Planning to Study in Netherlands? Here's All You Need to Know About Netherlands Visa

With more than 10 universities placed in the top 500 international higher education rankings, Netherlands is a popular country to study in. Do you want to study in Netherlands? Wait before you move forward with your decision, let us tell you something important. Just getting admission to Holland university is not enough, you will also require a student visa to enter the country. This article would provide you complete information on a Student visa for Netherlands.

Important things to know

Before we get into the process of obtaining a student visa for the Netherlands. Please note the following important points:

• You will NOT need a Netherlands student visa or a residence permit if you're from the EU/EEA or several other countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the US, and the Vatican City). If you are from another country, you will need a visa to study in Netherlands.
• To gain entry in the Netherlands, you will require a Provincial Residence Permit, which is known as MVV(Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf). It is applied for by the host university on behalf of their Student.
• MVV allows you to stay in the Netherlands for six months. For the courses that last for 1 to 4 years, MVV will not be sufficient. Hence, you will also require a VVR, a residence permit.
• Once you enter the Netherlands, you need to apply for VVR or a Residence Permit. 
• VVR is allowed only for study purposes. It is valid for the duration of the program you have enrolled in. VVR stays valid only if the student scores 50% of credit throughout the course duration.

How to Get a student visa for Netherlands?

The process of obtaining the visa for studying in the Netherlands is simple if you keep following the proper steps. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Apply to the university in Netherlands and get your acceptance letter

If you have still not gained admission to one of the higher education institutes in the Netherlands, Secure it before you move forward with your visa application. After being accepted at a university, you will be issued an acceptance letter. This letter is required for the visa application. Here we have listed some of the best universities in the Netherlands:

• Delft University of Technology
• University of Amsterdam
• Maastricht University
• Erasmus University Rotterdam
• HAN University of Applied Sciences
• Eindhoven University of Technology
• University of Twente
• Hanze University of Applied Sciences
• University of Groningen
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

2. Find the type of Student visa you need in the Netherlands

Your university will help you to start the process of visa application. Contact your university and ask for support. After the university receives approval from the Immigration Service, they will inform you. In the next step, you will have to find the nearest embassy or consulate in your country and apply for an entry visa (MVV).

• A short-stay visa or a Schengen visa- It is required if you plan to study for 90 days or less in the Netherlands.
• An entry visa (MVV)- It is required if you plan to study for more than 90 days in the Netherlands. 

However, the MVV is valid only for 90 days. It should be followed by the application for a VVR. To know more, check this: Student visa for Netherlands

3. Apply for the study visa (MVV)

After the university's request for a visa is approved, you can apply for an entry visa for Netherlands at the nearest embassy or consulate in your home country. You have to pay the Netherlands visa application fees, which is around €250.

4. Wait for the decision and collect your visa

Once the visa application has been completed and submitted, it goes into processing. The visa processing time will be around one to three months, so it is recommended that you get your Netherlands visa as early as possible. You can collect the MVV, temporary visa for up to 3 months.

5. Residence permit in the Netherlands

Generally, universities will apply for the residence permit (VVR) on their student’s behalf. For this service, they might charge some fee. The residence permit allows you to stay in Netherlands for the complete duration of your study program. If required you can also apply for an extension of the VVR to an additional three months, plus the preparatory year. Once you arrive in the Netherlands, you have to register your new address in the Municipal Personal Records Database (BPR) in the municipality.

Extension of residence permit (VVR)

If you want to change your course during your studies in the Netherlands, the number of years you have already studied will be deducted from the maximum duration of the new course. Before your residence permit expires, you can apply for an extension. You can extend it according to your stay for the rest of your study program.

Withdraw of residence permit

In some cases, the residence permit (VVR) can be withdrawn. For example, you do not maintain at least 50 percent of credits concerning your academic performance. Your university will have to inform the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). In the following cases, your Residence permit is canceled in the Netherlands:

• You discontinue your studies, 
• Terminate your registration as a student, 
• You no longer have eNOUGH funds to cover your living costs.

Required application documents for the Dutch study visa

For visa application, you will have to submit some of the documents for verification purposes. Here we have listed some of the documents so that you can be ready with them before you start the process:

• Completed visa application form
• Valid passport
• Two photographs
• Birth certificate
• Academic transcripts
• Acceptance letter from the higher education institutions in the Netherlands
• A cover letter
• Financial proof that you have enough funds to sustain in the Netherlands during your studies
• Travel and health insurance
• Photocopies of all the original documents
• Tuberculosis test (required for citizens from some countries)
• Photocopies of all the original documents
• Biometric information

We hope this article was helpful to you. Work according to the steps, you are sure to reach your study abroad destination, Netherlands. If you have any queries, feel free to contact us. 

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