Frequently asked questions

This is allowed if you and your partner meet the requirements for a residence permit for partner.

​Yes, but the new educational institution must be recognized as a sponsor. The new educational institution also has to notify the IND of your transfer. You do not need to apply for a new residence permit.

If you wish to stay in the Netherlands after your studies, you have to apply for a new residence permit. As a graduate you can make use of the orientation year for graduates. With your permit for the orientation year you have one year to find work in the Netherlands, for example as a highly skilled migrant. 

Have you graduated? Your residence permit for study purposes will remain valid until 3 months after you deregister from your educational institution. 

You can also apply for a start-up residence permit. This gives you one year to start an innovative company.

Do you have the possibility to do scientific research? Your employer or research institute can apply for a residence permit for you as a researcher highly skilled migrant, or as a researcher under directive (EU) 2016/801.

No, you do no need to provide proof of income when you apply for a residence permit orientation year. You will have to sustain yourself during the orientation year, but you do not have to show how. You will be allowed to work during your orientation year.

During the orientation year, you are not allowed to use public funds.

You will be awarded a joint degree or multiple degrees when you complete the Erasmus Mundus Masters Course, or an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master. These diplomas are issued by at least 2 participating higher education schools.

You can find all current Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (Degree) programmes in the Erasmus Mundus Catalogue on the website from the European Commission. 

No, you cannot. When you have studied abroad, you should at least have obtained a master's degree. 

You can only apply for the orientation year if you have done scientific research at an educational institution or at a research institution funded or subsidized by the Dutch government. 

Your letter of appointment or employment contract must state the job title and job code as drawn up in the University Job Classification System (Universitair Functieordeningssysteem (UFO) in Dutch). Your job code should start with 01.

With the orientation year you will have time to find a job as a highly skilled migrant in the Netherlands. During the orientation year you can work freely in the Netherlands. This means that your employer does not need a work permit for you. And your employer only has to pay at least the legal minimum wage (including holiday allowance). You can also use the orientation year to start your own business. 

Did you find a job as a highly skilled migrant? In that case a reduced salary criterion applies to you. This makes it easier and less expensive for an employer to hire you. You keep the reduced salary criterion, also when you change employers. Read the requirements for a residence permit for highly skilled migrant. 

No, this is not necessary. You can work freely in the Netherlands during the orientation year. Your employer can wait until the end of your orientation year before he applies for a new residence permit. Do make sure that your employer applies before your residence permit for an orientation year ends. In this way, there will be no gap between your residence permits orientation year and highly skilled migrant. There will then also be no gap in your legal stay.

Yes, it is possible. You do have to meet all the requirements for the residence permits for Family and partner. 

Requirement sufficient income

Do your family members already have a Dutch residence permit? In this case, you do not need to prove that you have sufficient income. 

Do your family members not have a Dutch residence permit yet? In this case, you need to prove that you do have sufficient income. In the next 2 situations, you will meet the income requirements:

• You have a job that gives you and independent, sufficient and sustainable income.
• You have an amount in your bank account equal to 12 times the social assistance benefit (in Dutch: bijstandsnorm) including holiday allowance.

In both situations you and your family members are not allowed to apply for public funds.