From 15 June, you will no longer be entitled to temporary protection in the Netherlands if you were previously granted protection in another EU country

Do you want to apply for protection in the Netherlands but are you currently in, or have you previously been in, another

Until 15 June 2026, you could apply for temporary protection in several EU countries. This will change from 15 June. From that date, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will assess whether you are entitled to temporary protection. From then on, the IND will also check whether you have or have had temporary protection in another EU country. If that is the case, you will not be granted temporary protection in the Netherlands.

When you register with a municipality in the Netherlands, they will check whether you have previously been granted temporary protection in another EU country. If the municipality is unsure whether you are entitled to temporary protection, or if they refuse to grant it, the IND will carry out an investigation.

Municipalities can choose how they want the IND to carry out this assessment. The assessment can be done online at the town hall, in which case you will often receive a response on the same day. Alternatively, you can make an appointment at an IND counter for a face-to-face interview, in which case it often takes a few days to receive a response.

If, following the investigation, the IND decides that you are not entitled to TPD, you will receive a letter to that effect. Keep this letter in a safe place. You will need it if you wish to apply for asylum in Ter Apel at a later date.

You will not receive a letter from the IND if your application for temporary protection has been approved.

If you arrived in the Netherlands before 15 June 2026 and registered with a municipality for temporary protection before that date, this new rule does not apply to you.

Did you arrive in the Netherlands before 15 June, but were you not registered with the municipality straight away? If so, it is important that you can prove you were already in the Netherlands before 15 June 2026. You should therefore keep as much evidence as possible of your arrival and stay in the Netherlands prior to 15 June, such as:

• Train tickets.

• Hotel or hostel bookings.

• A confirmation of the appointment from the municipality.

• Other documents proving when you arrived in the Netherlands.

Are you a family member of someone who has been granted temporary protection in the Netherlands? If so, you are likely to be eligible for temporary protection, even if you have previously been granted temporary protection in another EU country.

At the moment, we do not yet know exactly how the IND will implement this new rule. As soon as more information becomes available, you will find it on RefugeeHelp.

Do you have any questions about this rule? Or has your application for asylum or protection been rejected and would you like to know what you can do? If so, make an appointment for VluchtelingenWerk Nederland's (VWN) online consultation.