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Lost your Residence Permit ? Here is what to do now

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The Residence Permit is a very important document for all of us. From a legal point of view, this is usually the only Govt. approved form of identification (other than the Driving Licence) that we should carry with us (it is the law!). And if this is lost or stolen, you need to take action quickly. Below you will find the information on what actions to take.

Preventive measure

Here are a few things you can do to be ready in case your permit is lost or stolen.

Archive a photo of the card

Take photos of the front and the back of the card. You can refer to it when you need to report the loss of the card. Use your phone or the cloud to store this photo so that you can retrieve it when it is needed.

Record your V Number 

IND knows you not by name, but your V Number. This is the unique identifier for you. They use it in all communication with you. This is also printed on the back of your Residence Permit.



Record this number in a (preferably more than one) safe place where you can refer to it. IT could be an app on your phone or an online service (Google Docs, Keep, Evernote etc.)

Lost Residence Permit in Netherlands 

When your permit is lost or stolen, you first have to report this to the police. To report the theft/loss you need your v-number. You can find the v-number on letters from the IND.

The police will give you a certified copy of the official report. When you send the application to replace the residence document, you enclose a copy of the official report.Lost Residence Permit outside Netherlands

Lost Residence Permit outside the Netherlands 

Has your residence document been stolen or lost during a stay abroad? You still have to first report this to the police. The report has to be drawn up in Dutch, English, French or German. 

If this report is in any other language, then it has to be translated by a translator certified by a Dutch court.

When you send the application to replace the residence document, you enclose a copy of the official report. Or, you enclose a printout of the digital application.

Lost Residence Permit outside the Schengen Area?

Without having a residence document, you may need a visa to travel back to the Netherlands. You will have to the local Dutch representation (embassy or consulate) in the country you are staying.

Important points to note

Once you report your card as lost, it is marked as invalid. Even if you find it after reporting it as lost, you cannot use it. It should (officially) be returned to IND, either at their office or via the post.

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