Netherlands Partner Visa (MVV) from Türkiye — Evidence Guide

For Turkish applicants applying to Netherlands. Official source: Embassy of the Netherlands in Ankara / Consulate-General in Istanbul.

Applicable visa categories

MVV + Residence Permit for Partner (married or registered partner) (B07001E) — IND decision period is 90 days and can be extended; the exam abroad and MVV sticker steps come on top — varies by case
MVV + Residence Permit for Partner (unmarried partner) (B07002E) — IND decision period is 90 days and can be extended — varies by case

What is different for Turkish applicants

Civic integration exam abroad: since 1 January 2022, Turkish nationals who want to live long-term with family in the Netherlands, including a partner, must pass the basic exam abroad (Speaking, Reading and Knowledge of Dutch Society, at A1 level) before the MVV application, unless an exemption applies. For Türkiye, Netherlands Worldwide says to book the exam through the Dutch embassy in Ankara once DUO has confirmed your payment; a Government of the Netherlands Q&A names VFS Ankara as the exam location, so follow the booking instructions DUO and the embassy give you. The result is valid for one year.
MVV sticker in Ankara or Istanbul: the IND’s positive decision letter states whether the Turkish partner applies for the MVV sticker at the embassy in Ankara or the consulate-general in Istanbul. There are 3 months to apply for the sticker, appointments are requested by email, and the passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the appointment date with at least 2 blank pages.
EU-Turkey Association Agreement: when the partner in the Netherlands is a Turkish citizen (dual Dutch-Turkish nationals included), the IND charges a lower fee for a married or registered partner, with some exceptions. When a Turkish citizen working in the Netherlands brings a spouse or registered partner, both need to be at least 18 instead of 21.
Turkish civil-status documents: multilingual extracts of birth, marriage and divorce records, issued by the nüfus müdürlüğü, need no translation or legalisation for the Netherlands. For other official Turkish documents the IND asks for legalisation (an apostille, for Türkiye) and a translation into Dutch, English, French or German; Netherlands Worldwide lists some exceptions, such as nationality documents, that need a translation but no legalisation.

Document authentication (Türkiye)

Türkiye has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1985. Administrative documents such as civil-registry extracts are apostilled by provincial governorships (Valilik) or district governorships (Kaymakamlık), and court documents through the courthouse; apostilles can also be requested and verified through the e-Apostil system.

Issuing authority: e-Apostil (apostille service of the Ministries of Justice and Interior).

Civil documents commonly required

Nüfus kayıt örneği (civil-registry extract) from the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİ), also available through e-Devlet
Formül A (multilingual birth-record extract)
Uluslararası Evlilik Kayıt Örneği – Formül B (multilingual marriage-record extract)
T.C. kimlik kartı (national identity card)
Adli sicil kaydı (criminal-records certificate) from the Ministry of Justice, available through e-Devlet

Common refusal grounds at Embassy of the Netherlands in Ankara / Consulate-General in Istanbul

MVV application without proof that the partner passed the civic integration exam abroad (a DUO result not older than 1 year) or a valid exemption or dispensation — passing the exam is a condition for applying.
Sponsor not meeting the IND income requirement (independent, sustainable and sufficient income), or income documents missing from the application.
Age requirement not met: both partners must be 21 or older, or 18 or older if they were already married while both lived outside the Netherlands, or if the sponsor is a Turkish citizen working in the Netherlands bringing a spouse or registered partner.
Unmarried partners: relationship not sufficiently proven — form B07002E asks the couple to prove a relationship and a strong bond through answers to relationship questions and a written relationship story backed by evidence.
Missing documents, or Turkish documents not legalised or translated as the IND requires — form B07001E warns that if not all documents are submitted, the decision takes longer and the IND may reject the application.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

For unmarried partners: as much evidence as possible of different moments in the relationship, each dated and arranged in chronological order — photos (printed in colour), chats, social-media messages, airline tickets and money transfers between the partners — backing up the written relationship story.
Passport copies for both partners: the identity pages plus the pages with travel stamps. For married or registered partners, form B07001E asks for colour copies of certificates, passports and photos.
Civil-status documents: Turkish multilingual extracts where available; other official Turkish documents apostilled and translated into Dutch, English, French or German. A copy of the foreign marriage certificate is not needed if the marriage is already registered with a Dutch municipality; for unmarried partners, the IND accepts a single status declaration only if it is not older than 6 months.
Sponsor documents: income evidence from the IND Appendix Proof of income and, for married or registered partners where the sponsor (also) has Turkish nationality, a copy of the Turkish passport, nüfus identity card or an official statement of Turkish nationality dated after the sponsor obtained Dutch nationality.

Frequently asked questions

Do Turkish nationals have to take the civic integration exam abroad to join a partner in the Netherlands?

Generally yes, unless an exemption or dispensation applies. Since 1 January 2022 Turkish nationals who want to live long-term with family in the Netherlands must pass the basic civic integration exam abroad, and Turkish nationality is not on the IND’s list of exempt nationalities. Partners aged 18 up to state pension age take Speaking, Reading and Knowledge of Dutch Society, at A1 level, before applying for the MVV. In Türkiye you register and pay with DUO; Netherlands Worldwide then says to book the appointment through the Dutch embassy in Ankara, while a Government of the Netherlands Q&A names VFS Ankara as the exam location, so follow the instructions DUO and the embassy give you. The result is valid for one year, and civic integration continues after arrival in the Netherlands.

Where does a Turkish partner collect the MVV visa sticker?

The IND’s positive decision letter says whether to go to the Dutch embassy in Ankara or the consulate-general in Istanbul. You then have 3 months to apply for the sticker. Appointments are requested by email (the addresses are on the Netherlands Worldwide MVV page for Türkiye), and Netherlands Worldwide advises against booking through an agency or agent. If a sponsor applied in the Netherlands, bring a passport valid for at least 6 months from the appointment date with at least 2 blank pages, a photocopy of the passport photo page, a passport photo that meets Dutch requirements, a photocopy of the IND decision letter showing the V-number, and the other documents the letter lists. The passport is handed over at the appointment, and the sticker can take up to 10 working days to be ready.

Do Turkish documents need an apostille and translation for the IND?

Multilingual extracts of birth, marriage and divorce records from the nüfus müdürlüğü need neither translation nor legalisation for use in the Netherlands, so request those where available. For other official Turkish documents, the IND asks for legalisation and a translation into Dutch, English, French or German. Türkiye has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 1985, so legalisation is done with an apostille from the Turkish authorities; Netherlands Worldwide lists some exceptions, such as nationality documents, that need a translation but no legalisation. If a sworn translator in Türkiye makes the translation, both the original and the translation need to be legalised; if a sworn translator in the Netherlands translates the apostilled original, the translation needs no legalisation.

Does a Turkish partner need a TB test after arriving in the Netherlands?

Not under the current list. Turkey is on the IND’s Appendix 7644 list of nationalities exempt from the tuberculosis (TB) test (version valid from 30 May 2025). Check the latest version of the appendix on ind.nl before applying.

Do the lower fee and lower age limit under the EU-Turkey Association Agreement apply to us?

That depends on the partner in the Netherlands. The IND’s lower fee applies when the sponsor is a Turkish citizen (dual Dutch-Turkish nationals included, with proof of Turkish nationality) and the couple is married or in a registered partnership. It does not apply to unmarried partners, or when the Turkish sponsor’s own permit is for study, medical treatment or spending leave. The age limit of 18 instead of 21 applies when the sponsor is a Turkish citizen working in the Netherlands who brings a spouse or registered partner. Otherwise the standard family fee applies; check the IND fees page for current amounts.

Can WhatsApp chats be used as evidence for a Dutch partner permit?

For unmarried partners, yes. Form B07002E asks for a written story of the relationship backed by evidence such as photos, chats, social-media messages, airline tickets and money transfers, covering different moments, each dated and in chronological order, so a formatted chronological chat export fits that request. For married or registered partners, form B07001E asks for a copy of the marriage or registration certificate and does not list chat history among the documents to submit.

Official sources

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