Netherlands student visa — step by step
Everything you need to apply, and how Vibedu files it with you — free.
Study residence permit
What the authority publishes
Residence permit for the purpose of study, applied for by your institution, usually together with an MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) entry visa. The structural point about this route is that YOU DO NOT APPLY. The educational institution applies on your behalf, and it can only do so if the IND has recognised it as a sponsor. That makes "is my institution a recognised sponsor?" the first question on the Dutch route, not a detail — if it is not, this permit cannot be applied for at all.
€254
IND fee, changed every 1 January
What the authority publishes
€254.00 for study at all education levels, as published in the IND fee table for a first application or a change in the purpose of stay — the same amount applies to an extension. The IND states that fees are changed each year on 1 January and that the published amounts are valid from 1 January to 31 December, so an application filed either side of new year can face a different figure. The institution normally pays the IND and recharges you; the IND also notes that an application is only assessed once the whole amount has been received.
60 days legal
2 weeks if your sponsor files it complete
What the authority publishes
A legal decision period of 60 days applies, as published on the IND's decision-periods page for an application for the purpose of residence of study. In practice it is usually much faster: the IND states that where a recognised sponsor submits the application and the application is complete, the target decision period is two weeks. Both halves of that matter — the speed depends on your institution filing a complete application, which is not something you control directly, and the 60 days is the backstop rather than the expectation. After a positive decision you collect the MVV from the Dutch embassy or consulate within three months, and then have 90 days to travel.
€1,130.77 a month
university or hbo; €928.58 for mbo
What the authority publishes
€1,130.77 per month for study at a university or at hbo (higher professional education) level, and €928.58 per month for mbo (senior secondary vocational education), as published in the IND's required-amounts table. The IND adjusts required amounts twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, so check the table against your filing date rather than reusing a figure from an earlier intake. The amounts are the means you must have available, assessed by the IND through your sponsoring institution.
Work is permitted but it is restricted, and the restriction sits on your employer rather than on you. The Netherlands Labour Authority states that a non-EU student's employer needs a work permit (TWV) for them, and that the student must then choose one of two patterns: working full-time in the months of June, July and August, OR working a maximum of 16 hours per week.
Full official detail
Work is permitted but it is restricted, and the restriction sits on your employer rather than on you. The Netherlands Labour Authority states that a non-EU student's employer needs a work permit (TWV) for them, and that the student must then choose one of two patterns: working full-time in the months of June, July and August, OR working a maximum of 16 hours per week. It is a choice between the two, not both — you cannot work 16 hours a week through the year and then full-time over the summer. An employer who has not obtained the TWV is the one in breach, which is why some employers decline international students outright.
There is normally no consular interview on this route, which sets it apart from most student visas. Your institution files the application with the IND, the IND decides, and you collect the MVV from the Dutch embassy or consulate after approval — collection involves giving biometrics rather than being assessed.
Full official detail
There is normally no consular interview on this route, which sets it apart from most student visas. Your institution files the application with the IND, the IND decides, and you collect the MVV from the Dutch embassy or consulate after approval — collection involves giving biometrics rather than being assessed. The scrutiny on the Dutch route happens at the institution and at the IND on paper, not across a desk. Build the file accordingly: there is no interview at which to explain a gap or a weak document.
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Check that your institution is an IND-recognised sponsor
This is the gate. A residence permit for study can only be applied for by an educational institution the IND has recognised as a sponsor — and you cannot apply for it yourself. Confirm it before you commit to an offer, not after.
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Accept the offer and hand the institution what it needs
The institution builds and files the application. Your job is to supply documents promptly and completely: the two-week decision target depends on the application being complete when it is submitted.
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Show the required means
€1,130.77 a month for university or hbo study, €928.58 for mbo. The IND revises these on 1 January and 1 July, so use the table for the period you are filing in.
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The institution files with the IND and pays the fee
€254.00 for a first application. The IND assesses only once the full fee has been received, so a part-paid application simply sits.
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Wait for the decision
The legal period is 60 days; the IND's target for a complete application from a recognised sponsor is two weeks. If it is running long, the question to ask your institution is whether the application went in complete.
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Collect the MVV, then travel
After a positive decision you collect the MVV from the Dutch embassy or consulate within three months, giving biometrics at collection. Once you have it, you have 90 days to travel to the Netherlands.
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Collect the residence permit and register after arrival
The residence permit card follows arrival. Register with your municipality as part of settling in; your institution will normally walk you through the local steps.
Documents for the Netherlands visa
10 documents
Can you pay for a faster Netherlands decision?
No paid service is published by the authority
The IND publishes no paid priority service on its decision-periods page. Your university applies on your behalf under a recognised-sponsor arrangement, which is already the fast route.
If anyone offers to sell you “priority processing” for a Netherlands student visa, ask them to show you the official page that sells it. We looked on 10 November 2026 and could not find one.
IND decision periods ind.nlChecked against that page on 10 November 2026. Fees and services change — confirm before you pay anything.
Where to apply, and current timings
Straight to Netherlands’s own pages — we do not hold appointment slot counts, and nor does anyone else
Where you hand in your Netherlands application
12 places in India to submit a Netherlands application
Your university applies to the IND for you, so the centre visit is for biometrics and the MVV sticker rather than for the decision itself.
Visa Application Centres
12- Ahmedabad
- Bengaluru
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Cochin
- Hyderabad
- Jalandhar
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- New Delhi
- Pune
Operated by VFS Global, collecting applications for the Netherlands in India.
Addresses, opening hours and appointments visa.vfsglobal.comRead off the operator’s own page on 10 November 2026. Centres open, close and relocate at short notice — confirm yours on the link above before you travel to it.
Indicative — visa rules change. Vibedu confirms your exact, current requirements and files the application with you, free.
Netherlands student visa — FAQs
7 questions
No. The educational institution applies on your behalf, and it can only do so if the IND has recognised it as a sponsor. This is the structural difference between the Dutch route and most others, and it makes "is this institution a recognised sponsor?" a question to settle before you accept an offer.
The legal decision period is 60 days for an application for the purpose of residence of study. The IND states that where a recognised sponsor submits a complete application, the target is two weeks. The gap between those two numbers is usually explained by whether the application went in complete — which your institution controls, not you.
€1,130.77 per month for study at university or hbo level, and €928.58 for mbo, per the IND's required-amounts table. The IND adjusts these twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, so a figure from a previous intake may not be the one you are assessed against.
€254.00 for a first application or a change in purpose of stay, and the same for an extension. The IND changes fees every 1 January and the amounts are valid for that calendar year. The IND only assesses an application once the full amount has been received.
Yes, with a restriction that falls on your employer. The Netherlands Labour Authority states the employer needs a work permit (TWV), and you then choose ONE of two patterns: full-time in June, July and August, or a maximum of 16 hours a week. It is one or the other, not both — and an employer without the TWV is the party in breach, which is why some decline to hire international students.
Normally none. The institution files with the IND, the IND decides on paper, and you collect the MVV from the embassy or consulate afterwards — biometrics at collection rather than an assessment. There is no interview at which to explain a gap, so the written file has to carry it.
An MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) is the entry visa that lets you travel to the Netherlands, usually applied for together with the residence permit. After a positive decision you collect it within three months, and then have 90 days to travel. Some nationalities are exempt from the MVV requirement; Indian nationals are not.
Official sources: ind.nl · ind.nl · ind.nl · ind.nl
Checked against those sources on 10 Nov 2026. Fees and rules change between checks — confirm at the official page before you pay.
Get your Netherlands visa document checklist
A counsellor calls you back during office hours — 9am to 8pm IST, Mon to Sat. We are closed right now, so your request is first in line when we reopen.
Enquiry about Netherlands · Study residence permit (with MVV)
This is an enquiry to Vibedu for document and process guidance. It is not a Netherlands visa application, and no one but the immigration authority decides a visa.