Netherlands Student Visa for Indian Students

Netherland is preferred for Indian students going for bachelor, master, doctorate, and other professional courses. Dutch universities have a great range of courses to offer. Students from all disciplines can find courses with considerable impetus in career growth and overall development. There are more than 1500 study programs and 400 courses for students across the globe. The courses are crafted to make the students compatible with the requirements of the contemporary work ecosystem. The Netherlands has a program exclusively for those students who wish to pursue their higher education in the English language, and it is called the International Education in English.

In this program, more than 4200 students are accepted from various disciplines and parts of the world. For young Indian students, there are a lot of scopes to pursue courses on Engineering, Design, Medicine, MBA, Liberal Arts, etc. There are various courses, and according to the type of course, a student is given a visa. There are a number of short-term and vocational courses at Dutch universities for which the country grants a visa to graduates from the global community.

Types of Visa For Indian Students Going To Netherlands

There are two types of visas that are issued by the Dutch authorities for international students. The visa type solely depends on the course duration, and it has nothing to do with the kind of course or field of study.

Schengen Visa: The visa is given to those who have enrolled for a short-term or vocational course that is of less than 90 days duration. This is usually offered to students who only want a brief stint at a Dutch educational institution. Indian students don’t usually apply for this visa type, and thus our whole impetus will be on the other one that provides students the opportunity to pursue long-term courses.

Long Stay Visa (MVV) / Residence Permit: Long Stay Visa is the most sought student visa type by students from India and other countries. A residence permit visa is granted to students wanting to take up long-term courses, e.g., Bachelor, master, and research. However, even in cases of a short-term course of five or six months, it will come under the Long Stay Visa(MVV), as it crosses the 90 days threshold of Schengen visa.

Understanding the Netherland Visa Process

A Netherlands student visa process is the same as that of any other country. Still, there is a certain difference that a student must know before applying to a Dutch university. An Indian student will have to have a “recognized sponsor,” and in the case of a student visa, the university is the sponsor. As per the guideline of the IND (Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service), students getting entry in the Netherlands under the TEV (Entry and Residence Permit) Procedure, the university is the agency that will apply for the visa of the student it intends to call for admissions.

The process is by and large the same, but certain rules vary from one university to another. So, a student should confirm with the university regarding their internal rules, if there are any, about Indian students. Universities have their own set of guidelines for students from different countries, and a student must ensure that they fulfill all the required criteria to avoid visa application rejection.

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Applying for Netherland Student Visa

Student visa application for the Netherlands involves two steps: the usual process and the other starts after reaching the Netherlands.

1st Step or the MVV or an Entry Visa to enter the Netherlands: This gives students entry in the Netherlands. This is valid for a period of three months, and the visa is renewed annually. The university applies for the visa on behalf of the student. So, the student has to submit all the documents asked by the university, and the visa application process will start. Once the university advances the documents, the processing of documents will be initiated by the Dutch authorities.

After the completion of the verification, the IND will allow you to set an appointment with the Dutch Embassy or consulate in India. Students have to go to collect the MVV and give their biometrics. There is an application process too at the embassy, and it is a part of the interview process. It provides a provisional residence permit or the MVV. The MVV allows a student to reside for a three-month duration.

2nd Step or the VRV or the Residence Permit: Once students reach the Netherlands, they are given 3-5 days by their respective universities to apply for the residence permit. Students have to appear before the competent authority, and once the process is completed, it takes around two weeks to get the residence permit. 

What’s the ideal time to apply for a Netherlands Student Visa?

Students shouldn’t be confused about the duration of visa application processing and the ideal time to apply for the visa. Usually, the entire process takes around 30 days to get the MVV or an Entry Visa to enter the Netherlands. However, there is a lot more to a visa application than the process per se, so the ideal time is to start the process three months prior to the intended date of travel. There are a number of documents that have to be collected and then submitted for verification, and there is always a chance of visa application rejection. In case of visa application rejection, there might be inordinate delays.

So one should factor in all the circumstances and apply for the visa right after receiving the letter of acceptance from the university.

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List Of Documents for Netherland Student Visa

A Visa application warrants a long list of documents that a student must produce to help the concerned authorities in taking the final call on granting a student visa. A student must ensure that all the details are up to date, and there shouldn’t be any discrepancy in the original documents. There are several instances wherein a slight spelling error in the spelling of a name can be the reason for the temporary rejection of the visa application. So, each and every detail should be carefully rechecked to avoid any last moment delays.

The universities ask following documents to apply for a student visa:

• Letter of Acceptance from a recognized educational institution/ university. 
• A valid passport with a minimum validity of one year from the date of application.
• A duly filled visa application form and without any minor or significant error since there is tight scrutiny of the information given by the applicant. 
• Documents supporting the financial capability of the applicant to study in the Netherlands. As per the IND guidelines, applicants have to prove that they have funds to support the cost of living, which is 880 euros per month.
• It is important to have a tuberculosis test done before traveling to the Netherlands. 
• A student has to show the academic transcript. 
• The study plan should comprise all the details about the course, the reason for selecting the course, link of the current course with prior studies. 
• Copy of the travel and health insurance. However, the health insurance should be for the first three months only, and insurance can be extended after reaching the Netherlands.

Netherland Student Visa Application Fee

The cost of the student visa application fee is at par with the standard charges taken by any other country. The visa fee at present is around 350 euros, and it may differ from one university to another since they are the ones applying on behalf of students. So, it's better to confirm the exact charges before ascertaining the cost of the visa. The visa fee payment can be made online. However, in some cases, where the situation warrants, a student might be allowed to pay the visa fee at one of their Visa Application Centres. The Dutch authorities also allow bank transfers in some cases, but these are exceptional cases.

Language Requirement For Visa

The Netherlands has a considerably large section of English speakers, and there must be a minimum level of English proficiency. However, a student is expected to have cleared at least IELTS or TOEFL, as the scores of these tests are considered valid at Dutch universities. Since most of the courses at the master’s and Ph.D. level are taught in English in the International Education in English program, it’s expected that the student must have a proper understanding of the language.

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Visa Permit and Part-time Job For Students

Students always tend to search for part-time jobs while studying in a foreign country. It helps them save a lot in expenses and live a decent life. However, the norms in western countries are more stringent because of the strict enforcement of labor laws and a vigilant administrative structure. Students are allowed to work for 16 hours a week during their studies in the Netherlands. On vacations, students are allowed to work full time.

One should note that there is no concept of minimum wage in the Netherlands. Unlike other developed countries, the Netherlands puts the onus of minimum wage on the employer. For students wanting to calculate the minimum wage, here is the formula that the Dutch government suggests If you work part-time, you can work out your minimum wage as follows:

• Take the minimum wage per week. 
• Divide it by the number of hours in a full working week.
• Multiply the result by the number of hours you work per week.

The reason for no minimum wage is because the Dutch government feels that every business has its own working style. Another noteworthy aspect is that the student can apply for a work permit. It’s the employer who has to apply on behalf of the students to let them work.

The Netherlands is home to the world’s oldest and best universities. It has a very inclusive society that respects and allows people from all cultures to work and reside. Even post-completion of the course, there are ample opportunities from the corporate world to research labs. There are scholarship schemes that help students with their finances. There are two famous scholarships provided by NESO India, namely Orange Tulip Scholarship and Holland Scholarship. So, for a meritorious student, there is no lack of opportunity in the Netherlands.

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