Study in Netherlands from Asia 🇳🇱

Applying through Studielink and securing your MVV

Applications to Dutch institutions are coordinated through Studielink, the national admissions portal, although some programmes also use their own institutional systems. Once admitted, most Asian students need an MVV, the provisional residence sticker that allows entry, which the university usually arranges with the IND, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service, on your behalf.

Because the institution acts as your recognised sponsor with the IND, the residence procedure is often smoother than applying alone. Processing typically runs four to eight weeks, so confirm your place and begin the MVV paperwork as soon as your offer is firm.

Proof of funds and cost of living

You must show access to around eleven thousand euros or more for living costs, commonly held with a bank such as ABN AMRO or transferred through a service like Wise. Day-to-day living runs roughly nine hundred to fourteen hundred euros a month, with Amsterdam at the upper end, so budgeting for housing in a tight rental market matters as much as the fee itself.

The Orientation Year and staying on

Graduates can apply for the one-year Orientation Year, the zoekjaar under the highly skilled migrant scheme, which lets you live in the Netherlands and seek work without an employer sponsor. It is a practical bridge from study into the Dutch labour market, particularly strong in technology, water management and agribusiness.