Student residence permit for university or higher professional education

Last update: 28 December 2023

You want a student residence permit to study in the Netherlands at a university or institute of higher professional education (in Dutch: hoger beroepsonderwijs or HBO). Only an educational institution that the IND has recognised as a sponsor can apply for a student residence permit for you. Find out what the requirements are and how your educational institution can apply for a student residence permit.

Requirements

  • 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. Your educational institution assesses your progress and lets you know if you have obtained enough credits. What if you do not make enough study progress and your educational institution does not think there is a good reason for this? Then your educational institution will degister you at the IND. If you want to know more about study progress monitoring, please contact your educational institution.

Preparatory period

Does your educational institution require you to pass more 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 obtaining your bachelor’s degree (pre-master)? The student residence permit also gives you a right of residence in the Netherlands during one preparatory period. This preparatory period normally lasts 12 months. Then you can work on meeting the requirements to be admitted to the study programme of your choice. Do you not meet the requirements for any reason? Then the educational institution will deregister you at the IND.

Process and costs

These are the steps in the application process for your student residence permit at a university or institute of higher professional education (in Dutch: hoger beroepsonderwijs or HBO).

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Application form

Your educational institution submits the application for you and uses this application form:

Written application forms

Written application forms

Application for the purpose of residence of ‘study’ Higher education (recognised sponsor)

The residence permit

Find out what else you need to know about your student residence permit.

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 have to take out 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 institution

​You may change educational instution. Your residence permit remains valid. The new educational institution must be recognized 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 (intra-EU mobility). You can study in other EU countries for up to 360 days with your Dutch residence permit. 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. The Directive does not cover traineeship. Your educational institution must notify the IND in time of your study in the EU using the form:

No intra-EU mobility

For your studies in the Netherlands, you may study abroad for up to 12 months. As a trainee, you must also make enough study progress. Otherwise the IND can withdraw your residence permit. 

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 study. It is valid as long as you meet the requirements. The IND will issue a student residence permit for a maximum of 5 years. 

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: