What is a request for more information (verzoek tot aanvulling)?

A request from the IND under Awb 4:5 for missing or unclear information about an application. The request pauses the decision-clock under Awb 4:15.

Does the clock pause when the request is sent?

Yes, on the day the IND sends the letter under Awb 4:15. The clock resumes on the day the applicant supplies the requested information.

How long do I have to respond?

The letter specifies a term, typically two or four weeks. An extension is possible under Awb 4:5(2) if requested before the deadline with reasoning.

What if I miss the response term?

The IND may declare the application niet ontvankelijk under Awb 4:5(2). This is severe — file an extension request promptly if the term is unrealistic, or respond before the deadline with what can be supplied and explain the remaining gap.

How should I respond?

Send a dated cover letter that addresses each item in the IND's request, with numbered enclosures and a statement of completeness. Send by registered mail or the IND's secure portal for proof of delivery.

Do I need to send the response in Dutch?

Documents accepted in Dutch, English, French or German. Documents in other languages must be translated by a certified translator (beëdigd vertaler). The cover letter itself is typically in Dutch but can be in English for English-speaking applicants.

Does the response restart the clock for the daily penalty (dwangsom)?

Yes. The Awb 4:15 pause applies equally to the Vw 25 / Vw 42 clock and to the Awb 4:17 14-day Notice clock. The daily penalty calculation accounts for the pause.

What if the IND asks for the same thing twice?

Respond to both requests on the record. If the IND is asking for information that was already supplied, point this out in the cover letter with a reference to the date of the earlier submission. The IND should acknowledge.

Can the IND request information indefinitely?

No. The IND must request what it needs in one round under Awb 4:5. Repeated requests are reviewable in objection (bezwaar) if they appear to be delay tactics.

Where can I read Awb 4:5 in full?

wetten.overheid.nl, Algemene wet bestuursrecht, hoofdstuk 4, artikel 4:5. Related: 4:15 (suspension of the decision-clock).

How to respond to a verzoek tot aanvulling

What an aanvulling request looks like

The request for more information arrives as a letter from the IND, typically on IND letterhead, addressed to the applicant or to their mandated representative. It identifies the case by V-number and procedure reference, sets out what is missing or unclear, cites Awb 4:5 explicitly, and gives a term (often two or four weeks) for the response. The letter typically warns that failure to respond may lead to the application being declared inadmissible (niet ontvankelijk verklaard) under Awb 4:5(2).

The four-step response

1
Read the request carefully

Identify exactly what is being requested. Some requests are for specific documents (e.g., translated marriage certificate). Some are for clarification (e.g., explanation of an inconsistency). Some are for both. Each item needs a specific response.
2
Calculate the response term

The letter gives a term (often two or four weeks). The clock under Awb 4:15 pauses from the day the letter is sent. Mark the response deadline. If the term is impossibly short, an extension request under Awb 4:5(2) is possible — file it promptly with reasoning.
3
Gather the documents

For document requests: official copies, translations if not in Dutch, English, French or German. For clarification: a clear, dated written statement that addresses the specific point. Number each enclosure to match the IND's numbered items in the request.
4
Respond with a cover letter

A cover letter that lists each item from the IND's request and indicates the response. Sent by registered mail (or via the IND's secure portal) to create a delivery record. The cover letter is the formal trigger for the clock to restart under Awb 4:15.

What the cover letter should contain

Date. The day the response is sent.
Case identification. V-number, application date, procedure reference from the IND's letter.
Reference to the request. Date and reference number of the IND's request for more information.
Item-by-item response. Numbered to match the IND's items. For each item: "In response to point N (description): [enclosure X / explanation as below]."
Enclosure list. Numbered list of attached documents with brief descriptions.
Statement of completeness. A line confirming that the response addresses all items in the IND's request.
Signature. By the applicant or the mandated representative (with mandate enclosed if not already on file).
Request for confirmation of receipt. Standard line: "Wij verzoeken u de ontvangst van deze brief en de bijlagen schriftelijk te bevestigen."

The clock under Awb 4:15

Awb 4:15 controls when the decision-clock pauses and restarts. The pause begins on the day the IND sends the request for more information. The pause ends on the day the applicant supplies the requested information. The IND then has the remaining time within the Vw 25 / Vw 42 / RWN 9(4) clock to issue the decision.

Example. Vw 25 three-month clock. Application filed 15 January, clock ends 15 April. On 1 March (45 days in), the IND sends an aanvulling request. The clock pauses with 45 days remaining. On 15 March (14 days later), the applicant responds. The clock restarts with 45 days remaining. The new end-date is 15 March + 45 days = 29 April.

Common mistakes that lengthen the procedure

Sending the response by ordinary post without proof of delivery. The clock restarts on the day the IND receives the response; without proof, the applicant cannot establish the restart date.
Partial response. Responding to some items but not all. The IND may treat the response as incomplete and the clock stays paused.
Cover letter that does not identify items. Documents sent without a cover letter explaining what each is. The IND may treat this as ambiguous and send a follow-up request.
Late response. If the response misses the term in the IND's letter, the IND may declare the application niet ontvankelijk under Awb 4:5(2). An immediate extension request before the deadline can avoid this.
Untranslated documents. Documents in languages other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a certified translator. Untranslated documents are treated as non-responsive.

If the IND request is unclear or unreasonable

If the IND request asks for information that the applicant cannot reasonably provide, or for documents that already exist in the case file, the response should explain this and either provide what can be provided, or formally challenge the request. Refusal to respond entirely is risky; refusal with a substantive explanation of why the request is unreasonable may be defensible in objection if the IND refuses on non-cooperation grounds. A lawyer is recommended for this scenario.

Aanvulling requests during the Notice-of-Default flow

If a Notice of Default has been filed and the IND responds with an aanvulling request, the Awb 4:15 clock-pause applies and the 14-day Notice term is also paused. The IND must still decide within 14 days of receiving the applicant's response. The Awb 4:17 daily penalty calculation accounts for the pause: the daily penalty does not accrue during the pause period.

Where MigrationProvision sits

We do not draft substantive responses to aanvulling requests — that is for the lawyer or the applicant directly. We are upstream and downstream: upstream when the original Notice of Default was needed; downstream when the IND fails to decide after the response is filed. If the IND has 45 days remaining and 60 days pass without a decision, the Notice route opens again on the new clock.

When the IND asks for missing information the response decides whether the clock restarts on time.