Requirements for family reunification with your parents, siblings or adult children
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As an adult, do you want your (foster) parents to come to the Netherlands? Or your brothers, sisters, adult children or other dependent relatives? Then you can apply for family reunification on the basis of Article 8 ECHR. In this step-by-step plan you can read how this works.
Situations where you have a chance of family reunification under Article 8 ECHR
There are no special rules for which family members you can apply for 'gezinshereniging 8 EVRM' (family reunification based on Article 8 ECHR) and for which family members you cannot. However, sometimes you have more or less of a chance.
In these situations, you are more likely to get family reunification based on Article 8 ECHR:
You entered the Netherlands as an
You entered the Netherlands as an unaccompanied minor alien and want to be reunited with your foster parent.
You are of age and want to be reunited with your grandchild. You have applied for your child post-travel and your grandchild cannot stay behind.
You have a right to post-travel for your family members, but you have not submitted the application within 3 months and the
Please note that the IND will be lenient with this 3-month period at least until 1 June 2026 in the case of post-travel.
Situations where you are less likely to get family reunification under Article 8 ECHR:
You have entered the Netherlands as an unaccompanied minor and want to be reunited with your adult brothers and/or sisters (for your parents you submit applications for post-travel family reunification).
You entered the Netherlands as an adult (18+). You want to be reunited with your parents and siblings. You are dependent on your parents as a young adult child.
You entered the Netherlands as an adult. You want to be reunited with a sick parent. You can prove that your parent is particularly dependent on you.
You entered the Netherlands as an adult (18+). You want to be reunited with other particularly dependent family members for whom no one can care.
It is important that the IND sees the relationship you have with your family member as 'family life that needs to be protected'. The IND will therefore investigate your relationship with this family member. The IND will also investigate whether the family member's interest in coming to the Netherlands outweighs the Netherlands' interest in dealing strictly with requests for family reunification.