The TB test at the GGD
If your nationality is not exempt, you must take a tuberculosis test within a set window after your residence permit is issued, not after you arrive. Both nationality branches, what the appointment involves, and why the exemption list has to be checked at the time you read this.
Last checked Aug 21, 2026
The TB test at the GGD
If your nationality is not on the IND exemption list, you must take a tuberculosis (TB) test at the GGD (municipal health service) within 3 months after your residence permit is issued (checked 2026-08-18). The deadline runs from the day your residence permit was issued, not from the day you landed in the Netherlands, and it only applies if there is no exemption for your nationality.
Which branch applies to you
If you hold an EU or EEA passport, this article does not apply to you at all: you never go through the IND residence permit process, so there is no TB test requirement to check.
If you do not hold an EU or EEA passport, whether you need the test depends on the exemption annex to IND form 7144, published by the IND and updated from time to time. This guide does not guess which nationalities are on it, because the list changes and a wrong guess here is worse than no guess at all. Check the current annex on ind.nl, or ask your agency to confirm your status in writing, before you assume either way.
Why the deadline is measured from the permit, not from arrival
A version of this rule that starts the clock from your arrival date circulates widely online and in some agency material. That version is wrong. The IND ties the deadline to the date your residence permit is issued, which is not the same date as your flight landed and not always the same date as your appointment to collect the card either. See collecting-your-residence-permit-card for that separate date. If you are not sure which date your permit carries, ask your agency, since it is printed on the decision letter the IND sent them.
What the appointment involves
If the test applies to you, your agency arranges the referral and you book the appointment yourself at the GGD serving your area. Bring your passport or ID, the completed IND referral form, and a payment card: the test is not free, and the fee differs per GGD region, so check your own GGD's page rather than expecting a fixed amount. Ask your health insurer beforehand whether they reimburse it, since this also varies. Any follow-up examination or treatment the test leads to is covered under your regular health insurance, separately from the test itself.
Missing the deadline
Not doing the test when it applies to you is a problem with your residence permit, not only a health matter, and it can put the permit itself at risk. If the appointment cannot happen in time for a reason outside your control, such as a GGD waiting list, tell your host family and your agency in writing as soon as you know, and keep the appointment confirmation as your evidence that you tried on time.