Students Information

When you are a student and you want to study in the Netherlands, the educational institution will play an important role in the application procedure. It is even possible (sometimes necessary) that they apply for the MVV on your behalf and make use of the so-called "accelerated application". The normal procedure for obtaining an authorization for temporary stay (MVV) usually takes between 3 and 6 months. If your educational institution brings in trainees or students from abroad on a regular basis, they may be eligible for the accelerated MVV procedure. This procedure takes just a few weeks.

Visa, residence permit and city registration
An entry visa (MVV) is a sticker in your passport issued by the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your home country (or the country in which you legally reside) and which you might need to enter the Netherlands. A residence permit is a card which allows you to legally reside in the Netherlands.

Whether you will need an entry visa and/or a residence permit depends on your nationality. As a residence permit for study purposes is valid for a certain number of years, universities monitor the study progress of all non-EU/EEA students to make sure they can complete their studies within the allowed time frame.
Students should always contact the Admissions/Administration Office of an University in view of steps to be taken.

Registration with the municipality
In the Netherlands, all citizens are registered in a national database. This is required by Dutch law. Once you register with the city, you will automatically receive a BSN number, which you need to open a bank account or apply for a work permit. All students who are staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months are required by law to register.

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals registered as citizens in a country other than the Netherlands need  to bring:

  • Valid passport and/or EU Identity card
  • If you were born outside the Netherlands a legalized copy of your birth certificate*  
  • For students from the Dutch Antilles, a proof that you have discontinued your registration as a citizen of the Antilles
     

All non-EU/EEA nationals who require a residence permit:

  • Valid passport (with the MVV sticker in your passport if your nationality requires you to have this)
  • Legalized copy of your birth certificate*
  • Letter from the IND confirming your application for the MVV

    *not older than 6 months

For more information please check service desk IND

 

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