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I'm non-EU expat working in Germany for a few years (but in the future I might move to a non EU country). My girlfriend is Dutch national.

We've been planning to get registered as Registered Partners in the Netherlands however I'm not sure what things do I need to be aware of in terms of pros/cons for getting registered as partners.

We've the following questions:

  1. Is there a certain monetary/income requirement for either of us?
  2. If I move out of EU, does the registered partnership allow me to visit and stay with her in the Netherlands?
  3. In case in future I want to work in the Netherlands, do I have to get a work permit?
  4. Are there any other things we need to be aware of for becoming registered partners?
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  • Where does your girlfriend reside?
    – phoog
    Mar 25, 2021 at 20:26
  • @phoog, she resides in the netherlands Mar 25, 2021 at 20:38

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As your prospective partner resides in her country of citizenship, you would not be able to join her there under the provisions of European Union law. You should therefore have a look at the IND page for spouse/partner visas.

Is there a certain monetary/income requirement for either of us?

To register your partnership, no. As an example, have a look at the requirements you'll need to meet if she resides in Amsterdam.

For you to get a residence permit in the Netherlands, yes (see below).

If I move out of EU, does the registered partnership allow me to visit & stay with her in the netherlands?

No. For stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, you will be able to visit with a normal short-term visit visa, also known as a type C Schengen visa. (Depending on your citizenship, you may not require a visa.) If you want to settle in the Netherlands with your partner, or even just visit for longer than you are allowed under the 90/180 rule, you'll need a long-term (type D) visa, which you will replace with a residence permit (citizens of a handful of countries are exempt from the visa but do need to get a residence permit). Requirements may be found at the page linked in the first paragraph. One of these requirements is that your partner have sufficient independent and sustainable income. The details, including the amounts, depend on your personal circumstances.

In case in future I want to work in the Netherlands, do I have to get a work permit?

Yes, but as the partner of a Dutch national, your residence permit will also permit you to work. You will not need an additional work permit (but you will not have permission to work in the Netherlands unless you move there and get a residence permit).

Are there any other things we need to be aware of for becoming registered partners?

There are probably many such things. You may want to talk to a lawyer. But the two pages linked above should cover all of the practical and administrative aspects of your question.

Finally, if the income or other requirements are burdensome, you should be aware that you can move instead to any other EU or EEA country under much more favorable terms: your partner only needs to be employed. After living there for some time (perhaps as short as six months), you would then be able to move back to the Netherlands under the same favorable terms.

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    It's also worth mentioning that, from a legal perspective, there's not a lot of difference between marriage and registered partnership. It's not a light-weight thing. There are similar requirements to enter into one and similar obligations (such as possible alimony) if leaving one.
    – Eric
    Mar 26, 2021 at 17:00
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If you are a resident in Germany and she is a resident in the Netherlands you can get married in either country. That is, most likely - in Germany, it’s required that the marriage is legal to German, Dutch, and your own country’s law, for example. And practically any country acknowledges the marriage as legal.

There’s a bit of work involved, like the Germans will want translated copies of your birth certificates, but if you call a German registry office they will tell you everything. Don’t know how much work it is in the Netherlands.

EU free movement laws would allow your Dutch wife to move to Germany (because she is EU citizen, not because she is your wife) but not allow you to move to the Netherlands easily; free movement only applies to eu citizens moving, and the Dutch wife doesn’t move.

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