Residence permit

A residence permit looks like a credit card and proves that you are residing legally in the Netherlands. You are obliged to obtain a residence permit if you are a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country or Switzerland and you would like to stay in the Netherlands for a period of more than three months. A residence permit will generally be issued for a period of one year. Depending on the purpose of your stay, the validity may be for a longer or shorter period of time.

If you are staying here as a student for longer than one year, you have to extend your residence permit before the expiry date. If your purpose of stay in the Netherlands changes your residence permit has to be changed accordingly.
 

On arrival – first application

Within five days of your arrival in the Netherlands your host institution (university or university of applied sciences) has to apply for a residence permit on your behalf.

If you come to the Netherlands to do a traineeship (you are studying abroad) or if you come for a work experience (you already have a job abroad), you have to go to your local IND office.

Arrive with the correct visa! Remember: if you enter the Netherlands on a short-stay visa, you won't be able to obtain a residence permit!

It is therefore crucial that you leave your home country or country where you legally reside with the correct document: a short-stay visa if you are staying for three months or less, or an MVV if you plan to stay for more than three months and if your nationality requires an MVV.

Check the Student Visa Wizard to find out which procedures apply to you on account of your nationality and the duration of your stay.
 

Validity of the residence permit

If you are:

  • a student preparing for enrolment: your residence permit will be valid for a maximum of twelve months. It is not possible to extend the preparation period. After the prep year, you may apply for a regular study permit.
  • a student: your residence permit will be valid until the end of the academic year (i.e. 1 September), but it may be extended.
  • a student doing a traineeship: your residence permit will be valid for a maximum of twelve months. The permit cannot be extended!
  • a migrant coming for work experience: your residence permit will be valid for a maximum of six months. The permit cannot be extended!

Extension of the residence permit

If you are in the Netherlands for study purposes and your stay will exceed the validity period of your permit, you have to extend your residence permit.
  

Change in the purpose of your stay

It is possible that you change the purpose of stay while temporarily residing in the Netherlands. This is the case, for example, when you stop studying and start working or if you switch courses. In these cases you will have to change your residence permit accordingly.

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Also in this section

IND registration for EU citizens

As an EU/EEA or Swiss national (except Bulgarians and Romanians), you cannot apply for a residence permit. It is, however, possible to register with the IND (the Dutch immigration authorities) free of charge. Although you are not obliged to...

Applying for a residence permit (as non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen)

In order to apply for a residence permit, your host institution will (with your help) fill out an application form that you have to sign. The institution will send it to the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) in Rijswijk if you arrived...

Administration fees

The following handling fees (administration fees) are charged by the Immigration Service.

Registering as inhabitant (GBA-inschrijving)

If you are staying for more than four months in the Netherlands you will need to go to the city council and register as a new resident of the town where you are living.

Proof that you can support yourself financially

Foreign citizens who need to apply for an MVV have to show that they have enough money to live on in the Netherlands. This also applies to foreigners who want a residence permit.

Extension of the residence permit

Residence permits for the purpose of study are valid for a period of up to twelve months. If your study programme continues beyond the expiry date of your residence permit, you need to apply for an extension.

Change in the purpose of your stay

Residence permits are issued for a particular purpose of stay. You will find a description of this purpose on the reverse side of your residence permit. For example, this might read: ‘Studie aan Universiteit Utrecht te Utrecht’ (‘Study at...
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