What is the total time allowed outside NL (and EU) for Temporary Residence permit (HSM) holder?
My situation:
I have stayed (vacation) the following number of months in total outside NL per year for the following years:
- 2m (1+1)(2015),
- 2m (1+1)(2016),
- 2m (1+1)(2017),
- 2m (1+1)(2018),
- 2m (3w + 2w + 2w + 3w)(2019) and
- 5m (1m + 4m)(2020)
(m = total months in a year, with break up provided as well)
Also since I cannot remember for sure all the exact dates of arrival and departure, at least can confirm that I was in NL December 2019 to January 2020.
I checked the IND site and per this page https://ind.nl/en/Pages/main-residence.aspx
Temporary residence permit
You may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 months in a row. Or 3 years in a row each calendar year for a maximum of 4 months in a row.
Question:
So I am wondering if I have overstayed outside NL (especially with regards to year 2020) so that it adversely affects my PR and Dutch Citizenship application in January 2021.
Background to this question:
I know specific situational questions like this one are not suited to this platform, since it will probably not benefit anyone else apart from me. However I would like to provide a bit of background as to why I still went ahead and asked this question here.
Recently I had to call the IND for an unrelated query, and was incidentally informed that I should not stay outside NL for more than 4 months. I was taken a back and I decided to call a second time to confirm, and was a again told that indeed I should not spend more that 4 months a year combined (so in total 4 months a calendar year) otherwise I might lose my residence permit.
I have decided to check with the HR Business partner of our company and also call IND a third time to confirm for a final time regarding "4 months consecutively v/s 4 months in total" conundrum, but before that I wanted to check if my understanding of the rule (quoted above) mentioned in the IND page (linked above) is aligned with that of the communities', so that I don't make a fool of myself later on, when I have to discuss it with them.
Update:
Exact exit and entry days from and to NL:
|Out |In |Days|
|16th Jan 2019 |7th Feb 2019 |23 |
|8th May 2019 |19th May 2019 |12 |
|11th Sep 2019 |23rd Sep 2019 |13 |
|3rd Oct 2019 |20th Oct 2019 |18 |
|6th Feb 2020 |28th Feb 2020 |23 | |19th Sep 2020 |(16th Jan 2021 ok ??)| almost 4 months |