--- title: How to Book and Prepare for Your IND Appointment description: Need an IND appointment? Learn when to book, how the online booking works, which IND desk to choose and what documents to bring for biometrics or pickup. image: https://hilfort.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-10%20at%2011.06.13.png --- [![Hilfort logo](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/hilfort.svg)](https://hilfort.com/) - [About us](https://hilfort.com/about-us) - [Payrolling](https://hilfort.com/payrolling) - [Consultancy services](https://hilfort.com/consultancy-services) - [Blog](https://hilfort.com/blog) MeetingSchedule a meeting [Contact](https://hilfort.com/contact) - [About us](https://hilfort.com/about-us) - [Payrolling](https://hilfort.com/payrolling) - [Consultancy services](https://hilfort.com/consultancy-services) - [Blog](https://hilfort.com/blog) [Contact](https://hilfort.com/contact) ![Featured image](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-10%20at%2011.06.13.png) ![Hilfort logo](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/raw_assets/leapforce/80/js_client_assets/assets/logo-D8t63nYf.svg) 10-11-2026 | Legislation # How to Book and Prepare for Your IND Appointment The letter is in your inbox, or in My IND. Your residence permit application has been received, or approved, and the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) needs to see you in person. That means you need to make an IND appointment, because IND services are only available by appointment. It sounds like a small step. In practice it is where many expats lose time. Appointments are only possible online, only after the IND has contacted you, and only at the location the IND allows. Book too early, pick the wrong desk or forget one document, and your appointment is cancelled or wasted. Every week of delay is a week without a residence card in your hand. A correctly booked appointment keeps your residence permit on schedule. This guide is for expats, highly skilled migrants and their family members who need to make an IND appointment. It explains why you need one, how to book one online step by step, and exactly what to bring. It also covers the mistakes that get appointments cancelled, so you only have to go once. ## Why you need an IND appointment You need an IND appointment whenever the IND has to see you, your passport or your fingerprints in person. Walk-ins are not possible: [an IND desk can only be visited by appointment](https://ind.nl/en/service-contact/make-an-appointment-with-the-ind). For most expats, the appointment is the final step of the residence permit process. Your employer or [recognised sponsor](https://hilfort.com/blog/ind-visa-guide-for-sponsoring-employers) files the application. The IND decides. Then you visit a desk to complete the paperwork that turns a decision into a physical residence card. There are four types of IND appointment you can book online. The most common is biometrics: your passport photo, fingerprints and signature, which the IND needs to make your residence document. | Appointment type | When you need it | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Biometrics | The IND needs your photo, signature and fingerprints to make your residence document | Free at an IND desk | | Collect a document | Your residence permit, original document (such as a passport or birth certificate) or EU registration card is ready | Free, unless application fees are still open | | Residence endorsement sticker | You need proof in your passport that you may stay in the Netherlands while your procedure runs | Free | | Return visa | You need to travel abroad while you temporarily have no valid residence permit | Check with the IND | For anything else, such as collecting a Foreign Nationals Identity Document type W2, you cannot book online. You [call the IND](https://ind.nl/en/service-contact/contact-with-ind/call-the-ind) instead. Which appointment you need depends on your route. Did you enter with a provisional residence permit (mvv)? Then your biometrics were usually taken at the Dutch embassy or consulate abroad, and your IND appointment is to collect your residence document. Did you apply from within the Netherlands? Then you typically book a biometrics appointment first and a collection appointment later. Your IND letter always tells you which one applies. ## How to make an IND appointment online, step by step Booking takes about ten minutes once you have the right letter. The order matters, because the IND cancels appointments that are booked too early or at the wrong location. 1. **Wait for the IND to contact you** - You can only book after you receive a letter from the IND, a message in [My IND](https://ind.nl/en/my-ind) or, for some documents, a text message. For biometrics, that is the letter of receipt for your application or a letter asking for your photo, signature and fingerprints. For collection, it is the message that your document is ready. An appointment booked before that is cancelled. 2. **Check where you are allowed to go** - For biometrics and a residence endorsement sticker, you choose the location. To collect a document, you must go to the location named in your letter. Book anywhere else and the IND cancels the appointment. 3. **Open the right booking page** - Go to [Make an appointment with the IND](https://ind.nl/en/service-contact/make-an-appointment-with-the-ind) and pick the type you want to make an appointment for. Each type has its own booking link, so a biometrics booking cannot be reused to collect your card. 4. **Select the desk, the number of people and a time slot** - Family members who need the same appointment can be added to one booking. Children under 18 always come with a parent or legal representative. 5. **Enter your details** - Keep your IND letter next to you. The IND identifies you by your V-number, which is printed on every IND letter and after "VNR" on the back of a residence document. You also enter your name, email address and phone number. 6. **Save the confirmation email** - It contains your appointment code and the link to cancel. You need that code at the desk. ### Which IND desk or IND Service Point can you choose? | Appointment | Where you can go | | --- | --- | | Biometrics | IND desks in Amsterdam, Den Haag, Haarlem, 's-Hertogenbosch and Zwolle; expat centres in Enschede and Utrecht; IND Service Points in Goes and Nijmegen; Expat Centre Maastricht | | Collect a document | Only the location in your letter: IND desks in Amsterdam, Den Haag, 's-Hertogenbosch or Zwolle; IND Service Points in Goes or Nijmegen; Expat Centre Maastricht | | Residence endorsement sticker | IND desks in Amsterdam, Den Haag, 's-Hertogenbosch and Zwolle; IND Service Points in Goes and Nijmegen; Expat Centre Maastricht | Goes is for people who live in Zeeland or the Brabantse Wal, Nijmegen for the Nijmegen and Arnhem area, and Maastricht for Limburg. Bookings for Goes, Nijmegen and Maastricht run through those locations' own booking pages, linked from the IND site. ### Booking through an expat centre instead Are you a highly skilled migrant, or the family member of one? Then your employer or sponsor may have chosen an expat centre on the application form, such as [IN Amsterdam](https://hilfort.com/blog/expat-services-amsterdam-guide) or [The Hague International Centre](https://hilfort.com/blog/expat-services-the-hague). Expat centres can take your biometrics, place a residence endorsement sticker and hand over your residence document. Some combine this with your municipal registration, so you leave with a BSN on the same day. The catch: each expat centre decides for itself whether it charges a fee, while the same services are free at an IND desk. ### Need to change your appointment? You cannot reschedule an IND appointment. Cancel it through the link in your confirmation email and book a new one. Cancelling a booking for several people cancels it for everyone, so rebook the whole group. ### No slots available? For biometrics and stickers, check other desks, because you are free to choose. For collection you are tied to one location, so check the booking page regularly for released slots. If your situation is urgent, for example a document about to expire, [call the IND](https://ind.nl/en/service-contact/contact-with-ind/call-the-ind) on 088 043 04 30 (from abroad +31 88 043 04 30), Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:00. Keep your V-number ready. ## What documents to bring to your IND appointment The list is short, but every item counts. Without them, the desk cannot help you and you have to book again. ### For every IND appointment - Be on time! Within **15 minutes** before you appointment. - **Your valid passport** or other travel document. - **Your appointment code** from the confirmation email. - **Your current or expired residence document**, or Foreign Nationals Identity Document (VI), if you have one. - **A police report** of the loss or theft, if your residence document or VI was lost or stolen. - **Your IND letter.** It is not on the IND's list, but it shows your V-number and what the appointment is for. Bring it, on paper or on your phone. Everyone in the booking brings their own documents. That includes your partner and children. If you have any expired documents, bring them as well. ### Extra for a biometrics appointment - **No photo needed.** The IND takes a digital passport photo at the desk and does not accept photos taken by a photographer. - **Mind your clothing.** The photo is taken against a light grey background, so avoid fully white or light grey tops. A head covering worn for religious or philosophical reasons is allowed, as long as your face stays visible. A plain colour that is not light grey works best. - **Children under 2** do not need an appointment. Send a photographer's passport photo to the IND with the [Appendix Passport photo form](https://ind.nl/en/forms/7630.pdf) instead. ### Extra when you collect your residence permit - **Come yourself.** You must collect your document in person. Nobody can do it for you, and children under 18 collect theirs together with a parent or legal representative. - **One appointment is enough.** Does the IND still hold your original documents, such as your passport or birth certificate? You get them back at the same appointment. - **Open fees.** If you still have to pay costs for your application, the IND letter tells you. You pay at the desk. ### For a child born in the Netherlands As a parent, bring: - your own valid passport or valid residence document; - your child's valid passport, or a (copy of the) birth certificate, or a (copy of the) child's registration in the BRP at the municipality. ### Extra for a residence endorsement sticker The sticker goes into your passport, so check that it is valid. Bring the IND letter that confirms receipt of your application, because that letter is what makes you eligible for the sticker. ## Five mistakes that cost you an IND appointment Most failed appointments come down to the same few errors. Avoid these and one visit is usually enough. 1. **Booking before the IND has written to you** - The IND cancels appointments made without a letter or message. Wait for it, even if you know your application is in. 2. **Picking a different desk for collection** - Your residence document is sent to one location. An appointment anywhere else is cancelled. 3. **Sending someone else** - Collection is in person only. A partner or colleague cannot pick up your card. 4. **Trying to move the appointment** - There is no reschedule button. Cancel and rebook, and remember that cancelling a group booking cancels it for everyone. 5. **Arriving without the appointment code or police report** - Without them, the desk cannot complete your appointment. ### After the appointment After a biometrics appointment, the IND makes your residence document and lets you know when it is ready. That message is your cue to book the collection appointment. Once you hold your card, make sure you are registered with your municipality and have your BSN, which you need for salary, tax and healthcare. ## How Hilfort helps you through the IND process The IND appointment is the last step of a longer route. Most delays start earlier: an incomplete application, the wrong collection location on the form, or a letter nobody acted on. Hilfort combines legal, tax and payroll expertise, and can act as the recognised sponsor for your residence permit. We prepare and file the [highly skilled migrant](https://hilfort.com/blog/highly-skilled-migrants-in-the-netherlands) application, choose the right collection location with you and keep track of the IND's letters. When the time comes, you know which appointment to book, where, and what to bring. Your partner and children follow the same route, with the same contact person. After your appointment, we stay involved. We handle your payroll, keep the sponsor administration compliant and start your extension before your permit expires. Moving to the Netherlands, or already here and stuck on the IND part? [Contact us](https://hilfort.com/contact) and we will walk you through the next step for your situation. ## FAQ **Can I make an IND appointment without an appointment letter?** No. You can only book after the IND has written to you, by letter, in My IND or by text message. Appointments made before that are cancelled. **Is an IND appointment free?** Providing biometrics and applying for a residence endorsement sticker are free at an IND desk. Collecting your document is free too, unless your application fees are still open; then you pay at the desk. Expat centres may charge their own fee for the same services. **Can I choose which IND desk I go to?** For biometrics and a residence endorsement sticker, yes. To collect your residence document, no: you go to the location stated in your IND letter. **Can I reschedule my IND appointment?** No. Cancel it through the link in your confirmation email and make a new one. A booking for several people is cancelled for all of them. **Can someone else collect my residence permit?** No. You collect your document in person. Children under 18 come with a parent or legal representative. **I gave my biometrics at the embassy. Do I still need an IND appointment?** Usually only to collect your residence document. Your IND letter tells you which appointment applies. **Does my baby need a biometrics appointment?** Not if the child is under 2. Send a passport photo taken by a photographer to the IND with the Appendix Passport photo form. **How do I contact the IND about my appointment?** Call 088 043 04 30, or +31 88 043 04 30 from abroad, Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:00. Keep your V-number or case number ready. For questions about your application status, check My IND first. For general questions, you can chat with IND chatbot Sofia on ind.nl. ## This might interest you - ![VAT When Hiring Abroad: A Guide for Employers](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/Pixa%20Hilfort.png) 16-10-2026 | Legislation ### VAT When Hiring Abroad: A Guide for Employers You have decided to build your team beyond your own borders. Maybe you are bringing a specialist to the Netherlands, working with a developer based in Portugal, or using a partner to employ someone on your behalf while they handle sponsorship and payroll. The hire feels like the hard part. Then the first invoice arrives with a line you did not expect: 21% value added tax (VAT). Or it has no VAT at all, just a short note saying "reverse charge". Value added tax is one of the most misunderstood costs for businesses hiring across borders, and the mistakes go both ways. Some businesses have paid VAT they could have avoided or reclaimed through a VAT refund. Others fail to report VAT they were legally required to account for, and only find out when the tax authority does. The rules are less complicated than they look once you understand the logic behind them. Two things make that logic hard to see. Value added tax treats a salary and a service in completely different ways, and cross-border transactions reverse the normal rules. This guide covers: - What value added tax (VAT) is and the key differences from a sales tax; - How VAT rates work, from the standard rate to the zero rate; - Why employment falls outside VAT altogether; - How VAT applies to the HR and staffing services you buy; - How invoicing works when you engage an international contractor; - What you need to do to stay compliant when more than one country is involved. [Read article](https://hilfort.com/blog/vat-guide-employers) - ![How to Apply for an IND Visa: A Guide for Sponsoring Employers](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/d6aee4d6-0a82-48be-b7bf-0ff10e1ce7d8.png) 24-07-2026 | Legislation ### How to Apply for an IND Visa: A Guide for Sponsoring Employers You have found the right candidate. The interviews went well, the offer is signed, and there is just one thing standing between your new hire and their first day at your office: they are not an EU national, and they need permission to live and work in the Netherlands. This is the moment many employers discover that Dutch immigration does not work the way they expected. Your employee cannot simply apply for a visa and show up. In most cases, *you* are the one who files the application, and you can only do that once your organisation holds a specific status with [the Dutch immigration authority](https://ind.nl/en). Get this right and your new colleague can be at their desk within weeks. Get it wrong and the same hire can stall for months. This guide walks through what an "IND visa" actually is, when your employee needs one, what being a recognised sponsor really involves, and how the application process runs from start to finish, whether your future employee is already here or still abroad. It also covers the option many companies overlook: letting a recognised sponsor carry that responsibility for you. [Read article](https://hilfort.com/blog/ind-visa-guide-for-sponsoring-employers) - ![The Ultimate Guide: Work Permit Netherlands for Employers](https://hilfort.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-06-29%20at%2017.52.36.png) 03-07-2026 | Legislation ### The Ultimate Guide: Work Permit Netherlands for Employers Hiring international talent in the Netherlands is straightforward when you know the rules. But the Dutch immigration system has specific permit types, salary thresholds, and employer obligations that are easy to get wrong. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) oversees all work permit and residence permit applications, and the requirements vary significantly depending on the nationality of your employee and the type of employment you are offering. This guide covers everything you need to know: which work permit applies, how to apply, and what your obligations are once your employee has arrived. 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