The extended asylum procedure
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The Asylum and Migration Pact came into force on 12 June. For asylum applications submitted after 12 June 2026, the option of an extended asylum procedure will no longer be available. This article is therefore only relevant to asylum seekers who were already in the extended asylum procedure (VA) before 12 June.
It is unclear when you will receive a decision on your asylum application
Your asylum application is currently being processed under the
It is currently unclear when the IND will reach a decision on your case. Officially, the IND is required by law to reach a decision within six months. However, the
From 31 October 2026, the IND will once again start deciding on asylum applications submitted before 12 June 2026. However, even after 31 October, most IND staff will continue to process only new applications. The IND wants to prevent long waiting times from arising for new applications as well. It is therefore possible that it may still take longer for you to receive a decision.
What decisions can the IND make, and what do they mean?
Once the asylum pact comes into force, the IND will immediately make a final decision on asylum cases. The IND will no longer first issue a draft decision to which you and your lawyer can respond. The IND will make its decision based on the interviews with you, the documents you have provided and other information about your country of origin.
There are two possibilities:
The IND approves your asylum application: you will receive a letter stating that your asylum application has been approved. You will be issued with an asylum residence permit. This is valid for 3 years from the date stated on your residence permit. After 3 years, you can
The IND has rejected your asylum application: you will receive a letter from the IND stating that it has rejected your asylum application. The letter will set out the reasons for the rejection and what this means for you.
If the IND rejects your asylum application, you can take the matter to court
Has the IND rejected your application? If so, you can lodge an appeal with the court with the help of your lawyer. Discuss with your lawyer whether you wish to do this. If your lawyer lodges an appeal on your behalf, the court will assess whether the IND’s decision is correct or not. The court will only examine whether the IND followed the correct procedure; they will not assess the merits of your case.
If you appeal against the IND’s decision in court, you may remain in the Netherlands until the court has reached a decision.
If the court rules that the IND did not conduct the proceedings correctly, the IND must issue a new decision. If the court rules that the IND did conduct the proceedings correctly, you can discuss with your lawyer what you wish to do next. You have three options:
To appeal to a higher court.
To return to your country of origin.
Sometimes it may be a good idea to submit a new asylum application. Would you like to know in which situations you can do this?
Then read on in this article.