Student residence permit for university or higher professional education

• You meet the general requirements that apply to everyone.
• You have proof of registration or temporary proof of registration as a student at a university or institute of higher professional education (in Dutch: hoger beroepsonderwijs or HBO).
• Your study programme is accredited: this means that it has been recognised by Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders or NVAO (in the Netherlands) or the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education or EQAR (Europe).
• Your educational institution is a recognised sponsor with the IND.
• You will enrol on a full-time study programme.
• You meet the income requirements.  
• Every year you make enough progress in your studies. This means that you obtain at least 50% of the credits for each study year. 

Assessment of study progress

Your educational institution assesses your progress and lets you know if you have obtained enough credits. Is your study progress insufficient? Then your educational institution must assess whether you have good reasons. The educational institution does this by checking against the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW).  Do you not have good reasons for insufficient study progress? Then the educational institution  must report this to the IND. After that, the IND assesses whether you still meet the requirements for study. 

Do you want to know more about your study progress? And how the educational institution assesses this? Then contact your educational institution.

Preparatory period

Does your educational institution require you to pass extra courses or to take a language test to be admitted to the study programme? Or do you need to prepare for a master’s degree programme after your bachelor’s degree (pre-master)? The student residence permit also gives you a right of residence in the Netherlands during a preparatory period. This preparatory period usually lasts 1 year. During this period you work on meeting the requirements of the study programme of your choice. After the preparatory period your educational institution determines if you meet the admission requirements. Do you not meet the requirements? Then the educational institution will deregister you at the IND.

TB test

Did the educational institution indicate at the time of the application that you will take a TB (tuberculosis) test? Then make an appointment with the public health service (in Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheidsdienst or GGD). Do this within 3 months after you have received the residence permit. Take  with you to the appointment:

Working with the residence permit

On the back of your residence permit, it says´Work permit required for additional work, other work as an employee not permitted´ (in Dutch: Tewerkstellingsvergunning (TWV) vereist voor arbeid van bijkomende aard, andere arbeid in loondienst niet toegestaan).

Working as an employee

You may work as an employee if your employer has a work permit (TWV) for you. If you want to work, then you must choose: up to 16 hours a week; or fulltime during the months of June, July and August.

The Netherlands Labour Authority (in Dutch: Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) checks whether your employer has a TWV, and whether you are not working more than is allowed. Are you working more than is allowed or without a TWV? Then the Netherlands Labour Authority will report this to the IND and give your employer a fine. The IND will contact your educational institution.

Working as a self-employed person

As long as you still meet the requirements for the residence permit, you may work as a self-employed person. You do not need a TWV and you may work as much as you want as a self-employed person. You must, however, register with the Chamber of Commerce (in Dutch: Kamer van Koophandel or KvK) and pay tax. You may also need to arrange for Dutch healthcare insurance.

Traineeship

You may follow a traineeship if this is part of your study programme. Then a TWV is not needed. Visit the website of Nuffic for more information.

Change educational institutions

​During your studies you are allowed to transfer to another educational institution. Your residence permit remains valid. The new educational institution must be recognised as sponsor. And you and the new educational institution also have to notify the IND of your switch.

Temporary study outside the Netherlands

Intra-EU mobility

EU Directive 2016/801 makes it possible to study in several EU countries (we call this intra-EU mobility). You can study with your Dutch residence permit in other EU countries for up to 360 days. The Directive does not cover traineeship. Your studies abroad must be part of an educational programme which states that you may study in several countries under the mobility provisions. Or you must go and study in a different EU country under an agreement between two or more higher education institutions. Your educational institution must notify the IND in time of your study in the EU using the form:

No intra-EU mobility

Do you want to study abroad? But do you not meet the rules for intra-EU mobility? You can study abroad for up to 12 months. This may also be a traineeship. During your stay abroad you must make enough study progress.  

Legal obligations

Your educational institution has as a recognised sponsor for study purposes an obligation to provide information, an obligation to keep records and a duty of care. If you are a student, you only have an obligation to provide information. 

Find out more about the legal obligations of the recognised sponsor and the foreign national’s obligation to provide information.  

The IND checks whether you meet your obligations. If you do not, you may get an administrative fine. 

Validity of residence permit

The residence permit for study is valid for 3 months longer than the duration of your study. A preparatory period is part of the duration of your study. The IND will issue the residence permit for a maximum of 5 years. The residence permit will remain valid as long as you meet the requirements for study.

Type of residence permit

The residence permit is type I, temporary regular residence permit.

Other applications

Replacement of the residence permit

Has your residence permit been damaged, lost or stolen? Then have the residence permit replaced. Visit the web page residence permit damaged or change of personal details or residence permit lost or stolen.

Extend the residence permit 

Will your residence permit expire soon? Then you can extend your residence permit.

Apply for a different residence permit

Have you completed your studies? Then you can apply for a different residence permit to:

• look for a job after study. 
• work as a highly skilled migrant. Then a lower income requirement  will apply to you.
• work as a start-up entrepreneur (start-up). 

• Application for recognition as sponsor 7501 (PDF, 399.52 KB)
• Studying in the Netherlands with a residence permit for study in a different EU country  
• Living in the Netherlands
• Travel and return visa (TKV) 
• Coming to study in the Netherlands 3087(PDF, 438.71 KB)