Netherlands Student Visa

The Netherlands is often called ‘the gateway to Europe.’ With 122,000 international students enrolled at Dutch universities between 2017- 2018. Visa requirements depend on whether the student is an EU/non EU citizen. Non EU Students who are planning to study in the Netherlands require a visa to enter and stay there for the purpose.

Netherland has two types student visa

Schengen Visa – Students who are planning to go to the Netherlands for less than 3months program, are needed to apply for a schengen short stay visa.

Long stay Entry Visa Students who are going for the Bachelors or Masters program are required to apply for MVV and the VVR or the Residence permit.

Visa Process

Netherland visa is a two step process:

Under the TEV Procedure, the university would request you to provide the necessary documents and submit the form on your behalf to the IND in the Netherlands. Once the IND approves your application, it would grant you an MVV (Provisional Residence permit) which would be valid for 3months. The students can collect the MVV from Dutch embassy before flying to Netherland.

After landing in Netherland, students are required to appear at their universities and apply for a residence permit. The application is then forwarded by the University for a Permanent Residence Permit which is issued within the following two weeks.

Your visa can be processed in about 30days. In some cases, it might take longer and so students are advised to start as soon as possible. You can start the visa process 3months before your course starts.

Documents Required for Visa application

To get a visa for the Netherlands, one needs to

Valid passport
Complete your visa application form.
Payment receipt
Acceptance letter from recognized Netherland universities.
Payment receipt of your tuition fee.
Transcripts, degree certificate, 10th and 12th mark sheet
MCC and PCC
The IND stipulates the minimum fund requirement for stay at €900 per month for students enrolled in Universities
IELTS score sheet.

Cost of Study Visa

Visa cost and Residence permit - €317

Residence permit

Students planning to take up a course which is over 90 days in duration would need a residence permit to stay in the Netherlands for the purpose of completing their course. It is very important to arrive in the Netherlands with the correct visa; if you arrive on a short stay visa you won’t be able to apply for a resident permit. The residence permit has to be applied for within five days of arriving in the Netherlands.

As per the IND (Dutch immigration and naturalization service), for students planning to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, the university/ institute is their “Recognized sponsor”. Under the TEV (Entry and residence permit) procedure the visa for the student would be applied by the recognized sponsor.

Once you have completed the course successfully, you may apply for a residence permit valid for 5years.

Work While Studying

Many students choose to work while pursuing their education in the Netherlands. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are allowed to work in the Netherlands as many hours as they choose while studying. The employer does not need to provide a work permit for this. Foreign students (non EU/EEA/Swiss) with a valid residence permit are allowed to work either full-time seasonal work in June, July and August, or part- time work of no more than ten hours a week outside the summer period. The employer does need to provide a work permit, but it is an easy process, since the employer does not need to prove that there are no Dutch or EU/EAA/Swiss Nationals capable of doing.