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Dutch student residence permit in the Netherlands

A residence permit for full-time study on an accredited programme at a university or higher professional education institution (HBO) in the Netherlands. Only the educational institution recognised by the IND as a sponsor files the application — the student cannot arrange it themselves.

Source: IND — Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Netherlands

Who can obtain the student permit

Conditions for the applicant

  • Enrolment on a full-time programme at an accredited university or HBO institution — the accreditation is recognised by NVAO (the Netherlands) or EQAR (Europe)
  • The educational institution is registered with the IND as a recognised sponsor — only it files the application, the student cannot apply on their own
  • At least 50% of the credits must be obtained each academic year — if the student falls short without a valid reason, the institution must inform the IND
  • Compliance with the income requirement is proven — the student norm or funding from a person in the Netherlands

What it costs

Filing the application (paid by the educational institution)254 EUR

Documents to gather

The exact list of documents is determined by the educational institution — it also collects them before filing the application.

  • Application form 7504 “Application for the purpose of residence ‘study’ (recognised sponsor) Higher education” — filed by the educational institution
  • Foreign official documents — legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German
  • A valid passport — it must be valid for at least another 6 months when the MVV visa sticker is affixed
  • Proof of compliance with the income requirement (the student norm or funding from a person in the Netherlands)

How the process runs

The educational institution handles the application at every stage — it files the documents, pays the fee and receives the IND decision.

  1. 1

    Checking the requirements

    The prospective student and the educational institution check compliance with the conditions of the programme.

  2. 2

    Collecting the documents

    The educational institution states the list of documents; foreign official documents are legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

  3. 3

    Filing the application

    The educational institution files the application and at the same time arranges the MVV — the long-stay visa — and the student residence permit.

  4. 4

    Paying the fee

    The fee is EUR 254 — it is paid by the educational institution.

  5. 5

    Waiting for the decision

    60 days

    The IND must take a decision within 60 days; the period may be extended if the application is incomplete.

  6. 6

    The decision on the application

    The educational institution receives the decision by letter: if it is positive, the MVV and the student residence permit are issued; a negative decision can be appealed.

  7. 7

    Booking the MVV appointment and moving

    The MVV visa is valid for 90 days; the appointment at a Dutch mission must be made within 3 months of the decision, and the passport must remain valid for at least another 6 months.

  8. 8

    Collecting the residence permit

    When the card is ready, the educational institution receives a letter and books an appointment to collect the document at an IND office.

Timelines and rights

Work

Paid employment is allowed for no more than 16 hours a week, or full time in June, July and August; in both cases the employer needs a work permit (TWV). Self-employment is allowed without these restrictions.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

After graduation you can move to the orientation year (zoekjaar) residence permit to look for work.

The student permit can be extended while it is still valid and no more than 3 months remain before it expires; the application is usually filed by the student themselves, online or by post. The IND must take a decision on the extension within 90 days. If the permit has already been expired for more than 4 weeks, the application must be filed as soon as possible with an explanation of the delay; once it has been expired for 2 years or more an extension is no longer possible and you have to apply for a new residence permit.

Frequently asked questions about Dutch student residence permit

Who can file the application for a student residence permit?
Only the educational institution — a university or HBO institution whose programme is accredited by NVAO or EQAR and which is registered with the IND as a recognised sponsor. The student must study full time and obtain at least 50% of the credits each academic year.
How much does filing cost and how long does the assessment take?
The fee is EUR 254 and is paid by the educational institution. The IND must take a decision within 60 days; the period may be extended if the application is incomplete.
How much money do you have to prove in order to obtain the permit?
For a student at a university or HBO institution the norm for 2026 is EUR 1,130.77 a month; the amount applies from 1 January to 31 December 2026. If the studies and living costs are paid by a person in the Netherlands, the required amount is higher and depends on their family situation.
Can I work while studying?
Paid employment is allowed for a maximum of 16 hours a week, or full time in June, July and August — the employer must hold a work permit (TWV). Self-employment is allowed without any limit on hours and without a TWV, but requires registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and the payment of taxes.
How long is the student permit issued for?
A maximum of 5 years. The exact term is the duration of the studies plus 3 months, including the preparatory period (usually 1 year) for language courses or a pre-master.
How do I extend the permit if my studies continue?
The extension application is filed while the permit is still valid and no more than 3 months remain before it expires. The IND takes a decision on the extension within 90 days.
What should I do after finishing my studies?
You can apply for a separate orientation year residence permit to look for work, obtain highly skilled migrant status (recent graduates benefit from a reduced income threshold) or start-up entrepreneur status.
What happens if I do not obtain enough credits in an academic year?
The educational institution checks the study results and whether the shortfall has a valid reason under the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW). If there is no valid reason, it must inform the IND, and the IND reassesses whether the conditions of the permit are met.

Other ways to move to Netherlands

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Netherlands.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.