Netherlands Student Visa (MVV) 2026/27: Requirements & Steps

Non-EU students who will study in the Netherlands for more than 90 days need a residence permit for study and, depending on nationality, an MVV (provisional residence permit, a long-stay entry visa). Your Dutch university applies for both at the IND on your behalf after you are admitted and have shown €1,130.77 per month for 12 months.

Then you collect the MVV sticker at the Dutch embassy or consulate named in the IND letter, travel, and pick up your residence card in the Netherlands. Here is every step, with official figures valid for 2026.

MVV and residence permit: what is the difference?

The MVV is a sticker in your passport that lets you enter the Netherlands for a long stay. The residence permit (VVR) is the card you collect after arrival that lets you live and study there. For students both are applied for together in one procedure, called the entry and residence procedure, by your institution.

Whether you need an MVV depends on your nationality. The IND decision and Netherlands Worldwide will tell you. The procedure is the same either way: your university applies, and the IND decides.

Who applies: your university as recognised sponsor

Only an educational institution that is an IND recognised sponsor can apply for your student residence permit. Check that your chosen university is on the IND public register of recognised sponsors before you apply. The institution submits the application (form 7504), pays the €254 fee and usually asks you to reimburse it.

Requirements for the Dutch student residence permit

• Admission and (temporary) registration in a full-time, accredited program.
• Sufficient means: €1,130.77 per month for 12 months for higher education (hbo or university), valid 1 January to 31 December 2026.
• A valid passport; for the MVV it must be valid for at least another 6 months.
• The Antecedents Certificate (IND form 7601), a declaration about any criminal record.
• Study progress: you must obtain at least 50% of the credits in each study year. Insufficient progress is reported to the IND.
• A TB test after arrival if your nationality is not exempt.

Proof of funds: how to show €1,130.77 per month

The IND study norm for hbo or university students is €1,130.77 per month in 2026, and you must show it for 12 months (€13,569.24 in total). The norm changes every 1 January, so check the IND required amounts page for the year you apply. The IND accepts several forms of proof:

• Your own bank account from which you can freely withdraw money.
• A deposit into your university's bank account (very common for non-EU students).
• A scholarship declaration.
• Company funds, or a financier abroad or in the Netherlands.
• Documents must not be older than 3 months.

If a person in the Netherlands finances your studies, the IND sets separate salary thresholds for that sponsor. Many universities make it simpler by asking you to transfer the living-cost amount together with tuition. Read cost of studying in the Netherlands for full budgets.

Step-by-step: from admission to residence card

1. 1

   Get admitted

   Accept your offer in Studielink. See how to apply to universities in the Netherlands.

2. 2

   Send documents and money to your university

   Usually proof of funds or a deposit, passport copy and signed form 7601. Many universities also want first-year tuition paid at this stage.

3. 3

   University applies to the IND

   The institution files the MVV and residence permit application and pays €254. You receive a V-number by email.

4. 4

   Wait for the IND decision

   The IND must decide within 60 days; it can extend this if the file is incomplete.

5. 5

   Book your MVV appointment

   Within 3 months of the decision, book at the Dutch embassy or consulate named in the IND letter.

6. 6

   Attend the appointment

   Bring a passport valid 6+ months with 2 blank pages and a copy, a passport photo meeting Dutch rules, the email with your V-number and any document listed in the IND letter. Non-nationals bring their residence permit for that country.

7. 7

   Receive the sticker

   The embassy keeps your passport; issuing the sticker takes up to 10 working days at most missions.

8. 8

   Travel within 90 days

   Enter the Netherlands while the MVV is valid, register with your municipality and get your BSN.

9. 9

   Collect your residence card and do the TB test

   Book the IND collection appointment when your university says the card is ready, and the GGD TB test within 3 months if required (bring form 7604).

How long the whole visa process takes

Add up the official time limits and you will see why Dutch universities set visa-student deadlines in April, May or early June for a September start. Each stage below uses the maximum the rules allow, not an average:

Collecting your documents and transferring money also takes time, especially if your bank limits international transfers. Start gathering papers as soon as you apply, not after you are admitted.

Your personal visa document checklist

• Passport valid for at least 6 more months, with 2 blank pages, plus a copy.
• Signed Antecedents Certificate (form 7601).
• Proof of 12 months of funds, or the deposit receipt from your university.
• Passport photo that meets Dutch rules (for the MVV appointment).
• Email from your university with your V-number.
• Residence permit of your country of residence, if you are not a national of that country.
• Legalised birth certificate if your university or municipality asks for it.

Health insurance

If you are in the Netherlands only to study, you may not take out Dutch public health insurance; you need adequate private or home-country insurance. As soon as you take a part-time job, Dutch public health insurance becomes mandatory. Study in NL warns that ignoring a letter from the CAK for 3 months leads to a fine of €529.72.

Applying from Afghanistan

Non-nationals of the country where you apply must bring their residence permit or comparable document. Afghan nationals are not on the IND TB-test exemption list, so plan the GGD test after arrival. Document legalisation for Afghans is explained in documents, translation and legalization.

Applying from Pakistan, India and other countries

Most applicants collect the MVV at the Dutch mission in their country of residence; if there is none, the IND letter names another country. In Pakistan you book by email with the embassy in Islamabad; in India you book online through VFS for New Delhi, Bangalore or Mumbai, and can track the application online. Use the country selector on Netherlands Worldwide for your country's rules.

Common reasons for delays

• Incomplete files: missing documents extend the IND's 60-day decision period.
• Late payment of tuition or the living-cost deposit, so the university cannot file in time.
• Scarce MVV appointment slots; Netherlands Worldwide advises booking early and checking again, as cancellations free up slots.
• Passports with less than 6 months' validity or no blank pages.
• Documents in the wrong language without a sworn translation.

What your permit allows

The permit is valid for the length of your program plus 3 months, up to 5 years, including any preparatory year. You may work as an employee up to 16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August, but only if your employer gets a work permit (TWV). Internships that are part of your program need no TWV. After graduation you can switch to the orientation year permit; see work and stay in the Netherlands after graduation.

Back to the complete Netherlands study guide, or track deadlines for free on FindUniPath so your visa timeline starts on time.