Foreign students from non EU countries who wish to follow education or postdoctoral programmes in the Netherlands need different visas to enter the country:

• a short-stay visa (VKV) - in case of up 3 months stay, issued by The Dutch embassy.
• an authorization for temporary stay (MVV) - in case of a more 3 months stay, issued by The Dutch embassy.
• a residence permit ( VTV), issued by at the Alien Registration Office in the Netherlands after one's arrival in the country.

Authorization for temporary stay (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf: MVV)

Nationals of non - EU countries  who wish to come to the Netherlands for a stay of more than three months need an authorization for temporary stay (MVV). It is extremely important to have this visa before coming to the Netherlands.

Procedure

You apply for an MVV at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your home country (or the country in which you legally reside). The procedure involves completing an application form and presenting all relevant documents. It will take about three to six months to process your application, sometimes even longer. Be sure to apply for your MVV as early as possible.

However, many higher education institutions in the Netherlands can help you to get an MVV more quickly by applying for it on your behalf. It is worth asking your future host institution about this.

Remember: you may not, under any circumstances, collect an MVV in the Netherlands - not even if your host institution in the Netherlands initiates the application procedure! MVVs can be collected only at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your home country (or the country in which you legally reside).

Administration fees for an authorization for temporary stay

If your host institution applies for an authorization for temporary stay for you via the short procedure, you have to pay a handling fee of € 250. If you apply for an authorization for temporary stay yourself, you have to pay a handling fee of € 433. Paying the fee does not automatically mean that your application will be granted! The fee must be paid even if your application is turned down.

Validity

You cannot be sure that your application for an MVV will be granted. For this reason, you are advised to wait until you have your MVV before you buy a ticket for your trip.

When you receive your MVV, it will be valid for six months starting from the date on which the visa department authorized the embassy/consultate to issue the MVV to you. During these six months, you may make your trip to the Netherlands. Please note that the MVV is only valid for one single entry.

An exception to this is the D+C Visa. This is a special kind of MVV which allows you to travel in and out of the Netherlands during the first 90 days after the visa is issued. Also, it allows you to travel through the Schengen area during this period. If you are intending to travel outside of the Netherlands during your first three months, it is therefore highly advisable to ask for a D+C Visa instead of the normal MVV. You can ask for this at the embassy/consulate when you go there to pick up your MVV.   

Change of reason of stay

It is possible that while you are residing in the Netherlands temporarily, the reason for your stay changes. For example, you might be a student who wants to take up a research position for pursuing a doctorate (as AIO), or a Dutch employer may have offered you a job.

In this case, you will have to apply for a change of residence permit (this is called wijziging beperking), related to the new reason of stay. But you do not have to go back to your home country first in order to apply for a new MVV; changing your residence permit is sufficient.

Documents required when applying for an MVV

In any case you will need to present:

• a valid passport
• a letter or other document from the Dutch host institution stating that you are or will be enrolled as a student, or that you are going to do an internship, or a traineeship.
• proof that you can support yourself financially (see below for more information)
• a copy of the application for a work permit, if applicable. (on the page about work permits you can find out if a work permit is required)

For Chinese students a NESO certificate may be necessary.

More information: www.nuffic.nl

Proof that you can support yourself financially

You will need to prove that you will have enough money to live on while you are in the Netherlands. The monthly amount considered adequate depends on your status.
· student preparing for enrolment: € 626,24 (net)
· student: € 752,82 (net)
· Socrates/Erasmus exchange student: € 626,24 (net)
· student doing an internship: € 618,43 (net, holiday allowance included)
· graduate doing a traineeship: €618,43 (net, holiday allowance included)

This money can come from any or all of the following sources. The proof document required in each case is indicated.

• the Dutch organization where you will do your internship or traineeship: take with you the contract in which the payment is stated
• a student grant: take with you a document from the body that gives you your grant, which states the amount of the grant and its duration
• if you are a student with money of your own: take with you a statement with your name on it from a Dutch bank or an internationally known bank which shows that there is enough money in your account to cover your costs in the Netherlands. A bank statement to your own name amounting to at least € 9.100,00.
  
   
• if someone else is sponsoring you (e.g. your parents), take with you a written statement of your sponsor, which states the amount and the duration of the sponsorship, plus proof that your sponsor is in possession of the money himself. A bank statement to your sponsor name amounting to at least € 9.100,00.

This bank statement must be on original official bank stationery -including the full name, address and telephonenumber of the bank and your birthdate and bank account number - declaring you have direct access to sufficient funds in your bank account. E.g. a certificate of deposit.


More information about Visa and permits find on the Nuffuc site.