Living in the Netherlands without a residence permit
If your asylum residence permit is rejected, you can choose to remain in the Netherlands without a residence permit. You will be in the Netherlands without permission from then on. On this page you will find information about shelter, income and healthcare.
Information
Shelter
If you are living in the Netherlands without a residence permit, it is difficult to get housing. There are different kinds of reception centre you can go to. You can read about them on this page.
No postal address, but important letters: what can you do?
Sometimes you do not have your own home or a fixed address. Nevertheless, you need to be able to receive important letters from the IND, the municipality or the court. In this article, you can find out what options are available for receiving post.
Healthcare
If you do not have a Dutch residence permit, it may be difficult to get healthcare. Nevertheless, like any other person, you are entitled to medically necessary healthcare. You can read more about this on this page.
Working without a residence permit
If the IND rejects your application for asylum, you may no longer stay in the Netherlands. You must return to your country of origin. Do you not do that and choose to stay in the Netherlands without a residence permit? Then according to Dutch law you are not allowed to work. If you do try to work, you run a high risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking and exploitation.
Scams in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, there are people who try to trick others into getting money or personal information. This is called fraud. Anyone can become a victim, including people who are new to the Netherlands. That is why it is important to know how scams work, what forms they take and what you can do if it happens to you.
How does the asylum procedure work?
You apply for asylum in the Netherlands because you were not safe in your home country. The Dutch government investigates whether you are entitled to protection. In this video, we explain how the asylum procedure works and which steps are important.
Preparing for the asylum procedure in the Netherlands
Preparing for the asylum procedure in the Netherlands: steps in IND application, interviews, reception centres and what to expect during your asylum application.
Organisations you encounter when applying for asylum
You apply for asylum in the Netherlands and have to deal with different organisations. In this video we explain who they are and what they do.
What does VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) do?
VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) is an independent organisation that helps refugees. VWN supports you during the asylum procedure, explains, answers questions and helps you tell your story clearly so you know what is important.
Your child may have their own reasons for fleeing and may therefore be entitled to asylum
If you flee to the Netherlands with your children, you apply for asylum as a family. The IND usually only speaks to the parents. However, it is important that your children’s stories are heard too. This helps to provide a clearer picture of the situation in the country you have fled from.