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Visas and permits

Permanent residence: ask for the EU long-term resident permit, it is a free upgrade

At 5 years of legal residence, two permanent permits exist. Both require 5 years, stable income, and the civic-integration exam (A2). The EU long-term resident permit additionally lets you resettle in other EU countries far more easily - same effort, more rights - and the IND checks your eligibility automatically, so ask for it. Honest correction to a common myth: in NL the EU long-term permit does NOT skip the income requirement or the integration exam. Absence limit: no more than 6 consecutive / 10 total months outside NL.