Visa information
If you are an international student who wishes to study in the Netherlands, you may need a visa. This depends on your nationality and your length of stay in the Netherlands.
Stay of up to 90 days
If you are a citizen of a non-EU country who wants to stay for 90 days or less, you might need a short stay visa (in Dutch: Visum Kort Verblijf, VKV). This requirement depends on your nationality. If you require a VKV, you must apply for it in person at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your home country.
Stay of longer than 90 days / EU citizen
If you are a citizen of an EEA* country who wants to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, you do not need a residence permit or an entry visa. Upon arrival in the Netherlands, you simply need to register at the city hall of the town or city where you will reside.
If you are a student from Vatican City or Monaco, you do not need an entry visa but you do need a residence permit.
*The EEA consists of the EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Stay of longer than 90 days / non-EU citizen
If you are a non-EU citizen who wants to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, you need an entry visa (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf, MVV) and/or a residence permit (Verblijfsvergunning, VVR). HAN will apply for these on your behalf.
Citizens of the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and South Korea do not need an entry visa; HAN will thus only apply for a residence permit. Students with these nationalities will enter the Netherlands on their passport and will receive the residence permit after arriving in the Netherlands, when the course is just about to start.
Overview of Visa Requirement by Nationality
| Country of Citizenship |
Entry Visa (MVV) |
Residence Permit (VVR) |
Work Permit |
|
EU/EEA or Switzerland |
Not required |
Not required |
Not required |
|
Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korean and USA |
Not required |
Required (for a stay of more than 90 days) |
Required Company must apply |
|
All other nationalities |
Required (for a stay of more than 90 days) |
Required (for a stay of more than 90 days) |
Required (for a stay of more than 90 days) |
|
All other nationalities with a valid residence permit for a Schengen country |
Not required |
Required for students with a valid residence permit for a Schengen country |
Required (for a stay of more than 90 days) |
City Hall Registration
All students, regardless of nationality, are required to register in their place of residence. This registration takes place at the city hall. If moving to another city within the Netherlands, you must deregister and re-register in the new city you are moving to. City hall registration is used by the IND for verification purposes.