Requirements for family reunification with your parents, siblings or adult children

In the , we explain for whom you can apply for family reunification: your spouse or partner, minor child or adult child who is still (financially) dependent on you. Family members who have stayed behind other than the family members mentioned there are not eligible for post-travel asylum family reunification.

Sometimes the IND allows family reunification with another family member, such as a brother or sister or (foster) parents. This may not be through post-travel asylum family reunification, but through family reunification on the basis of . Below we explain what the conditions are for such family reunification and how you can apply for it. More information about family reunification based on Article 8 ECHR can also be found in the from . They are available in Dutch, English, French, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Somali, Tigrinya and Turkish.

You can apply for family reunification based on Article 8 ECHR if:

1. You have an independent asylum residence permit.

2. The family member belongs to your family and also belonged to your family abroad. This usually means that you lived together in your country of origin.

3. Your family member has not committed a criminal offence or crime.

4. You declare that you are the 'referent' for your family member. The referent is the person who allows the family member to come to the Netherlands (the applicant).

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 and want to be reunited with your minor brothers and/or sisters (for your parents, you can apply for 'gezinshereniging asiel nareis' (post-travel asylum family reunification) as an AMV.

• 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 has ruled that you have not given a good reason for doing so.

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.