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I have a US passport and have been working in the Netherlands since 2020. I received a new permanent contract from January 2022. My fixed-term Netherlands “residence permit” (verblijfsvergunning) expired in January and a new permit for 2022-2027 was approved by Dutch immigration but is not yet printed or issued because of waiting on biometric data (which cannot currently be provided because there are no appointments, perhaps because of corona). Because of this, I have been two months without a valid residence card.

I have a similar but reverse question to How to switch from Resident visa to Tourist visa status in the Schengen area? : if I travel to the UK using my US passport, and then try to return to NL with this documentation, what may happen? I understand there are risks, but would it rate as reckless?

  • US passport
  • Expired Dutch “residence permit” (verblijfsvergunning)
  • Official letters to and from Dutch immigration showing the new application for residence and that it was approved

[edited to remove mistakes]

UPDATE: I was re-admitted to NL without the residence card without any problem.

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    The letter showing that the residence permit has been renewed, togeather with the expired residence permit card and your passport, should be fine when leaving and re-entering the Schengen Area since you don't need a visa to visit the Schengen Area.
    – Mark Johnson
    Feb 25 at 13:16
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    One important consideration is that, as an American citizen, you are allowed to apply from a residence permit from within the country. Unlike almost all non-EU citizens, you do not need a MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) for that. This restriction (no residence permit application without MVV) is what makes the transition from a short-term visitor status to a resident difficult for most people.
    – Relaxed
    Feb 25 at 15:13
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    Terminology is subtle but to be really specific and avoid confusion when reading about the rules here or elsewhere, what you have is not a visa. As an American citizen, you do not need a visa for short stays nor do you need one to be allowed to apply for a residence permit in the Netherlands. While it is a little plastic card, what you have is called a “residence permit” (verblijfsvergunning). By contrast, a “residence card” (registratiekaart) is a document for EU citizens and their family, a completely different status.
    – Relaxed
    Feb 25 at 15:31
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    I see this helpful information in the comments, e.g., around MVV, and corrected the original question to not confuse visa with residence permit.
    – Cameron Brick
    Feb 25 at 16:23
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    When I dealt with this ~15 years ago, you could make an appointment with the IND to get a sticker in your passport that acts as a temporary residence permit until you get your new one.
    – Eric
    Feb 27 at 15:07

2 Answers 2

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You are under a long-stay or resident status by virtue of holding a valid residence permit. To the extent that you do get it, you have nothing else to do. This is not different from your first residence permit application back in 2020.

Schengen border guards don't really admit you under a specific status. They also cannot grant a specific duration of stay or limit what you are allowed to do, as border guards can in the UK or in the US. What happens after you entered is entirely controlled by the law (mainly EU law for short stays and mainly national law for long stays) and the specific visa you hold, for those who require one (which is not your case), not the border guard's decision. Instead, border guards just decide to grant or deny entry, period.

The only (theoretical) risks I see is being denied entry or being deemed to have abandoned your application by leaving the country. This can happen in other contexts but I don't see it as particularly likely in your scenario.

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You need your verblijfsvergunning to be able to live and work in Holland. Don't change to tourist visa, it's not needed to travel within Europe unless UK changed their laws. Then apply for a UK tourist visa don't change your Dutch visa. And try to call the Dutch people that approved your verblijfsvergunning to ask for a physical or at least a digital confirmation of your status.

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    Hi and welcome to Travel.SE. Please use correct grammar when posting on this site, as this ensures the production of high-quality posts which are clear and easy to understand. I have fixed your post this time so you have an example of what I mean.
    – JoErNanO ♦
    Feb 27 at 8:31

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