New Toelatingsorganisatie policy: permits of up to 3 years paid in advance, and incomplete applications are no longer processed
Since April 1, 2026 you can apply for a permit of 1, 2 or 3 years, paying for all the years in advance: in a first application, the first year at that fee and the others at the renewal fee, and when renewing, all of them at the renewal fee (Toelatingsorganisatie payment order, September 30, 2026), except for short stay, remote worker and tourist extension. Family members joining you get the same duration as the main applicant. An application without at least the form, a copy of a valid passport and proof of payment is not processed, and the 6-week period to complete it no longer exists. The criteria for an indefinite permit are also set out.
Since when:
What you should do: When you apply or renew, decide how many years (up to 3) and pay for all of them in advance. Hand in at least the form, a copy of your valid passport and proof of payment, plus the documents for your procedure: without them a negative decision is almost certain. If your last permit was already for 2, 3 or 5 years, renew on time to keep that same duration; if you apply after the 3-month tolerance period, you lose it.
Official source: Toelatingsorganisatie: «Implementatie beleidswijzigingen per 1 april 2026» (PDF)