Netherlands student visa for Indian students: All you need to know

The Netherlands can be a good option for Indian students that are looking for a high quality English education in Europe, with students from over 160 countries around the world¹.

But first, you need a student visa. Learn what it takes to get a Netherlands student visa for Indian students and how you can go about applying for one.

📝 Table of contents
Application Process Requirements Checklist Fees

This guide is to help students understand the student visa process, but it is in no way a replacement for professional advice or help. Each immigration journey is different, so seek out an immigration specialist for professional and up to date advice.

Additionally, it's recommended to keep informed on changes and updates to policies from the Netherlands immigration and naturalization service too

🎓 The Netherlands student visa application

A Netherlands student visa is broken up into 2 different visas depending on the length of your stay in the country:

• Short stay visa (less than 90 days)
• Long stay visa (more than 90 days)

Most Indian students applying for a university degree program or exchange program in the Netherlands will qualify for the long stay visa, also called a MVV.

The MVV authorizes Indian students to qualify for approval for a temporary stay in order to travel to the Netherlands. Once you are in the Netherlands, you will need to get your residence permit, allowing you to stay per the terms of your MVV.

One of the key components of the Netherlands student visa process is first getting admitted to a qualified educational institution in the country. An internship can also qualify for the MVV process and residence permit, but check with your host organization.

🎒Want to find a study program in the Netherlands? Find your study programme can be a helpful resource to identify and apply to relevant approved programs in the country.

Once you are admitted, your host organisation plays an important role in filing documents with the Netherlands Immigration (IND) authorities to start your application process. If they do not submit the necessary documents from their side, you can not apply for a student visa.²

Many of the components of the typical European visa application are handled by your Dutch educational institution. Items like application fee, documentation and online application are first submitted and approved through your educational institution, before immigration authorities.

Let’s break down the differences between a short stay and a long stay visa:

	Long Stay Visa 📆	Short Stay 📅
Time in the Netherlands	> 90 days	< 90 days
MVV Required?	Yes	No
Residence Permit Required?	Yes	No
Duration ?	The educational program plus 3 months	90 days
Work?	Yes if employer has a work permit	Yes if employer has a work permit
Registration in the Netherlands	Yes, in the Personal Records Database (BRP) in your municipality	Yes, in theNon-residents Records Database (RNI)

The application process for Indian nationals is managed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in New Delhi and the Consulate General of Mumbai. The Embassy and the Consulate work with VFS Global in India to process prospective India student applications.

👪 Your family can join you if you are going to study in the Netherlands as long as all of you sufficiently qualify for the residence permit as a family.

✏️ The Netherlands student visa process

Let’s break down the long stay student visa process for an MVV for Indian students:

1. Gain acceptance into a Dutch program
2. Identify how long you need to stay in the Netherlands
3. Prepare and gather your documents
4. Check that an application has been submitted by your education institution for your student visa
5. Follow the instructions from your educational institution for your letter of approval confirmation and your V number
6. Make an appointment to submit your application and documents in India within 3 months from approval
7. Attend appointment and submit your documents package
8. Receive your track and trace code
9. Track your application online using the code provided
10. Await decision on your MVV

Depending on if you apply in New Delhi or Mumbai, you may need to have your MVV couriered back to you rather than picked up in person. You can organize this with DTDC courier service so you submit an envelope with an AWB number and your home address alongside your application at the Embassy or consulate. ³

Your educational institution in the Netherlands shoulders a good amount of the visa application process. The institution uses an application form to apply for your MVV and residence permit at the same time. Similarly, if you are approved or rejected for your MVV and residence permit, the institution will be notified as well.⁴

Once you are approved, you can travel to the Netherlands with your MVV in your passport for your program. After arriving, you will then be notified through your educational institution when your residence permit is ready to be picked up in the Netherlands. You can then make an appointment online to pick up your residence permit in the country.

📝 The Netherlands student visa requirements for Indian students

A successful visa application includes meeting the financial requirements and showing proof of it. These documents, alongside others, all need to be submitted for your application to be reviewed. Let’s take a look at how much financial support you are expected to show, and what total documents you will need to submit.

🏦 The Netherlands student visa financial requirements

One of the most important conditions for a Netherlands student visa is meeting the financial requirements. This signals to the IND that you are able to sustain yourself and your academic fees during your stay in the country. They are looking for the income to be independent, sufficient and sustainable.

It is the educational institution that you have enrolled in that will want to check that you can support yourself. They will want to see that you have enough income to support yourself for 12 months in the Netherlands. You will have to do this by completing the Form Appendix Foreign national’s own statement: income within the context of a study.

The amount that they are looking for is called the ‘study norm’. ⁵

Here is how much you need to show per month to meet the study norm:

	Amount in Euro per month	Amount in INR per month
For a university	​€ 921.17	₹81,633
For higher secondary school	€ 756.45	₹67,036

	Amount in Euro for 12 months	Amount in INR for 12 months
For a university	​€ 11,054.04	₹9,79,596
For higher secondary school	€ 9,077.40	₹8,04,432

All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of EUR €1 = ₹88.62 as of June 11, 2021

The study norm is in addition to tuition fees, so you will need to show that you can provide for both.

There are 6 different ways that you can show evidence of meeting the financial requirements above⁶:

1. An original bank statement from the last 3 months in your name showing 1 year of study norm, with your bank balance, bank details and account number
2. An account statement showing you submitted the total amount into an account held for you by your educational institution in the Netherlands
3. An official letter that you have received a scholarship with the start and end date of your scholarship and the amount
4. TheAppendix Foreign national’s own statement form, a signed company statement showing the amount of financial support, your details and a copy of the company’s bank statement
5. TheAppendix Foreign national’s own statement form, a copy of an ID like a passport, and the bank statement from the sponsor who will be financing your education and stay
6. Proof of income from a sponsor in the Netherlands, TheAppendix Foreign national’s own statement form and an extract from the Municipal Personal Records Database from your Dutch sponsor

🖇️ Documents required for The Netherlands student visa

Your educational institution will provide you with the list of documents that you have to submit for your specific application.

Once your host institution has submitted the application on your behalf in the Netherlands to the IND, you should receive a letter stating the confirmation of approval of your application. After this is complete, you will need to bring the following documents to your visa appointment in India within 3 months of the letters receipt⁷:

• The MVV issue form
• A valid passport with at least 6 months validity
• Photocopy of your personal details page of your passport
• Your photo that meets the Dutch requirements
• A copy of the application approval letter with your V number clearly stated
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• Additional documents listed in the letter and photocopies of each

⌛ The Netherlands student visa processing time

If you have successfully completed and submitted your application, you can expect an MVV to be ready within 10 business days.

You may be required to have your MVV couriered to your home, rather than picked up in person, so this step may add a day or two to the schedule. ⁸

✔️ The Netherlands student visa checklist

Let’s make sure you have everything you need for your Netherlands study visa:

• A valid passport with at least 6 months validity
• A photo that meets the requirements
• A confirmation of acceptance in the Dutch educational institution
• A letter of confirmation of approval of the application submitted by your Dutch educational institution
• A ‘V’ number, found on your confirmation of approval letter
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• Photocopy of your personal data page in your passport
• The MVV issue form
• A booked appointment at a VFS Global partner in India
• A courier arranged for your MVV decision
• All documents as laid out by your educational institution
• An issued MVV to carry in your passport when you travel to the Netherlands
• Await notification of your residence permit in the Netherlands being ready
• Make an appointment to pick up your residence permit

🏷️ The Netherlands student visa fees

A Netherlands long stay student visa (MVV) costs €192.⁹

Your visa fee is paid directly to your educational institution, not to the IND, Embassy or Consulate. The IND then collects the fee from your educational institution.

The Netherlands student visa fees in Indian Rupees

How much will the MVV cost you in Indian Rupees? Let’s take a look:

	Application fee in Euro	Application fee in INR
MVV application	​€ 192	₹17,015

All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of EUR €1 = ₹88.62 as of June 11, 2021

💸 Need to pay visa fees? Send money abroad with Wise

You can pay visa fees or tuition overseas easily from India with Wise Android/ iOS app or website.

Wise lets you deposit money directly into local bank accounts abroad from your phone or computer. And with smart technology, you can rest assured Wise makes your transfer fast, simple and secure.

And if you are already studying overseas, see if you can open up a Wise account and card. A Wise account lets you hold multiple currencies in just one account.

Make global money transfers easy with Wise. Join the over 10 million people that use Wise today.

🖨 If you found this guide helpful or want to refer to it later, right click on the screen and click ‘Print’, then save it as a PDF

---

Sources

1. Studying in Holland
2. Dutch student visa
3. Visa application from India
4. MVV process
5. Study Norm
6. Financial requirements
7. Documents checklist
8. Processing time
9. Application fee