An MVV (Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf) stands for “Temporary Residence Permit” and is compulsory for all foreigners who want to stay longer than 90 days per six months in the Netherlands.

For example: this may apply to parents who want to stay for six months in a row with their children in the Netherlands, or students who enroll in a study of four months, or business men who have travel to the Netherlands so often that the total of their combined visits per six months exceeds 90 days, etc.

For permanent stay in the Netherlands, the MVV will be changed by IND (Immigration and Naturalisation authority) into a Regular Residence Permit called “VVR” (VerblijfsVergunning Regulier) after you arrive in the Netherlands.

There are two possible procedures to apply for MVV:

MVV advisory procedure:
1) The host asks for an advice from IND in the Netherlands and pays the MVV fee (unless the applicant pays the fee himself), before the applicant applies for MVV at a a Dutch Embassy/Consulate.
2) Only if IND issues a positive advice, the applicant starts the actual MVV procedure at a Dutch Embassy/Consulate.
3) If the application is complete and there are no other problems, the MVV is issued.

MVV application procedure:
1) The applicant applies for an authorisation for temporary stay (‘MVV’) at a Dutch embassy or consulate. The application is sent for decision to IND.
2) IND asks the host of the applicant for the required information and payment of the fee (unless the applicant has opted to pay the fee himself). When the application is complete and the fee has been paid, IND takes a decision that is sent to the mission electronically.
3) The mission informs the applicant about the decision and issues the MVV (or a refusal letter if the decision is negative).
1) MVV advisory procedure

Procedure to be followed by the host:
a. The host submits a request for advice to the IND (Note: For some purposes of stay, the applicant has to pass the Civil Integration Exam before starting the procedure!)
b. The IND checks whether the host meets the relevant conditions.
c. The IND informs the host of its recommendation. If the recommendation is positive, the host must pay the applicable fee in the Netherlands.
d. Once the fee has been paid, the IND informs the mission of the positive recommendation.
e. If the host does not meet the conditions, the IND will send the host a negative recommendation. The IND will not inform the mission of the negative recommendation, nor will it inform the applicant. Following a ruling by the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State, it is not possible to object to a negative recommendation on an application, since a recommendation does not amount to an actual decision.

Procedure followed by the Embassy/Consulate General:
The advice will be registered by the mission, but it is up to the host to tell the applicant to go to the mission in order to submit an application. However:
If the advice mentions the telephone number or e-mail address of the applicant, he or she will be informed by the mission and asked to make an appointment to apply for the MVV.
If the advice only gives a Chinese home address (in european characters) of the applicant, a letter will be sent to the applicant by mail. As the address translated into Chinese characters may not be correct, it often occurs that letters reach the applicant very late or not at all. Therefore:

Procedure to be followed by the applicant after receipt of a positive recommendation:
a. The applicant may inform the mission by e-mail as soon as he knows that IND has issued a positive advice. (For Beijing: pek-visa@minbuza.nl For Shanghai: sha-vz@minbuza.nl For Guangzhou: gnz-visa@minbuza.nl ). The mission will confirm as soon as the advice is received and make an appointment with the applicant for the MVV application.
b. The applicant will be informed about the documents he should bring, and must take care, if necessary, of legalisation of the necessary documents in advance.
c. The applicant must submit his application in person and within six months after the date of the positive advice by IND.
Procedure followd by the mission, after the applicant submits an MVV application:
a. Take receipt of the application and establish the applicant’s identity.
b. Check the documents required on the basis of the positive recommendation and the letters concerning conditions and required documents.
c. If the application is incomplete, the mission gives the applicant four weeks to rectify any omissions. If the meets the conditions, the mission will issue the MVV.
d. If the applicant does not meet the conditions or fails to provide all the required documents within the deadline for rectification, the mission will notify the IND and request that the application be reconsidered. The IND will then make a final decision. The decision may still be positive (for instance if the applicant is exempted from the usual rules or if the host has provided the IND with the missing information or documents). In that case, the mission will receive notification approving the issue of the MVV. If the decision is negative, the mission will receive a copy of the decision refusing the application, which will be given or sent to the applicant.
e. The mission issues the travel document containing the MVV (A D+C visa, valid for three months, giving the holder three months after they enter the Netherlands and before they obtain a residence permit in which they are entitled to travel freely within the Schengen area and/or return to the Netherlands after making a single visit to a country outside the Schengen area)
f. The mission also issues a letter containing the information about the duty to report to the local Aliens Police within three days of arrival in the Netherlands and about applying for a residence permit in the municipality in which he is going to live.

NB: The MVV holder has six months in which to enter the Netherlands from the date of issue.

Documents to be submitted
Although the IND will have seen copies of some documents relating to the applicant when assessing the request for advice, the mission is still responsible for assessing the applicant’s original documents.

For the required documents for you purpose of stay, please check www.ind.nl

NOTE: For registration at the Townhall in the Netherlands, the applicant will need a new, legalised Birth certificate and marriage- or unmarried certificate.

2) MVV APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Procedure to be followed by the applicant:
a. Contact the mission for information about the requirements for your purpose of stay and an application form. (Note: For some purposes you need to pass a Civil Integration Test before applying!!!!)
b. Legalise the necessary documents.
c. Apply for the MVV at a Dutch consulate or Embassy.
d. Inform the mission how the fee will be paid.
Documents to be submitted
For the required documents for you purpose of stay, please check www.ind.nl
Procedure followed by the mission:
a. Register the application.
b. Set a deadline for the rectification of omissions if the application is incomplete.
c. Give the applicant an acknowledgement of receipt of application
d. Send the application immediately to the IND electronically.

Procedure followed by IND:
a. A letter is sent to the host about the payment of the fee, unless the applicant has opted to pay the fee himself.
b. The IND also writes to the host requesting that the required information and documents be sent to the IND within two weeks.
c. Note: If the host is residing with the applicant outside the Netherlands, he should supply the mission with the documents relating to his situation (as set out in the letters concerning conditions and required documents for the applicable purpose of stay) – if he has any – together with those concerning the applicant. The documents will be sent by mail to IND for the assesment of the MVV application.
d. Every day the IND checks what payments have been received and the applications to which they relate.
e. If the host does not pay the fee, he is given a further two weeks to rectify this omission.
f. When the application is complete and the fee has been paid, the file goes to the IND staff member charged with making a decision.
g. The IND sends the decision on the MVV application to the mission electronically.

Procedures followed after decision:
a. The mission will contact the applicant (preferably in writing by e-mail) to make an appointment for him to collect the MVV.
b. The applicant reports to the mission. The mission will check the identity of the applicant on the basis of his travel document or – if he has taken the civic integration examination on the basis of his fingerprints in the Civic Integration Examination Biometric System (IEBS).
c. The mission issues the travel document containing the MVV (A D+C visa, valid for three months, giving the holder three months after they enter the Netherlands and before they obtain a residence permit in which they are entitled to travel freely within the Schengen area and/or return to the Netherlands after making a single visit to a country outside the Schengen area)
d. The mission also issues a letter containing the information about the duty to report to the local Aliens Police within three days of arrival in the Netherlands and about applying for a residence permit in the municipality in which he is going to live.

NB: The MVV holder has six months in which to enter the Netherlands from the date of issue.