How do you collect your IND residence document in the Netherlands in 2026?

Follow the pathway letter for your permit type first: Apply for a residence permit. Book a biometrics appointment only after the IND confirms it needs your photo, fingerprints, and signature. Bring a valid passport and the appointment code from the booking email. The IND takes the digital photo on site; studio prints are not accepted. Desks include Amsterdam, Den Haag, Haarlem, ’s-Hertogenbosch, and Zwolle, plus some expat-centre service points.

When My IND or a letter says the document is ready, book collection at the exact location named there. Collect it yourself; someone else cannot pick it up for you. Children under 18 go with a parent or legal representative. If the IND holds your passport or civil documents, they return with the card at the same appointment.

A residence-endorsement sticker in your passport can prove you may await a procedure when your old card or sticker is about to expire and the IND has confirmed receipt of a qualifying application. It is decided during that appointment, not mailed later. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens using free movement usually skip this card path entirely and focus on BRP registration instead: Register your address.

Banks, insurers, and DigiD tasks still need the BSN track even while the card is printing: Set up DigiD, Open a bank account, and Choose health insurance. Some permits later trigger inburgering: Civic integration. Keep a reachable Dutch number for IND SMS: Get a mobile phone. Sequence the steps in Paperwork after moving.