Do you need a residence permit?

Depending on your nationality and the length of your stay, you may need an entry visa and/or a residence permit to study in the Netherlands. Use the form below to find out what residence documents you need to study in the Netherlands.

Check if you need a residence permit

What is your nationality?

How long will you stay in the Netherlands?

I will stay up to four months

I will stay longer than four months

As a citizen from EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, you do not need a visa to enter and stay in the Netherlands. However, it is required to have a valid passport or national ID to enter and stay the Netherlands.

As a citizen from EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, you do not need a visa to to enter and stay in the Netherlands. However, it is required to have a valid passport or national ID to enter and stay in the Netherlands.

After your arrival

How long will you stay in the Netherlands?

I will stay up to 90 days

I will stay longer than 90 days

As a citizen from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Vatican City State, you do not need a visa to enter and stay in the Netherlands up to 90 days. It is required to have a valid passport to enter and stay in the Netherlands.

Useful links:

the website of the European Union on the Entry/Exit System
the website of ETIAS

As a citizen from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Vatican City State, you need a residence permit to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days. You do not need a provisional residence permit (mvv) to enter the Netherlands. You can enter with your passport.

A residence permit is a card that proves that you are legally residing in the Netherlands. You will have to collect this card after your arrival in the Netherlands. The residence permit is valid for the duration of your studies. If your studies are delayed, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit via the Visa Team of Student Admissions.

Radboud University will assist you with your application and file the application with the IND (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service) on your behalf. After your application as a student is complete (i.e. you have been admitted and you have delivered the required enrolment documents), the Visa Team of Student Admissions will contact you about the different steps of the visa procedure.

How long will you stay in the Netherlands?

I will stay up to 90 days

I will stay longer than 90 days

You do not need a visa or residence permit to enter and stay in the Netherlands up to 90 days. It is required to have a valid passport to enter and stay in the Netherlands.

Useful links:

the website of the European Union on the Entry/Exit System
the website of ETIAS

You need a Provisional Residence Permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf: mvv) in your passport and a residence permit. A Provisional Residence Permit or Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf (mvv) is an entry visa that is valid for three months. It is a sticker which is placed in your passport at the Dutch Embassy or Dutch Consulate in your own country (or the country in which you legally reside). You must apply for it before your arrival in the Netherlands. Radboud University will assist you with your application and file the application with the IND (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service) on your behalf.

A residence permit is a card which proves that you are legally residing in the Netherlands. This card is provided to you after arrival in the Netherlands. The residence permit is valid for the duration of your studies. If your study is delayed, you will have to obtain an extension of your residence permit via the Visa Team of Student Admissions.

Radboud University will assist you with the application for a mvv and a residence permit before your arrival in the Netherlands. After your application as a student is complete (i.e. you have been admitted and you have delivered the required enrollment documents), the Visa Team of Student Admissions will contact you about the different steps of the visa procedure.

The visa application

Provisional residence permit/mvv exemptions

In some cases you do not need a provisional residence permit to enter the Netherlands. One of the most common exemptions is a residence permit from a Schengen country. The permit must be valid when you enter the Netherlands. Also if you are a family member of a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you can be exempted from a mvv. However, you do need a Dutch residence permit. After your application as a student is complete, the visa team of Student Admissions will contact you about the visa process.

If you have doubts about whether or not you are exempt from a provisional residence permit please feel free to contact the visa team of Student Admissions.

More information about mvv exemptions

How long will you stay in the Netherlands?

I will stay up to 90 days

I will stay longer than 90 days

You need a short-stay visa for your stay in the Netherlands. For this visa you must apply in person with the Dutch Embassy or Dutch Consulate in your country of origin (or the country in which you have permanent residence).

Useful links (when applying for the short-stay visa):

the website of the IND (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service)
the website of the Government of the Netherlands
the Short Stay Visa calculator
the website of the European Union on the Entry/Exit System

Apply no later than 45 days before your trip. For the requirements you can consult the website of the Government of the Netherlands.

A short-stay visa cannot be extended in the Netherlands. If you are in the Netherlands on a short-stay visa, you cannot be issued a residence permit following the short-stay visa.

You need a residence permit and a Provisional Residence Permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf: mvv). The mvv is an entry visa (Type D). The mvv is a sticker that will be placed in your passport. With the mvv you can travel to the Netherlands and collect your residence permit. The mvv is a multiple-entry visa and has a validity of 90 days. The mvv can be collected at the Dutch Embassy or Dutch Consulate in your country of origin (or the country in which you have permanent residence).

A residence permit is a card that proves that you are legally residing in the Netherlands. You will have to collect this card after your arrival in the Netherlands. The residence permit is valid for the duration of your studies. If your studies are delayed, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit via the Visa Team of Student Admissions.

Radboud University will assist you with your application and file the application with the IND (the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service) on your behalf. If you need an mvv it will be part of the visa procedure. You do not have to apply for it yourself, but you do have to make an appointment at the Embassy to collect the sticker once your permit application has been confirmed. After your application as a student is complete (i.e. you have been admitted and you have delivered the required enrolment documents), the Visa Team of Student Admissions will contact you about the different steps of the visa procedure.

Mvv exemptions

In some cases you can be exempt from having to use an mvv. One of the most common exemptions is if you have a residence permit from another Schengen country. The Schengen permit must be valid when you enter the Netherlands. Also if you are a family member of a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you can be exempted from an mvv. You do need a Dutch residence permit in most cases. After your application as a student is complete, the Visa Team of Student Admissions will contact you about the visa process. If you have a residence permit from another Schengen country or any other residence permit that can be relevant you can upload a scan in the Pre Arrival Services form.

If you have doubts about whether or not you are exempt from an mvv, please feel free to contact the Visa Team of Student Admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

I already have a Dutch residence permit, what should I do?

Whether or not you need a new residence permit for study when you already have a Dutch residence permit, depends on the type of residence permit you currently possess. The Visa Team at Radboud University will assess this after you have been conditionally admitted to one of our programmes of study. You can upload a scan of your current residence permit in the Pre-Arrival Services form.

There are also some general guidelines:

You have a residence permit from a different Dutch institution of higher education: in this case, Radboud University needs to take over sponsorship from your previous university. In order to do this, we apply for a 'Change of Educational Institution' on your behalf. This means you will have to go through our visa process and, should everything be approved, that your old card will remain valid if it still has 3 months or more before expiring. If the residence permit is about to expire, we will apply for an extension as well.

You are already in the Netherlands for work, an exchange, an orientation year, or as Au Pair: in this case we can change the purpose of your permit to 'study'. This means you will have to go through our visa process and, should everything be approved, that you will receive a new residence permit.

I have a (long term) residence permit from another EU or Schengen country, do I need a Dutch residence permit as well?

That depends on the validity of the residence permit and also the duration and type of the study programme. If your study programme is a joint degree or exchange programme of 360 days or less and your EU residence permit is valid for the whole duration of the programme, you do not need a Dutch residence permit for study. We do have to notify the IND that you will be studying in the Netherlands (intra-EU mobility directive scheme). For that we will start a procedure in our online application portal OSIRIS, but we do not apply for a residence permit.

In all other cases you need a Dutch residence permit for study since an EU or Schengen residence permit only allows you to stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of 90 days.

Contact information

Student Admissions can assist you in the application process. If you have any questions concerning your visa application, please contact the visa team of Student Admissions.

studentvisa [at] ru.nl +31 24 361 23 45