Residency for medical treatment

If you are no longer allowed to stay in the Netherlands, but are unable to leave the country because you are undergoing medical treatment, you could, on certain conditions, apply for residency on medical grounds.

The conditions

Conditions for residency on medical grounds are:

• you are not fit to travel because of your or one of your family members’ health condition
• the cancellation of your treatment results in a medical emergency*
• if the medical treatment cannot take place in your country of origin

*As a medical emergency are considered death, disability or another form of serious mental or physical damage.

In order to assess whether the continuance of your medical treatment in the Netherlands is necessary, the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service consults the Bureau Medische Advisering (BMA) (Committee of Medical Consultation). 

The medical treatment must be continued in the Netherlands when the BMA concludes that:

• the treatment options in your country of origin are not available or sufficient
• disruptions in the supply of medicine for longer than a month take place in your country of origin
• it is unable to consult about the availability of medical treatment in your country of origin due to the situation there
• family care is necessary for the success of your medical treatment and there are no family members able to provide this care in your country of origin

How long?

Residency based on medical grounds is always issued temporarily: mostly for a year. If the situation has not changed after a year, residency can be extended with another year. If your residency on medical grounds has accumulated in 3 years of stay, you can apply for another residence permit that does not depend on your medical situation.

Family members already in the Netherlands (partner and minor children) may sometimes stay in the Netherlands for as long as the treatment takes. Family members who still reside in their country of origin do not qualify for family reunification.

Need help?

Everaert Advocaten Immigration Lawyers works a lot with hospitals, general practitioners, social workers and non-profit organizations such as the Wereldhuis. We support patients in their search for solutions to dire medical emergencies.