Netherlands to introduce three-year residence permits for Ukrainians in 2027

Under the proposal, refugees who lose EU-granted temporary status would avoid being reclassified as asylum seekers. They will retain access to health care if they pay standard insurance premiums and could continue their studies in the Netherlands by starting to pay tuition fees.

A government statement said that municipal housing now occupied by Ukrainians would be reassigned to students and to people in urgent need. Officials said the new permits are intended both to ease pressure on the asylum system and to encourage Ukrainians to return home when conditions allow.

Dutch municipalities have warned of a growing housing shortage for new arrivals. In September, local authorities reported that community shelters were nearly full and that some newcomers had been turned away.

Under current EU rules, Ukrainians in the Netherlands can remain until March 2027 with rights to housing, health care, and education. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, about 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled abroad, mostly to Germany and Poland. By population ratio, Czechia has hosted the largest share; the Netherlands now shelters roughly seven Ukrainians per 1,000 residents, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS.