Tuberculosis (TB) test
A critical step in applying for a residence permit in the Netherlands is the tuberculosis (TB) test. This requirement is part of the immigration process to ensure public health safety and control the spread of TB, a serious infectious disease.
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Introductory Test Requirement
Depending on your nationality, a TB test or treatment is mandatory if you want a residence permit. When you apply for the permit, you must sign a declaration stating that you will undergo this test within three months after arriving in the Netherlands. The Dutch Municipal Health Service (GGD) conducts the test and can answer any specific questions you might have. Importantly, this requirement applies only when applying for a residence permit for the first time.
A Serious Health Concern
Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is an abbreviation for a severe and easily transmittable infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
How to get tested in the Netherlands
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) may require you to undergo a TB test. If that is the case, you will receive a letter instructing you to make an appointment at the Tuberculosis Department of the Dutch Municipal Health Service (GGD). The initial examination includes an X-ray of the lungs. You may be required to return for follow-up examinations.
Attending these follow-up examinations is crucial to ensure thorough testing, and additional treatment if necessary.
Exemptions from the TB Test
Not everyone applying for a residence permit in the Netherlands needs to take a TB test. The obligation does not apply to nationals from countries mentioned on the IND Annex TB Exemption list. You do not need to undergo the TB test if you are from one of the countries that is on this list. However, if the TB test is mandatory for you, the GGD recommends testing for TB every six months for two years following the initial test. You will receive an invitation from the GGD for these follow-up tests.
