Article

Leaving the Netherlands temporarily

Last updated: 13/10/2025, 13:43

If you have temporary protection, you may leave the Netherlands temporarily. For example, to go on holiday. For people with Ukrainian citizenship and a Ukrainian passport, different rules apply than for people with another citizenship who also have temporary protection.

Leaving the Netherlands temporarily with Ukrainian citizenship

Ukrainians with biometric passports may travel within Europe and to Ukraine without a visa for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. This is called the '

vrije termijn

' (free period).

Travel outside the free period is at your own risk. The

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)

will not give you a visa to return to the Netherlands. You need a Ukrainian

biometric passport

and proof of residence in the Netherlands to travel. A non-biometric (Ukrainian) passport does not count as a travel document.

In order to travel after your free period, you need a Ukrainian biometric passport as well as proof of residence in the Netherlands to travel. A non-biometric (Ukrainian) passport does not count as a travel document.

Leaving the Netherlands temporarily without Ukrainian citizenship

If you do not have Ukrainian citizenship and you wish to leave the Netherlands temporarily, you do so at your own risk. You need at least a valid travel document and proof of residence in the Netherlands. The IND will not give you a return visa that allows you to come back to the Netherlands.

Report your departure to the municipality

Do you live in municipal accommodation (GOO)? If so, before you leave the Netherlands, you must notify the municipality that you are leaving temporarily and how long you will be away. If you fail to do so, the municipality may stop your accommodation and living allowance. Ask the municipality what the options are and what will happen if you do not return to the accommodation within the agreed time. In the Netherlands, municipal shelters for refugees from Ukraine are very full. That is why municipalities want to use all available shelter places and have rules that apply if you leave the Netherlands temporarily.

If you are away for more than 14 days, there is a good chance that the municipality will give your accommodation to someone else. When you return to the Netherlands, you will be given accommodation again, but it will be in a different local authority area.

If you are away for more than 28 days, the municipality will stop your accommodation and living allowance. The municipality will then also remove you from the

BRP.

If you have been deregistered from the BRP, you will have to arrange your own accommodation with a municipality when you return to the Netherlands. This is very difficult because the municipality accommodation locations in the Netherlands are very full. The

IND

will reassess whether you are entitled to temporary protection.

Healthcare expenses you incur outside the Netherlands are not usually reimbursed

Are you going on a trip outside the Netherlands? Then ask for permission from the Regulation on Medical Care of Ukrainians (RMO)

. You should do this before you incur unexpected healthcare costs outside the Netherlands because the RMO usually does not reimburse healthcare costs you incur abroad. There are exceptions, for example, if you have been given permission to travel outside the Netherlands or if it is emergency care.

If you are registered in the

Dutch population register (BRP)

and have Dutch health insurance, you can usually get travel insurance.

Would you like to take out travel insurance? Then contact an insurance company to discuss the terms and conditions.

Travelling with children under 18

If you are in the Netherlands and want to travel within the EU with children under 18, you must have permission from the parent or guardian not travelling with you. On the Dutch government's website you can download a form where you can arrange this permission for your child.