Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf (MVV): What It Is and How to Get One

The Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf — better known as the MVV — is the sticker in your passport that legally authorises you to enter the Netherlands for a long stay. Without it, most non-EU nationals cannot cross the border for a stay longer than 90 days. If you are moving to the Netherlands to be with a Dutch partner or spouse, the MVV is the first concrete milestone of your visa journey. Understanding exactly what it is, who must have one, and how the process works will save you months of confusion.

What the MVV Actually Is

The MVV is not a residence permit. It is a provisional authorisation — a long-stay entry visa — valid for 90 days from its issue date. Your job is to enter the Netherlands before it expires. Once you arrive, the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) converts your MVV into a full residence permit, which is the document that gives you the right to live and work in the Netherlands long-term.

Think of the MVV as the door and the residence permit as the house key. You cannot get the key without first going through the door.

Most applications combine the MVV and the residence permit into a single administrative procedure called the TEV (Toegang en Verblijf) procedure. Your partner in the Netherlands submits this combined application to the IND, which makes one decision covering both documents.

Who Needs an MVV

Not everyone needs an MVV. The Netherlands exempts nationals of certain countries from the MVV requirement entirely. Exempt nationalities include citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and most EU/EEA countries, among others.

If your country is on the exempt list, you can travel to the Netherlands on your regular passport and apply for the residence permit from within the country — a process called the Regular Residence Permit (VVR) procedure rather than the TEV.

If your country is not exempt — which applies to citizens of most Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries — you generally must obtain the MVV before you travel for a national-law partner application. Do not assume that entering on a tourist visa lets you convert it to a residence permit; that is not permitted for this route under Dutch immigration law.

The TEV Procedure: How Your MVV Is Applied For

For partner visa applicants, the MVV is obtained through the TEV procedure. This is the important thing to understand: your partner in the Netherlands applies on your behalf, not you directly. The flow works as follows:

1. Your sponsor (the partner in the Netherlands) creates an account on the IND online portal and submits the combined TEV application.
2. The IND reviews the application against all requirements: income, relationship evidence, and your civic integration exam result (more on this below).
3. If approved, the IND notifies the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
4. You make and attend an appointment at the embassy or consulate to collect the MVV sticker.
5. You travel to the Netherlands and present the MVV at the border.
6. Within the first few weeks of arrival, you collect your physical residence permit card (verblijfspas) at an IND office.

The application fee for the TEV procedure in 2026 is €254 for a partner joining a regular sponsor.

The Pre-Condition: Passing the Civic Integration Exam Abroad

Before the TEV application can be submitted, most non-EU applicants must pass the Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland — the Basic Civic Integration Exam taken at a Dutch embassy or consulate. This is an A1-level Dutch language and society exam with three modules: speaking, reading, and Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS). Each module has a separate fee (€60, €50, and €40 respectively, totalling €150), and all three must be passed before the IND will accept the TEV application.

This exam is often the longest part of the process. Booking a seat at a Dutch embassy can take months, and preparation — especially for the speaking component — takes time. Starting exam preparation well before your partner is ready to submit the TEV application is always the right approach.

Exam exemptions are not limited to MVV-exempt nationalities: qualifying diplomas and permanent EU residence can also create an exemption. Check the IND rules for your personal situation.

Planning your partner visa from scratch? The Netherlands Partner/Family Visa Guide walks through every step of the TEV procedure, with document checklists, timeline planning, and plain-language explanations of what the IND actually looks for.

How Long Does the MVV Process Take

The IND has a statutory decision period of 90 days. In practice, straightforward applications for couples with clean income and relationship files are frequently decided in 6 to 12 weeks. The clock pauses while the IND waits for requested additional documents, so a well-prepared application is the most reliable way to avoid delays.

Once the IND issues a positive decision, the decision letter identifies the Dutch embassy or consulate where you can apply for the MVV. Follow that representation's instructions to make the collection appointment promptly. The MVV sticker is then valid for 90 days from its issue date — your window to book flights and arrive in the Netherlands.

What Happens After You Arrive

The MVV is only the beginning. Within five days of arriving in the Netherlands, you must register at your local municipality (gemeente) to be recorded in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, the Personal Records Database). This registration generates your BSN (Burgerservicenummer), which you need for everything: opening a bank account, taking out health insurance, and eventually beginning work.

You will also receive a letter from the IND directing you to collect your residence permit card. The initial family partner permit is typically valid for five years or until your sponsor's permit expires, whichever is shorter. Holders of a family partner permit have full labor market access — your permit card will be marked "Arbeid vrij toegestaan" (employment freely permitted).

Common Mistakes That Delay MVV Applications

The IND rejects or delays a significant share of TEV applications because of avoidable errors. The most common are:

Submitting before the exam is passed. The IND will not process a TEV application from a non-exempt national who has not yet received their civic integration exam certificate. Do not apply until the certificate is in hand.

Income that does not meet the threshold. For 2026, the sponsor's gross monthly income must be at least €2,294.40 (excluding the 8% holiday allowance) or €2,477.95 including it. Contracts with fewer than 12 months remaining from the expected IND decision date may be considered insufficiently durable.

Missing or incorrectly legalised documents. Marriage certificates, birth certificates, and other foreign documents must be apostilled (if the country is a signatory to the Apostille Convention) or legalised through the full chain (if not). Untranslated documents in languages other than Dutch, English, French, or German must be accompanied by a sworn translation.

Age below the national threshold. Dutch law generally requires both the sponsor and the applicant to be at least 21 years old when the application is received. A narrow exception may apply when a marriage was legally concluded and registered in the country of origin before the sponsor moved.

The Netherlands Partner/Family Visa Guide covers all of these requirements in detail, including a pre-submission checklist that flags these issues before you pay the €254 application fee.

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