Who requires a student visa?

In the Netherlands, the rules and regulations for visitors from abroad are contained in the Aliens Law. For an overview of all regulations applicable, carefully read the information.
The following section contains general information only.
Stays up to three months

For a period of stay up to 3 months, international guests from countries belonging to the European Union and from Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Switzerland, Andorra, Brunei, Cyprus, Israel, Jamaica, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, and countries in Central and Latin America do NOT need a tourist visa before entering the Netherlands. Guests from all other countries need to get a tourist visa before they leave for the Netherlands. Please check with the Dutch Embassy in your country.

Once you have entered the Netherlands on a tourist visa it is NOT possible to change your status as a tourist and to obtain a Residence Permit. All international guests must report to a police station (the Aliens Department) within 8 days of arrival in the Netherlands.

Stays exceeding three months

For a period of stay longer than 3 months, all international guests who do not have the nationality of one of the following countries: the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States of America, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Switzerland must possess an Authorisation for Temporary Residence (ATR) before departure to the Netherlands.

An ATR is a kind of visa (type D), which is stamped into the passport by the Netherlands Embassy in the country where the guest has his or her permanent residence. The actual procedure for obtaining such an ATR will take at least 5 months, but sometimes longer.

Both students and visiting staff are requested to contact their course manager or contact person at the faculty of their choice who is responsible for ATR affairs. Please do this well in advance of your departure.

The course managers or faculty contact person will advise you on another and less time-consuming way of acquiring an ATR and will help you arrange this. If you use this option, do not at the same time go to the Netherlands Embassy yourself.

Page 1 2