Residence permit for orientation year
Highly educated persons can apply for a residence permit for orientation year. The holder of this permit can work or start a business in the Netherlands for 1 year without any restrictions. Find out who can apply and what to do.
A residence permit for highly educated persons
The residence permit for orientation year is a 1-year residence permit for recently graduated students, PhD graduates, and researchers. This year can be used to search for a job as a highly skilled employee or to develop a business idea. During the year, employers do not need to apply for a separate work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) for the employee.
The residence permit gives highly educated persons time to launch careers or start a business in the Netherlands. Dutch employers also benefit because recently graduated talent stays in the Netherlands or chooses to move here.
Check the conditions for applicants
You can apply for the residence permit for orientation year within 3 years of completing your studies, obtaining your PhD, or finishing your research. The permit is often used by students and researchers who were based in the Netherlands for their study or research programme. Students from other international educational institutions can also apply if they meet certain conditions.
Fill in your nationality on the IND website to see which conditions apply to you. All applicants for the residence permit for orientation year must meet these general conditions.
Was your study programme outside the Netherlands?
If your study programme was outside the Netherlands, it must have been at a designated international educational institution and meet extra conditions. A designated international educational institution is one listed in the top 200 of at least 2 of the main general rankings, or available rankings per faculty, or academic subject. It must have been in the top 200 of these rankings on the date that you completed the study programme or doctoral programme. The rankings that include your educational institution must come from at least 2 different publishers. Rankings published by the same publisher count as one.
These are the main international rankings publishers:
How to apply for the residence permit
You apply for the residence permit for orientation year at the IND. If you have completed your education abroad, are still living there, and want to apply for the orientation year, you may need a provisional residence permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, MVV).
If you need a provisional residence permit, you must start the procedure with the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence. For this, you apply for a provisional residence permit and a residence permit together.
If you already live legally in the Netherlands, apply for the residence permit for orientation year at IND.
Check the procedure on the IND website. After selecting your nationality, you can read more about the requirements you must meet. It also explains the process for the application, the waiting time, the decision, and how to collect the residence permit.
Costs
The application fee must be paid when you submit your application. You pay for processing the application, not for the residence permit. The fee will not be refunded if your application is refused.
How long is the permit valid?
The residence permit for orientation year is issued for a maximum period of 1 year. It is not possible to extend it. Do you want to extend your stay in the Netherlands after the orientation year has ended? Then you must apply for another type of residence permit.
Changing to a different type of permit
Do you find a job as a highly skilled migrant during the orientation year? The new employer must apply for a residence permit for you as a highly skilled migrant. Changing from a residence permit for an orientation year to a residence permit as a highly skilled migrant means a lower income requirement applies.
Do you find a job that does not meet the highly skilled migrant conditions? Then the new employer must apply for a single permit for residence and work for you.
If you start your own business, you must apply to change your residence permit to employment as a self-employed person or startup.
Entry ban
If you stay in the Netherlands illegally after your residence permit expires, you risk being issued an entry ban for the Schengen area.
Do you have more questions about the orientation year?
Take a look at the frequently asked questions about the residence permit for orientation year on the IND website.
Questions relating to this article?
Please contact the Immigration and Naturalisation Service, IND