After arrival
After you have arrived in the Netherlands, there are also a few things that you will need to organise.
VVR only: To issue a residence permit card, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) must collect your biometric data. Because you have applied for a student residence permit, you are required to visit the IND desk at the International Welcome Centre in Utrecht. During your appointment you are going to have a passport photo made, your fingerprints taken, and your signature recorded. You will receive an e-mail from the Visa Office once it is possible to make an appointment with the IND.
MVV and VVR: If you have a MVV (entry visa) you have already provided your biometric data at the embassy. Should it turn out that this data is incomplete, then you will also receive an e-mail to go the IND, to provide your biometric again.
You are legally required to register with the municipality upon arrival, and failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of your student residence permit (VVR).
Students who need a residence permit are required by the IND to register with the city where they live. This is a condition for your residence permit.
For more information about city registration and BSN please visit this page!
After you have provided your biometric data and registered with the municipality, your Dutch residence permit card will be issued. You do not have to contact Utrecht University or the IND to pick up your residence permit, or to check on its status. As soon as your residence permit card is ready to be collected, Utrecht University will inform you when you can pick up your residence permit.
The Dutch student residence permit card serves as your ID card in the Netherlands. You must therefore always carry the card with you.
As a Dutch student residence permit holder, you need to take a few things into account when it comes to keeping your residence permit for study purposes. Not following any of the requirements below means that the IND will revoke your residence permit.
- If your nationality is not on the exempt list, you must take a tuberculosis (TB) test within 3 months of arriving. More information about the TB test can be found here, drop down Tuberculosis (TB) test. You will receive an e-mail from the Visa Office after your study program started.
- You must register at the municipality when you arrive in the Netherlands and remain registered during the entirety of your stay. This means that you need to report it to the municipality any time you move.
- Your main residency must be in the Netherlands. You may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 12 consecutive months, as long as this is in the context of your studies and the completion of those studies. The credits you earn abroad during this period can still be counted towards your study progress in the Netherlands. Are you going to study temporarily in a different EU Member State as part of a mobility program? In that case, you can study there for a maximum of 360 days (about 12 months). You normally do not need a separate residence permit for that Member State.
- You must remain registered as a student. Deregistration means that your residence permit will be revoked. If you decide to come back to study at UU after you have deregistered, you will have to apply for a new residence permit, VVR, and/or entry visa, MVV.
- You must validate your residence permit on a yearly basis. This means that you will be asked to declare that you or your sponsor still have sufficient financial means to cover your tuition fee and living expenses.
- You must maintain sufficient study progress, meaning that you must obtain at least 50% of the credits you can earn in a year. More information about the Academic progress can be found here, drop down Academic progress. You will receive an e-mail from the Visa Office after your study programme started.
It is practical to have a Dutch IBAN bank account while studying in the Netherlands. You may need it to pay the tuition fee by bank transfer or to receive your scholarship. A Dutch bank account is also very useful for everyday matters such as arranging a mobile phone contract.