit has expired. What should I do?

When the validity of your residence permit expires, you have to leave the Netherlands. This is a strict requirement imposed by the IND, and failure to meet this condition may have an impact on your future access to enter the Schengen area, and may be punishable by law. However, if you wish to stay in the Schengen area shortly after, this is possible in one of the following situations:

You are subject to a visa requirement If you are subject to a visa requirement, you first must leave the Schengen area and apply for a short-stay visa. Once you have a visa, you will be allowed to return to the Schengen area.
You are not subject to a visa requirement If you are not subject to a visa requirement, you can make use of your visa-free access. If you wish to stay in the Netherlands for a short period, you must first leave the Schengen area first. You can then re-enter the Netherlands again straight away. If you wish to shortly stay in another Schengen country, you do not need to leave the Schengen area first. Please first contact the authorities of the country you wish to visit.

Do I need a return visa?

If you are still in possession of a valid Dutch residence permit (also still valid by the time of your return); then no.

However, if your residence permit expired while you are abroad, you may need to purchase a return visa* under the following conditions:

You are waiting for a decision on an application for an extension, change in the purpose of stay, or permanent residence
You have lost your residence document, it has been stolen or damaged, or it has the wrong information on it - and you are waiting for a decision
You have a child who was born in the Netherlands
You have applied for the first residence permit for your child, and are waiting for a decision
You have a Non-EU nationality. You have applied for the first residence permit for staying with your EU-national family member and are waiting for a decision

*Are you not subject to a visa requirement? Then you can travel back to the Netherlands from abroad during your permit-exempted term. You do not need a return visa. However, other authorities (e.g., an airline company or customs authorities) may not recognize this and may still require you to have a return visa. Please check this well before your departure.

You can apply for a return visa via the IND. Another thing to remember, a return visa does not grant you a permit to stay (e.g., for a holiday) in another Schengen country.