Netherlands Student Visa for Arab Students: Procedures and Documents by Country of Residence

Check the subject, teaching language, entry requirements, tuition and deadlines. The programme must be full-time and accredited, and the institution must be an IND-recognised educational sponsor.

Recognised educational sponsors

The institution decides whether your foreign qualification meets its requirements and specifies the language test and score. There is no universal admission average or IELTS score. Common tests include IELTS, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge English; use the programme’s actual list and permitted exemptions. Extra courses or a preparatory period may be required; a study permit can cover a preparatory period, usually one year, as determined by the institution.

Admission and language · Preparatory period

1. 1

   Read the programme’s instructions and deadline.

2. 2

   Check whether Studielink registration is required; some institutions use another route for international applicants.

3. 3

   Complete the application, university portal and documents.

4. 4

   Monitor messages, meet offer conditions and accept on time.

General deadlines are 15 January for numerus fixus programmes and 1 May for others, but institution and programme deadlines may differ. Check immigration-document deadlines too. A numerus fixus place normally must be accepted within two weeks of the offer.

Applications and deadlines

Admission documents include passport, qualifications, transcripts, language evidence and any programme-specific items. Immigration documents include passport and enrolment information, funding proof and forms supplied by the institution. Prepare a CV, motivation letter or recommendations if requested. The Antecedents Certificate is a declaration signed by the student; do not automatically treat it as a universally required local police certificate.

Sponsor application 7504 — PDF · Antecedents declaration 7601 — PDF

Use the issuing country of each document, even when you live elsewhere. First identify what the institution, IND or municipality needs. Arabic documents require a sworn translation into an accepted language; generally Dutch, English, French or German, but a university or mission can require a particular language.

NetherlandsWorldwide addresses are printed as text because this website does not accept them as clickable links. Copy the address and remove the space after www.

Translations made in the issuing country may need legalisation alongside the original. A sworn translation made in the Netherlands usually needs no additional legalisation; follow the specific country page. Provide complete originals and required annexes.

For 2026: €1,130.77 monthly, or €13,569.24 for 12 months by calculation, excluding tuition. Valid until 31 December 2026; check updated IND amounts for applications in 2027.

• Your own account

  sufficient, freely withdrawable funds.

• Deposit with the institution

  living funds received before submission.

• Scholarship

  issuer, amount and start/end dates.

• Company support

  declaration, company documentation, representative’s identity and authority, and funding evidence.

• Person abroad

  support declaration, identity and sufficient accessible funds.

• Person in the Netherlands

  declaration, identity, independent sustainable sufficient income, and a BRP family-composition extract under the official requirements.

In the specified routes, evidence must be no older than three months and show account holder, number, balance, date and bank details. An internet printout of your foreign account also requires an original bank statement. For a joint account, show your right to use the funds. Funding is proved again each study year.

Required amounts · Funding evidence · Private support declaration 7668

The recognised institution submits the study residence application and MVV together when needed. MVV is the long-stay entry sticker; the residence permit authorises your study stay. The published 2026 application fee is €254, paid through the institution; university charges are separate. The statutory decision period is 60 days and can be extended, for example if documents are missing. The institution receives the decision. For refusal, follow the reasons, objection process and deadline stated in the decision.

Application process — IND

Use the mission specified in the IND decision; do not choose another independently. Mission pages give three months after approval to apply for the MVV sticker. Arrange booking and the procedure promptly within that period.

If travelling to another country for the appointment, arrange permission to enter it. Syrian nationals travelling overland to Lebanon should check Beirut’s special border arrangements for their document and circumstances before travelling. An online booking platform does not necessarily mean submission at a visa centre; follow the mission and appointment confirmation.

• Passport and identity-page copy, valid at least six months from the appointment, with two blank pages.

• Photo meeting Dutch requirements.

• Residence proof and copy if you are not a citizen of your residence country.

• Positive decision and V number

• for study, the university email containing the V number is sufficient under the published instructions

• Other documents specified in the decision and copies.

The passport is retained to place the sticker, which can take up to ten working days. Collection or delivery differs by mission. Check name, details and validity immediately on receipt.

Photo requirements: www .netherlandsworldwide.nl/passport-id-card/photo-requirements

MVV validity is 90 days; use the dates actually printed on the sticker. Arrange housing before arrival, original documents, insurance and university arrival instructions. Study-only students need suitable home-country coverage or private insurance and should not automatically enrol in Dutch basic insurance. Paid work usually requires Dutch basic insurance; internships and self-employment have specific rules and may require an SVB assessment.

Housing · Health insurance

1. 1

   Provide photo, fingerprints and signature if IND requests them.

2. 2

   Book residence-card collection after the institution receives notice it is ready.

3. 3

   Register in the municipality’s BRP if staying more than four months; obtain your BSN.

4. 4

   Supply civil documents the municipality requests, including a legalised translated birth certificate when required.

5. 5

   Complete insurance, university enrolment and any required TB test.

Biometrics · Arrival procedures

The current exemption list includes Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Mauritania and Comoros. Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti are not on the published list; check the obligation and any other exemption. If required, take the GGD test within three months after receiving the permit. Check actual nationality and travel document, especially non-national documents.

TB exemption list — PDF

Maintain study and funding conditions and obtain at least 50% of yearly credits; the institution assesses justified reasons if progress is insufficient. Report relevant changes through the institution. Paid employment needs an employer-arranged TWV: choose up to 16 hours weekly or full-time in June, July and August. Self-employment needs no TWV but requires continuing permit conditions, KvK registration and taxes. A curricular internship needs no TWV under the relevant route.

Residence and work rules

Arrange extension through the recognised institution before expiry; apply when three months or less remain, while continuing to meet conditions. A study permit normally covers programme duration plus three months, up to five years, provided requirements remain met. After graduation, an orientation-year permit may be available if eligible; it is a separate application, not an automatic extension.

Extension · Orientation year

Can conditional admission start immigration?

IND can accept temporary enrolment evidence, but the institution decides which conditions must be completed before submitting. Ask it to confirm readiness.

Can I change institutions?

You can transfer to another recognised educational sponsor while meeting conditions and notifying IND.

Can family accompany me?

Family members need separate applications and conditions. Ask whether the institution handles them. Your permit does not automatically authorise their stay; accompanying family members under this route are not allowed to work under IND instructions.

Before applying: use the institution’s checklist, each document’s issuing-country instructions and the mission in the IND decision. Fees and living amounts here are for 2026; recheck updates for 2027.