Family Route Clarification Guide

Know how your partner and kids actually come with you when you move from the Philippines to the Netherlands, and what to sort out before you sign anything.

Who this is for

Filipino tech workers (mostly devs) who already have a job offer or are in IND or DMW processing, and who are bringing a partner, spouse, or children along. Also for solo movers who plan to bring family later and want to avoid surprises.

What this helps you decide or do

This is not legal advice and it is not a list of guaranteed steps. It helps you separate two things people mix up: your own work or knowledge-migrant route, and the family member route that rides alongside it. It also helps you ask your employer and the IND the right questions early, instead of finding out after you have already moved.

Quick checklist

1. Confirm with your employer whether your role is being sponsored by an IND recognised sponsor. Family routes usually attach to your status, so your own route shapes theirs. Verify your sponsor against the IND public register of recognised sponsors.
2. Write down your relationship status as it appears on paper. Married, registered partner, or unmarried partner are treated differently. If you are not married, ask the IND what counts as a durable relationship for your case.
3. List every family member you intend to bring and their birth dates. A 17 year old and a 19 year old are not handled the same way. Confirm the current age rules for children with the IND, do not assume.
4. Gather your PSA documents early. A PSA marriage certificate and PSA birth certificates are commonly asked for. These are case specific, not universal, so confirm exactly which ones your situation needs.
5. Ask whether your documents need legalisation or an apostille for use in the Netherlands, and whether Dutch or English translations are required. The PH joined the Apostille Convention, so check if apostille applies to your documents now.
6. Clarify whether your family applies at the same time as you (in one go) or after you arrive. Ask your employer or the IND which path applies, because it changes timing and cost.
7. Budget the real money. Convert IND fees using 1 euro is roughly 69 to 70 pesos as of June 2026, not 40. Confirm the current IND fee amounts per applicant, since there is usually a fee per person.
8. Ask your partner whether they will have the right to work in NL on the family route. For many family members of knowledge migrants this is possible, but confirm the current rule for your specific status with the IND.
9. Check school and childcare timing if you have kids. Find out the enrollment window in the municipality you are moving to, since you register at the gemeente after arrival.
10. If you are an agency hire rather than a direct hire, confirm in writing who pays for family related costs. The DMW placement fee cap for agency hires is up to one month basic salary, and family relocation is a separate conversation.

Common mistakes

• Assuming an unmarried partner is automatically covered. The unmarried partner route has its own evidence requirements, confirm them.
• Leaving PSA and legalisation paperwork until the last month. These take time to request from the Philippines.
• Using an outdated exchange rate and underbudgeting. Use roughly 69 to 70 pesos per euro.
• Treating NBI clearance, police clearance, or specific certificates as always required. They are commonly asked for in some cases, not universal, so check what your case needs.
• Thinking the 30 percent ruling disappearing means tax planning is pointless. It is changing from 30 percent to 27 percent in 2027, not gone, so verify how it affects your household with a tax adviser.

What to verify

• Current IND family route requirements for spouses, registered partners, and unmarried partners.
• Current age rules for accompanying children with the IND.
• Current IND fee amounts per applicant.
• Whether your sponsor is on the IND public register of recognised sponsors.
• Whether apostille or legalisation and translation apply to your PSA documents.
• Whether your partner can work on the family route for your status.

Jake note

I came over as a direct hire, and the family side is the part people underestimate. Sort the paperwork and the questions for your employer early, because the documents from the Philippines are the slow part. I am sharing what I learned, not giving you legal advice, so check your own case with the IND.