DAFT With a Spouse or Partner: Residence Rights, Work Permission, and the Paperwork That Actually Matters
Last reviewed: January 2026
If you are moving to the Netherlands on DAFT and you are not moving alone, treat “bringing my partner and kids” as a real workstream. DAFT is your residence permit. Your spouse or partner (and your children) usually need their own residence permits under the IND’s family categories.
This article is intentionally practical. It covers what your partner actually gets, what they do not get, how work permission really works under DAFT, and which documents shape your timeline. The goal is simple: you stop guessing and you start building a clean file.
Three truths that prevent most DAFT family chaos:
1) Your partner’s permit is a separate application with separate requirements.
2) Under DAFT, your partner can often work more freely than you can.
3) “We will apply later” is a choice with consequences, not a neutral delay.
Scope note: Expat Advisory provides planning, education, and coordination. We are not a law firm, we do not provide legal services, and we do not file IND applications for you. Use the official IND links in this article to confirm requirements for your situation.
Official anchor pages used throughout: IND partner permit, IND minor child permit, and IND self-employed permit (DAFT).
The 60-second plan
If you want this to feel calm, follow an order of operations. This plan prevents rework.
| Step | Do this | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm whether your partner (and children) need an MVV based on nationality. | MVV is a process fork. It changes where you apply and how you plan travel. |
| 2 | Pick a strategy: apply together vs sponsor later, and write down why. | If you do not choose, you drift. Drifting is how timelines slip. |
| 3 | Start civil documents now: marriage, birth, custody, consent, legalisation, translation. | Legalisation and translation are what quietly eat your schedule. |
| 4 | Build a “family file” with one folder per person plus one master checklist. | The IND approves clean packages. Messy packages stall. |
| 5 | After approval, verify work-rights wording on each residence card before making work plans. | Work permission is printed on the residence document. Read it and plan off facts. |
Working principle: Your goal is not “submit something.” Your goal is “submit a complete package that reads cleanly.” Complete packages move faster and are easier to approve.
Quick Navigation
- The big picture: who needs what permit
- Partner permit basics: what the IND actually requires
- Work permission: what your partner gets under DAFT
- Apply together vs later: a decision framework
- MVV and the civic integration exam abroad: when they matter
- Income requirements: the gate people underestimate
- Children: parental authority, consent, and the proof set
- Paperwork workflow: how to build a file the IND can approve
- Process and timing: what to expect and how to avoid delay
- Renewal reality: what changes after extension (and what does not)
- Pitfalls: the preventable mistakes
- Next steps and internal links
- Sources and official references
The big picture: who needs what permit
DAFT is a treaty path inside the IND’s broader “residence permit for self-employed person” framework. The IND’s self-employed page is your anchor for your own status, and it also explains the work-rights wording that appears on residence documents.
Official anchor: IND: Residence permit self-employed person (includes DAFT).
Your partner and children typically anchor to you through family permits. In practice, DAFT households most commonly use:
Partner permit: IND: Residence permit for partner.
Minor child permit: IND: Residence permit for minor child to stay with parent.
If your child is 18 or older, do not assume the “minor child” route applies. Adult children often need a different residence purpose (study is common). Treat that as a separate plan so it does not collide with your DAFT timeline.
Translation into reality: DAFT is DIY-friendly for you. Family permits are also DIY-friendly, but they are evidence-driven. Your job is to match each person to the correct permit type and then build a clean proof set.
Partner permit basics: what the IND actually requires
A lot of partner-permit confusion disappears the moment you read the IND requirements once. The IND lays these out clearly. Your job is to take each requirement and attach evidence to it.
| Requirement (plain language) | What it means in practice | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Valid travel documents | Both of you need valid passports (or accepted travel documents). This is a simple requirement and an easy delay to avoid. | IND partner permit |
| Verifiable relationship | Married, registered partnership, or unmarried with a relationship the IND can assess. Unmarried partner cases are not “hard.” They just require organization. | IND partner permit |
| Age | Generally 21+ for both partners. The IND also lists a lower age scenario if you were already married and both lived outside the Netherlands. Always confirm the details on ind.nl, especially if special rules apply to your nationality. | IND partner permit |
| Living together | You are going to live together in the Netherlands and register at the same address. Housing and registration are part of your evidence, not a separate “later” task. | IND partner permit |
| Income requirements | The sponsor must meet the IND income rules. For self-employed income, the IND describes how they assess sustainability and sufficiency. Use the IND income test as a first pass, then plan your evidence. | IND income requirements + income test |
| Sponsorship declaration | You declare you are the sponsor. Sponsorship comes with obligations and responsibilities. Do not treat sponsor duties as a formality. | IND sponsor obligations |
| TB test (sometimes) | Some nationalities must undergo a TB test after arriving. Many are exempt. The IND publishes the exemption list and the TB forms. | Appendix TB exemption list 7644 (PDF) |
| Civic integration exam abroad (sometimes) | This can be required before an MVV in some partner cases. There are exemptions and dispensations. If it applies, treat it as a timeline item and start early. | IND exam abroad |
| Antecedents certificate (12+) | Everyone aged 12+ completes the antecedents declaration. Put it on the checklist immediately so it never becomes a scramble. | Appendix 7601 (PDF) |
Two clarifications that keep couples out of trouble. First, the “civic integration exam abroad” is a pre-entry step tied to some MVV partner applications. Second, a “civic integration obligation” (inburgeringsplicht) is an integration requirement in the Netherlands that can trigger waiting rules in some sponsor situations. They are different concepts. Treat them differently in your plan.
Practical advice: Do not treat “living together” as something you will solve later. If you do not have a housing plan, you do not have a partner plan yet.
Work permission: what your partner gets under DAFT
This is the single most misunderstood part of “DAFT with a partner.” People assume a partner permit means weaker work rights. Under DAFT, the IND states that if you have a residence permit for “work as a self-employed person” (arbeid als zelfstandige), your partner is free to work, also as a self-employed person. Your partner’s work permission is shown on the back of their residence document.
Official source: “Working with the residence permit” on the IND partner permit page.
The IND self-employed page reinforces the sponsor side of this. It explains the work-rights wording on your own residence permit and notes that family members are allowed to work without a work permit (TWV). Again, the back of the residence document is the truth. Read it.
Official source: “Working with the residence permit” on IND residence permit self-employed person.
| Person | Typical status | What to do at your desk |
|---|---|---|
| You (DAFT holder) | Residence permit for work as a self-employed person. | Plan on self-employed income first. If you also want paid employment, understand when an employer work permit (TWV) is required. |
| Your partner | Residence permit for partner. | After approval, check the back of the residence card and confirm the “free to work” wording before signing an employment contract or starting invoicing. |
| Your household | Two permits with different work consequences. | Use the flexibility: your partner’s ability to work can stabilize cash flow while you build the DAFT business. |
Non-negotiable rule: plan off the residence card, not off internet opinions. Work permission is printed on the residence document. Verify it and then build your systems.
Longer-term note: the IND describes how work-rights endorsements can change over time in some situations. This is not a first-year DAFT concern. It is just useful context for people building multi-year flexibility. Always confirm the current rules and your specific endorsement on ind.nl.
Apply together vs later: a decision framework
Most couples drift into a strategy without choosing one. That is how you get stuck later. Your real choices are simple: apply as a unit, or you go first and sponsor later. The right option depends on three practical questions.
Ask these three questions:
1) Is your partner MVV-exempt? If not, your timeline changes immediately.
2) Does your partner need to work quickly after arrival? If yes, earlier is usually cleaner.
3) Is your relationship documentation clean (marriage, registered partnership, or organized unmarried evidence)? If no, build the file first.
| Strategy | Best when | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Apply together | You are genuinely moving as a unit, your documents are clean, and you want the household stable as soon as the permits allow. | Your income story needs to be coherent. If you apply DAFT and family close together, expected income may matter and it must be credible. |
| You go first, sponsor later | You need to secure housing first, set up the business, or your partner has MVV requirements and needs a longer runway. | In some sponsor situations, a waiting period can apply when there is a civic integration obligation. Sponsoring later can also mean more historical income evidence. |
The IND partner and minor child pages describe a waiting period in some sponsor situations tied to a civic integration obligation, and they list exceptions. Do not guess here. Read the “additional rules” and “waiting period” sections on the relevant IND pages and plan accordingly.
Official references: IND partner permit and IND minor child permit.
Assertive advice: if you are married (or equivalent) and moving together, applying together is often the cleanest path. If you choose “later,” write down the reason and the trigger date. “Later” should not be a fog.
MVV and the civic integration exam abroad: when they matter
MVV is the main fork in the road. Your nationality determines whether you need an MVV. Many DAFT families are mixed-nationality. You may be MVV-exempt as a US citizen and your partner may not be. Do not assume you are on the same track.
Official list: IND: MVV exemptions.
If your partner needs an MVV, you typically apply for the MVV and the residence permit together from abroad (through a Dutch embassy or consulate). That is a different workflow than a simple “arrive and apply” case, and it changes how you plan travel, appointments, and timing.
Official overview: IND: Apply for MVV and residence permit from abroad.
The civic integration exam abroad is a separate requirement that can apply in partner cases when an MVV is involved. The IND publishes exam information, exemptions, and dispensations. If it applies to your partner, treat it like a timeline item and start early.
Official page: IND: Civic integration exam abroad.
Desk rule: MVV and exam requirements are not “hard,” but they can be slow. If your partner is not MVV-exempt, build your plan around lead times and appointments, not around optimism.
Income requirements: the gate people underestimate
For DAFT families, this is the quiet gate. People obsess over the DAFT capital requirement because it is concrete. Partner and family permits often hinge on income. The IND defines income requirements using three words: independent, sustainable, and sufficient. These terms have specific meanings and the IND publishes both the definitions and the required amounts.
Official references: IND: Income requirements (definitions, source-specific rules) and IND: Required amounts income requirements.
Here is the practical version: if your sponsor income is self-employed income, the IND describes sustainability and sufficiency in terms of your profits for the period they assess (including a stated 18-month rule for self-employed income). If you apply for a start-up or self-employed residence permit and you also apply for a partner or child, the IND can look at expected income and expects that expected income to be evident from your business plan.
That is the point. If you are applying DAFT and bringing your partner close together, your business plan is not a formality. It is your income narrative. If you are sponsoring later, your bookkeeping, invoicing, and tax reporting become the narrative instead. Either way, the household needs a system that produces evidence.
If you want a quick first-pass sanity check, the IND provides an income test for partner and minor child applications. It is not decisive, but it helps you identify early if your plan is built on assumptions.
Start here: IND income requirements page (includes “Start income test”).
Make it boring: your partner’s stability is tied to your stability. Sloppy administration creates stress. Tidy administration keeps DAFT simple.
One more nuance people get wrong: in most cases, you cannot solve sponsor income requirements by assuming your partner’s future income will count. The IND lists limited situations where partner or parent income can be counted. For most partner applications, the sponsor must meet the income requirements themselves.
Children: parental authority, consent, and the proof set
Children are not “add-ons” in IND paperwork. The minor child permit has its own requirements and its own evidence. The IND states requirements such as: your child is under 18, your child is part of your family and not independent, you have parental authority, and if another parent with custody is staying behind abroad, that parent must give consent for the child to leave for the Netherlands.
Official reference: IND: Residence permit for minor child to stay with parent.
Two practical details from the IND minor child page that people miss: if the child is older than 12, an antecedents certificate is required; and TB rules can apply after arrival unless an exemption applies. Build both into your checklist from day one.
Antecedents certificate (12+): Appendix 7601 (PDF). TB exemption list: Appendix 7644 (PDF).
Assertive advice: if custody or consent is part of your situation, start early. Not because it is legally mysterious, but because it can be slow and emotionally complicated. Timelines break when families try to solve this at the end.
Paperwork workflow: how to build a file the IND can approve
Most DAFT family stress is not caused by rules. It is caused by messy files. The fix is boring and effective: structure your documents so each requirement is answered with evidence, and every person has a clean folder.
A file structure that works: create one folder per person (Sponsor, Partner, Child 1, Child 2). Inside each folder create two subfolders: “Final PDFs” and “Working.” Only final scans go in “Final PDFs.” Everything else goes in “Working.” This one habit prevents chaos.
Legalisation and translation: the IND states that official foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French, or German. That is a timeline item. Start it early, especially for civil documents and custody documentation.
Use the IND’s document tools. The IND provides questionnaires that generate a document overview based on your situation. Use them. They surface requirements people miss and they keep you honest about what applies to you.
Document tools:
Partner document overview (with MVV): ind.nl questionnaire
Partner document overview (without MVV): ind.nl questionnaire
Minor child document checker (with MVV): ind.nl checker
Minor child document checker (without MVV): ind.nl checker
Unmarried partner cases: treat relationship evidence like a real file. The IND uses specific appendices for unmarried partners, including a declaration of relationship and a relationship questionnaire. This is not a place for vague statements. Answer thoroughly and keep your documents readable.
Common unmarried partner appendices: Appendix Declaration of relationship 7608 (PDF) and Appendix Questionnaire for residence with partner 7625 (PDF).
TB test paperwork: if TB applies, treat it like a compliance item. The IND publishes the exemption list. Application workflows can also involve TB-related appendices, such as the declaration of intent and the referral form used with the GGD.
TB references: TB exemption list 7644 (PDF), Declaration of intent TB test 7603 (PDF), and TB test referral form 7604 (PDF).
Simple standard: if you can hand your family file to a professional tomorrow and it is coherent, you are doing it right. If it is scattered across email, screenshots, and WhatsApp, you are manufacturing delays.
Process and timing: what to expect and how to avoid delay
You do not need to memorize forms. You do need to respect the sequence. The IND partner page lays out a simple process: check requirements, collect documents, apply (online or in writing), pay, and wait for the decision. The IND also states a 90-day decision period for the partner application and explains that the decision period can be extended if the application is incomplete or the IND needs more information.
Official reference: IND partner permit.
If an MVV is required, partner and child workflows include embassy or consulate appointments abroad. This is why MVV status is a timeline anchor. You cannot shortcut appointment availability. You can only plan around it.
Fees change. Do not hardcode them into your brain. Verify the current fee right before you submit, and budget for it. The IND maintains a dedicated fees page.
Official fees page: IND: Fees (costs of an application).
Your only real speed lever: completeness. Clean scans, correct legalisation and translation, and a package that answers each requirement directly. Incomplete applications create delays. That is not bad luck. That is fixable.
Renewal reality: what changes after extension (and what does not)
Under DAFT, your residence permit is temporary and commonly valid for up to 2 years at a time. The IND partner and minor child pages explain a practical consequence: if the sponsor has a temporary residence permit, the end date of the partner’s or child’s residence permit is the same as the end date of the sponsor’s residence permit. If the sponsor is Dutch or has permanent residence, the partner permit can be valid longer.
Official validity references: IND partner permit and IND minor child permit.
What does not change automatically after renewal is your responsibility to maintain DAFT conditions and keep a clean file. If your DAFT status is threatened because you ignored requirements or let admin collapse, your family’s stability is also threatened. This is why we keep repeating the boring advice. Boring is the goal.
Finally, remember sponsor obligations. Sponsorship includes responsibilities to provide information and keep records, and your partner also has obligations as a foreign national. If your situation changes in a way that affects residence rights, treat it as something to report and document.
Official sponsor obligations: IND: Obligations foreign national and sponsor of family member.
Pitfalls: the preventable mistakes
Pitfall 1: Treating family permits like an afterthought. If you are moving as a household, make the household a first-class part of the plan. Separate file. Separate checklist. Separate timeline.
Pitfall 2: Guessing about work rights. The IND prints work permission on the residence permit. Verify the card and then plan employment, freelancing, and invoicing.
Pitfall 3: Underbuilding the income narrative. DAFT does not require you to be rich. Family permits often require you to be documentably stable. Expected income only helps when it is credible in your business plan. Historical income only helps when your administration is clean.
Pitfall 4: Thin unmarried partner evidence. If you are unmarried, assume the IND needs more context, not less. Answer the appendices thoroughly and keep your supporting documents readable.
Pitfall 5: Custody and consent handled late. If another parent has custody and stays abroad, start consent and authority documentation early. This is where timelines break.
Simple standard: a complete, well-structured file is the closest thing you have to control in an immigration process. Build it like you mean it.
Next steps and internal links
If you are building your DAFT plan right now, this reading sequence keeps things structured and prevents missed steps.
Start with DAFT Is DIY: What You Actually Need (and What You Don’t), then DAFT Application Step-by-Step, then The DAFT 6-Month Window After Approval, and bookmark extension prep: DAFT Extension After 2 Years and DAFT Renewal After 2 Years.
If you want the DIY workflow plus a second set of eyes, the DAFT DIY Hub is built for this. It is designed to keep your file organized, reduce mistakes, and keep timelines predictable without paying for unnecessary middlemen.
Sources and official references
If a blog, forum, or provider says something different, trust the official IND pages first and confirm details on ind.nl.
- IND: Residence permit self-employed person (DAFT, work wording, family work note)
- IND: Residence permit for partner (requirements, process, work permission, validity)
- IND: Residence permit for minor child to stay with parent (requirements, waiting period, consent)
- IND: MVV exemptions
- IND: Apply for MVV and residence permit from abroad
- IND: Civic integration exam abroad (including exemptions)
- IND: Income requirements (includes “Start income test”)
- IND: Required amounts income requirements
- IND: Fees (costs of an application)
- IND: Obligations foreign national and sponsor of family member
- IND: Appendix Antecedents Certificate 7601 (PDF)
- IND: Appendix TB exemption list 7644 (PDF)
- IND: Appendix Declaration of intent to undergo TB test 7603 (PDF)
- IND: Appendix TB test referral form 7604 (PDF)
- IND: Appendix Declaration of relationship 7608 (PDF)
- IND: Appendix Questionnaire for residence with partner 7625 (PDF)
- IND: Partner document overview questionnaire (with MVV)
- IND: Partner document overview questionnaire (without MVV)
- IND: Minor child document checker (with MVV)
- IND: Minor child document checker (without MVV)
If your situation involves contested custody, prior overstays, criminal history, or complex immigration history, get qualified legal help. This article is designed for standard cases and practical planning.
