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Educational institution

Your educational institution wants to apply residence permits for students. Your educational institution then has to meet a number of conditions. What are the conditions? And how does the application procedure work?

This page only explains the recognition as a sponsor for study. The conditions for a residence permit for study and the application forms for study can be found on pages Study at a university or university of applied sciences and  Attend secondary or vocational education. However, you can find here the notification form for study and separate appendices of the application forms for study.

Recognition as sponsor compulsory

To have internationals students study at your educational institution, your educational institution must be recognised by the IND. In order to be recognised as a sponsor, your educational institution must be a reliable partner for the IND. After your organisation has been recognised, it will be entered in the Public Register for Recognised Sponsors.

Conditions

There are certain conditions that apply to all recognised sponsors. In addition, the following conditions apply to educational institutions:

Schools higher education

  • Your educational institution offers accredited (NVAO quality mark) higher education (higher professional education or university education) as referred to in the Higher Education and Research Act.
  • One of the following situations apply:
    • Your educational institution has signed the Code of Conduct for international students in Higher Education.
    • Your educational institution provides educational programmes in relation to the development cooperation policy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
    • Your educational institution provides educational programmes in relation to the Cultural Policy Act.

Schools secondary education

  • Your educational institution offers secondary education as set out in the Secondary Education Act.

Schools senior secondary vocational education

  • Your educational institution offers vocational education as set out in the Education and Vocational Act.

Schools secondary education that offer the international baccalaureate programme

  • Your educational institution is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organisation;
  • Your educational institution is funded according to the Secondary Education Act;
  • Your educational institution is part of an international organisation that exchanges pupils worldwide. National committees of this international organisation decide the country of placement. Or, your educational institution places pupils in a boarding school.

Has the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science not recognised your educational institution? Please indicate this in your application.

Costs

This application costs € 4017.

  • The application recognition as sponsor due to change in business entity costs € 2008. 

Checklist documents

The application form lists the documents that you need for your application.

You have to have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

 

Steps in the application process

1. Submit application and payment

​You ask for recognition by using the application form. This form is at the bottom of this page. You send this application form and the documents required to the IND. After the application has been received, the IND sends a letter stating how the fees are to be paid.

Reduced fee
​When the legal form of your enterprise has changed the reduced fee also applies. Your enterprise was recognised as a sponsor before that change and a notarial deed shows that:

  • the nature of the business activities has not expanded; and
  • the control of the new enterprise or legal entity remains the same.

More information can be found in the application form.

2. Complete the application form

You apply for recognition with the application form. You can find the form below, under 'Application forms and costs'. Please enclose all requested documents and send the complete application to the IND.

After your application has been received, the IND sends a confirmation letter. The confirmation letter states the date the IND has received your application. It also states the period within which the IND makes a decision.

3. Decision

​The IND checks whether your educational institution meets all the conditions required for recognition. The IND tries to make a decision within a period of 2 weeks.

  • Negative decision
    If your educational institution does not meet all the conditions, the IND will reject the application for recognition. You can register an objection against this decision.

  • Positive decision
    If your educational institution meets all the conditions, your organisation will be a recognised sponsor for study. You will be informed of this.

4. Entry in the public register

​Your educational institution is entered in the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors. Future foreign students can check here to see if the educational institution they wish to attend is recognised.

Application forms and costs
Application form for 'Recognition as Sponsor'7501

Use this form if you want to apply for recognition for your organisation.

Checklist documents

The application form lists the documents that you need for your application.

Costs application

This application costs € 4017.

  • The application recognition as sponsor due to change in business entity costs € 2008.

Download  

Notification form for study purposes7592

Use this form to inform the IND of changes in the situation of the student.

Download  

Notification form for changes concerning the recognised sponsor 7588

​Use this form for notifications concerning changes in the situation of the recognised sponsor.

The changes can be of a general nature, but also specific changes in relation to the purpose of stay for which you are a recognised sponsor.

Download  

After the recognition

Recognition only serves the purpose for which the recognition was given

You are a recognised sponsor for the purpose of stay 'to study'. This recognition only applies to this purpose of stay. Each student studying in the Netherlands has a recognised sponsor. Without recognition, you cannot be a sponsor of a foreign student who needs a residence permit for study. This is the case for students of higher education and students attending secondary or vocational education. 

Does your educational institution also wish to employ foreign employees or scientific researchers? Apply for recognition for work purposes or scientific researchers. Under Employers you will find the conditions for this recognition.

Submit applications for foreign students

Has the IND approved your recognition? You can then start submitting applications for the residence permit for study for your international students. Your educational institution declares in the application form that your international student meets the conditions. You do not need to send the supporting documents to the IND. 

The conditions, procedure and the application forms for study are set out on the page of the target group: Study at a university or university of applied sciences or secondary or vocational education.

 

Having applications submitted by an authorised representative

You can authorise an organisation or institution to submit the applications on your behalf. You send a one-time authorisation to the IND. This authorisation states who you authorise to submit the applications on your behalf. You sign the authorisation.

The authorised representative enters the name of your organisation and his own data on the application form when submitting the application. The application form has a separate field for this.

Change in business entity

​When the business entity of your institution or company changes, you will again need to apply for recognition as sponsor for the new business entity. This application for recognition costs € 2008.

Rights and obligations

Rights

As a recognised sponsor you have a number of rights: 

  • The aim of the IND is to decide on study applications within 2 weeks. This is only possible if you complete the application in full. Are documents missing? The IND cannot meet the term of 2 weeks then.
  • You can send less documentary evidence to the IND. An own statement is often enough. This states that the international student meets all the conditions set out for entry and stay in the Netherlands.
  • You can direct any questions you have to a special email address. See the contact details on the right side of this page for the address.

Obligations

As recognised sponsor you have a responsible task. You assess and submit all the application forms for the students. The IND hardly has any contact with your individual students. Everything runs through you.

The migration policy is based on trust in you as recognised sponsor. The IND checks afterwards if:

  • the student (still) meets the conditions;
  • you continue to meet the conditions for recognition; and
  • if you fulfil your obligations as sponsor.

Your educational institution is also responsible for organisations that fulfil, on your behalf, a role abroad in this procedure. For example, agencies and intermediaries.

In addition to rights, as a recognised sponsor, you therefore also have a number of legal obligations.