How to Get Student Visa for Netherlands (2025 Requirements)

How to Get Student Visa for Netherlands (Requirements)

The Netherlands, one of the world’s happiest countries, is dubbed as the “gateway to Europe” because of its proximity and ease of transport to other countries, its lovely landscapes and architecture, and its high standard of living. Every year, it welcomes a flock of tourists who want to take in the beauty of the land of tulips, clogs, and windmills. Likewise, the Netherlands receives thousands of international students, excited to blaze a new trail in one of the country’s globally recognized universities. Around 700,000 international students find the Netherlands as their study abroad destination, to give them the most productive, as well as the most enriching, university life. This is not surprising since the Netherlands is known to produce some of the world’s most famous thinkers, not to mention artists and painters. The country boasts of more than 20 Nobel Peace Prize awardees – a testament that the Netherlands provides an environment which allows for maximum learning highly recognized all over the globe.
Moreover, the Netherlands has an impeccable setting for international students, whether from the European Union (EU) or non-EU countries. Why so? The Netherlands provide subsidized education for its universities. You can also find student loans and scholarships to assist in your studies. Also, students in the Netherlands have access to free or discounted transport. The country is a famous bicycling spot. Most of its residents use bikes to go from place to place. In fact, the Netherlands is considered the safest venue for bicycling, with its more than 1,000 km bicycling paths stretched across the flat country.
Finally made up your mind to study in the Netherlands? Well, start researching and preparing to start your higher education journey. First, you have to secure a slot in a university you want to attend. Make sure you review the admission criteria for the study program you wish to pursue. Once you have been accepted at your chosen university, the next step is to apply for a student visa. No foreign student can pursue studies in the Netherlands without a visa or permit. Find out if you need a visa to study in the Netherlands, the requirements for the application, and the steps you have to take to obtain a student visa in the Netherlands. We hope you find useful information to help you out with this important step.

Who needs a visa to study in the Netherlands?

Whether or not someone needs a visa to study in the Netherlands depends on his country of origin. As in other countries in Europe, EU students hold an advantage over non-EU students when it comes to having the right to enter the Netherlands without a visa. See below for further information about this exception:

International Students from EU Countries
EU nationals who want to study in the Netherlands will not need a student visa. This is a condition related to their countries’ affiliation with the European Union. For EU students, they can enter the Netherlands with only their national identity card or passport and other documents for their studies. Upon arrival in the Netherlands, these students need to register with the local authorities (i.e. town council, city hall, or “Gemeentelijke Basisadministratie”) in order to be given a personal public service number or BSN. Obtaining this number will require EU students to submit their valid passport, accommodation arrangement in the locality, and a certified true copy of birth certificate. This rule applies to those international students who intend to stay in the Netherlands for at least 3 months. After the completion of the study program, they need to un-register their BSN.

International Students from Selected Countries across Continents
International students who are from selected countries in Asia, Americas, Australia and Oceania, and Europe (Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, United States of America, and Vatican City State) are also exempted from applying for the Dutch student visa. They can enter and study in the Netherlands either for a short stay or a long stay with just a show of their passport and an application for the VVR.

International Students from Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus
International students coming from Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus enjoy the perks as all other EU students. They only need a passport or a valid national identity card to enter and stay in the Netherlands for up to 4 months. Beyond this timeframe, they will need to secure a registration from the locality where they will be staying. They may also opt to apply for verification with the EU Community Law and secure a proof of lawful residence, which they need in order to be given a residence permit from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). While this step may be not mandatory, it is highly recommended to obtain a residence card for easy transactions with any Dutch institution.

International Students from China
International students from The People’s Republic of China (excluding those from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) need to obtain a Dutch visa and residence permit in order to study in the Netherlands. However, they are required to get a NUFFIC Certificate as part of the documents for their MVV application. The NUFFIC Certificate is a certification of the Chinese student’s English proficiency as well as their previously received academic qualifications.

International Students from Other Countries
Students from other parts of the world which are not members of the European Union will need a visa to enter the Netherlands. In case they only intend to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days, they will apply for the Schengen visa or short-stay visa. A Schengen visa may be used to explore other countries which are within the Schengen Area. However, if they intend to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, they have to apply for a Provisional Residence Permit or Entry Visa (MVV) and a Residence Permit (VVR).

Types of Visas in the Netherlands

The Netherlands provides 2 types of visas: the Schengen visa (VKV) and the Entry visa (MVV). An interested visitor to the Netherlands will have to apply to either of the two, depending on the number of days of their intended stay in the country. As it was mentioned above, the Schengen visa is a short stay visa applicable for a maximum of 90 days; meanwhile, the Entry visa is a long stay visa applicable for intended stays which last for more than 90 days. The Entry visa should be followed by an application for a residence permit or VVR. Here we differentiate the entry visa and the residence permit. Non-EU international students looking to study in the Netherlands need to apply for both the MVV and the VVR.

Provisional Residence Permit (MVV)
Also called the Dutch Entry Visa, a Provincial Residence Permit (“Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblifj” or MVV), is to be applied for in an international student’s home country. You can get this through the Dutch Consulate before you fly to the Netherlands. Some universities provide assistance for the application of an international student’s Dutch Entry Visa, which of course comes at a cost. In essence, it is a passport sticker to serve as an I.D. card so you can enter the Netherlands for more than 90 days. The MVV will grant you entry to any point in the Netherlands within 6 months after your arrival. After such time, you should already be a holder of the VVR or Residence Permit.

It is highly recommended for you to submit your MVV applications at least 3 months before you fly to the Netherlands, so as to grant yourself adequate time to prepare additional documents, should there be a need. Your application will be processed for at most a month, so it is better to send it as early as possible. Take note that if your study program spans for not more than 90 days, you only need to have a Schengen visa.

Residence Permit (VVR)
The Residence Permit (VVR) is the next step after obtaining a Dutch Entry Visa. This visa willallow you to live in the Netherlands for the whole duration of your chosen study program, plus a preparatory year and another 3-month margin for your host university to formally terminate your registration as an international student. You can use this visa as proof of your eligibility as a Dutch resident, rather than just a visiting tourist. Moreover, a VVR allows you to travel to any country within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.

Applications for the VRR may be coursed through the university in the Netherlands which you will attend. The university will be the one to coordinate your visa’s transition to the VVR, at a cost specified by respective universities. Typically, the university fixes the application within 5 days after you step foot in the Dutch soil. You have to allow at least 2 weeks for the processing of the Residence Permit, which you will personally collect from a national Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service. Once you have a VVR, it is time to register it with a local council.

What are the requirements for Dutch visa application?

Now you have an idea of the types of visa for prospective international students in the Netherlands. If you are a student who has to apply for the MVV and the VVR, follow our checklist below for the documents you need to attach with your Dutch visa application:

Duly accomplished application form
Valid passport
2 recent photographs
Transcript of records
Academic certificates
Letter of acceptance from a university in the Netherlands
Study Plan (including a justification of why you chose your study program)
Birth certificate
Proof of funds (€870 or $993 per month until the end of your study program)
Travel insurance
Medical insurance
Tuberculosis test (for particular nationalities)
Biometrics
Application fee (€317 or $361)
NUFFIC Certificate (for Chinese students)

All documents should be presented in original copies and photocopies. Moreover, some students will be asked to take a civic integration exam or the “inburgeringsexam” to be administered by the Dutch Consulate in their home country.

Other Things You Need to Know about the Dutch Student Visa

You can apply for the MVV and the VVR at the same time. This is known as the TEV procedure, which you can arrange with the Dutch Consulate in your home country or with the university you will attend in the Netherlands.
The provision of the residence permit (VVR) has its conditions. It can be withdrawn whenever you are unable to successfully pass at least half of your enrolled subjects during the previous academic year.
In case of an unfortunate circumstance, i.e. an illness, while you are studying in the Netherlands, your university will consult the IND if ever you can be granted a special consideration.
Your university is required to report your academic progress to the IND, so the institution can make the necessary move about your permit.
If your residence permit reached its expiration date, you can always apply for an extension.
International students are allowed to find work in the Netherlands. This will be possible once you have a work permit.
International students from EU countries (except Croatia), Japan, and Switzerland do not need to apply for a work permit before being allowed to work in the Netherlands. They also do not have any constraints about how many hours they can allot for work.
The work permit will be applied for the student by the employer.
An international student (except those mentioned above) is allowed to work for a maximum of 10 hours per week during school days, and full-time during the summer.
If your visa is stamped with the “multiple entry” label, you are allowed to travel within and outside the Schengen area during the validity of your visa. Otherwise, you are only allowed to travel within the Schengen area if your visa is stamped with the “single entry” label.

Once you have an approved Dutch Entry Visa and Residence Permit, jumping for joy is acceptable. Now you only have to think about your travel to the Netherlands and preparing for Dutch student life.
See also: Scholarships for International Students in the Netherlands