Study in Netherlands from India — process, costs, visa, work rights

2026 study-norm financial requirement for the student residence permit is EUR 1,130.77/month (HBO/university) — source: ind.nl required-amounts-income-requirements page, valid 1 Jan-31 Dec 2026 (this figure is revised every 1 January, so check the year of intended arrival).

Students do not apply for their own residence permit — only the IND-recognised institution can submit the application; confirm the institution's recognition status and its process/timeline before assuming your own visa steps.
Studielink is not used by every institution for international applicants — confirm directly with the chosen university whether to register via Studielink or its own portal.
Numerus fixus (capacity-limited) programmes such as medicine have an earlier 15 January deadline and a separate selection procedure — missing this deadline generally means waiting a full year.
We could not verify an official source (within this research pass) for reports of Dutch government restrictions on English-taught bachelor's programmes; treat any such claims as unconfirmed until checked against government.nl/rijksoverheid.nl directly.

The basics

Bachelor's: 3 years / 180 ECTS at research universities; 4 years / 240 ECTS at universities of applied sciences (HBO)
Master's / PhD: Most master's are 1 year (60 ECTS) at research universities, though research/teacher-training/engineering/science/agriculture master's are 2 years (120 ECTS) and some medical-related programmes 3 years; HBO master's run 1.5-4 years, often part-time
Intakes: September intake (September) — main · February intake (February)
Exams — bachelor's: English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL, requirement set per institution) · No centralised national entrance exam; numerus fixus subjects (e.g. medicine) use a separate selection procedure
Exams — master's: English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL, requirement set per institution) · GMAT/GRE for some business/technical master's, per programme
Work after graduating: Orientation-year residence permit: 1 year, EUR 254 fee, open to those who completed an accredited bachelor's/master's at a Dutch institution within the last 3 years, an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's within 3 years, a post-master's (10+ months) within 3 years, or a degree from a university ranked in the top 200 of the QS, THE or ShanghaiRanking lists within 3 years (the last group must also show English proficiency, e.g. IELTS 6.0+). Holders may work freely without their employer needing a separate work permit.

for the main intake

Well before deadlinesSearch programmes via the Studyfinder tool on studyinnl.org
By 15 January (for numerus fixus / capacity-limited programmes, e.g. medicine)Apply and register via Studielink; selection for numerus fixus runs 15 Jan-15 Apr, with ranking numbers issued 15 April
By 1 May (all other programmes)Complete application via Studielink or the institution's own portal (check with the institution first, as some do not use Studielink for international applicants)
After admissionThe admitting institution applies to the IND for your student residence permit (students cannot apply directly); processing decision within 60 days
Before travelCollect MVV visa sticker where required and travel to the Netherlands; the institution/you collect the residence permit card after arrival

rupees at ECB rates of 2026-09-25

Tuition — bachelor's: EUR 9,000–20,000 / year · about ₹9.8 lakh–21.9 lakh (Non-EU/EEA institutional fee range for bachelor's, per studyinnl.org; EU/EEA statutory fee is EUR 2,694 for 2026-2027)
Tuition — master's: EUR 12,000–30,000 / year · about ₹13.1 lakh–32.8 lakh (Non-EU/EEA institutional fee range for master's, per studyinnl.org)
Living costs: EUR 12,000 / year · about ₹13.1 lakh (studyinnl.org cites average student spend of EUR 1,000-1,500/month (rent ~561, groceries ~244, insurance ~133, transport ~67, other))

Visa: Student residence permit (institution-sponsored); MVV entry visa where required ↗
Money to show: Proof of 12 months of the 'study norm' financial amount — EUR 1,130.77/month for higher education (HBO/university) in 2026, or a financier in the Netherlands meeting a higher income threshold (EUR 2,564.48-3,654.73/month depending on family situation)
Processing: IND must decide within 60 days of a complete application

Get admission from an IND-recognised institution
The institution (not the student) submits the residence-permit application to the IND
IND decision within 60 days
Collect MVV visa sticker and travel to the Netherlands
Collect the residence permit card after arrival

Studielink — Central registration portal for Dutch higher education (check per-institution whether required for international applicants)
Studyfinder (Study in NL) — Official database of English-taught programmes

Holland Scholarship (NL Scholarship) — Non-EU/EEA students; administered by Nuffic, apply through the chosen institution
MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) — Students from the Middle East/North Africa region (not India) — listed for context

by ARWU 2025 world rank