People from most countries need a visa to enter the Netherlands for study purposes. This visa is a sticker placed in your passport at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your own country, but you need to apply for it well in advance.
There are three elements which are important in finding out which procedures apply to you. The starting point is your nationality. The second is the duration of your stay. If you are staying for three months or less, different rules apply than when you will be in the Netherlands for longer than three months.

Short Stay Visa

For a stay of less than three months, you might need a short stay visa (Visum Kort Verblijf), depending on your nationality. Check the website www.ind.nl or ask your local Dutch embassy or consulate for advice. This visa is also called a ‘Schengen visa’.

With a multiple entry short stay visa you are allowed to travel in and out of the Netherlands during the period of validity of your visa.  During this period, you are also free to travel through the Schengen countries and back and forth to your home country or country of residence.

Visit the section about short stay visas at the Study in Holland website for more information.

Authorization For Temporary Stay

If you will be staying for longer than three months, you may need an authorization for temporary stay (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf, or MVV). This requirement does not apply to citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Vatican City, Monaco or South Korea.

We advise you to fill in the Student Visa Wizard first before you read more. This way you can find out which procedures apply to you on the basis of your nationality and the duration of your stay. You can also check the website www.ind.nl or ask your local Dutch embassy or consulate for advice.

The regular application procedure for an MVV may take three to six months, sometimes even longer. The Dutch host institution can apply for an MVV on your behalf using a fast-track procedure. But to do this, the institution must give the authorities a guarantee, which they sign. Institutions will not always agree to do this. But it is worth asking the institution about the fast-track procedure, because it will save you both time and trouble.

Visit the section about visas for longer than three months at the Study in Holland website for more information.

Residence Permit

Within three days after arriving in Holland,  non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who are staying in the Netherlands for either a short or long stay, must register with the local authorities. Those intending to stay for longer than three months also need to obtain a residence permit (verblijfsvergunning). You may need this even if you did not require a visa to enter the country. Although the law requires the foreigners mentioned above to register with the Aliens Police, in reality this will not always be possible. Your host institution will know whether or not it is possible to register with the Aliens Police in the town where you are staying. 

Nationals of EU member states are not strictly required to have a residence permit, but it is advisable for them to obtain a residence document to avoid hassle when dealing with certain authorities and companies.

Work Permit

In order to do an internship or work placement in Holland, students from outside the EU/EEA need a work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) in addition to their entry visa. Your employer must apply for this permit for you. If you’re a foreign student (non–EU/EEA/Swiss) and you have a valid residence permit with the aim to study, you can work alongside your studies (either full-time, seasonal work in June, July and August, or part-time work of no more than ten hours a week). In this case your Dutch employer does need a work permit for you, but this is an easy process as the employer doesn’t need to show that there are Dutch or EU nationals capable of doing the job. As an EU/EEA/Swiss student you are free to work as many hours as you like alongside your studies. Your employer doesn’t need to have a work permit for you.

You also need a work permit if you want to take paid work alongside your studies. There are two options if you want to work while you study: either less than ten hours a week year-round, or full-time during the months of June, July and August only. If you have successfully completed your higher education programme, you may apply for a residence permit valid for five years. To do this, you must have a contract of employment.

For more information on work permits you can visit the Study in Holland website.