Eligibility Quiz
Have you already applied for asylum or been fingerprinted in another EU country (e.g., Italy, Greece, or Croatia)?
Requirements
To qualify for an asylum permit, you must demonstrate that you meet the criteria for one of the following statuses:
- Refugee Status (A-status): You have a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. This is based on the 1951 Refugee Convention.
- Subsidiary Protection (B-status): You do not qualify as a refugee but face a real risk of serious harm if returned. This includes the death penalty, execution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or indiscriminate violence due to an internal or international armed conflict.
- Derived Status (Family): You are the spouse, partner, or minor child of an individual who was recently granted an asylum permit in the Netherlands, and you arrived with them or joined them shortly after.
Key Disqualifiers
- The Dublin Regulation: If you have already applied for asylum, been fingerprinted, or held a visa in another European Union country, the Netherlands will likely refuse to process your application and transfer you back to that country.
- Safe Country of Origin: If you are from a country the Dutch government deems "safe," your application will be fast-tracked for rejection unless you can provide extraordinary proof of personal risk.
- Criminal History: Convictions for serious crimes can lead to an immediate denial of protection, regardless of the danger in your home country.
Conditions & Warnings
The Dutch asylum system is undergoing major reforms in 2026; permit durations are being reduced from 5 years to 3 years.
The 'Dublin Regulation' is strictly enforced; if you were fingerprinted in another EU country first, you will likely be transferred back there.
The IND currently has a structural extension allowing up to 18 months for decisions due to high application volumes.
Qualifications
No language requirement for the initial asylum application, though integration exams (Inburgering) are required for later permanent residency.
Fees
Applying for asylum is free of charge; legal aid is also provided for free.
Program Details
The Netherlands is on our roadmap
We can notify you when we're ready to support the Netherlands.
Key Developments
The IND reported that 2025 saw a 56% increase in asylum rejections compared to the previous year, with more applications rejected than granted for the first time in several years.
ind.nl ↗The Dutch government ended a six-month decision freeze on Syrian asylum applications following the fall of the Assad regime, though it has deferred reassessing existing permits until 2026.
ind.nl ↗The Dutch government announced a comprehensive package of emergency asylum measures, including the proposed abolition of permanent asylum permits and a transition to a "two-status" system.
ind.nl ↗