Study in the Netherlands for Indian Students: Costs, Visa Process and the Orientation Year (2026)

If you want to study in the Netherlands as an Indian student, the appeal is clear: hundreds of English-taught degrees, a visa that your university applies for on your behalf, and a one-year orientation permit after graduation that lets you work freely while you job hunt. The trade-offs are real too: non-EU tuition is not cheap, housing is tight in the big cities, and Dutch politics around English-taught programmes has been unsettled. This guide covers the actual rules and figures as of October 2026, taken from the IND (the Dutch immigration service) and Study in NL. Rules change every year, so verify on ind.nl before you apply.

How the Netherlands Student Visa Works for Indians

The Dutch process is different from the US, UK or Canada: you don't apply for the residence permit yourself. Your university or university of applied sciences (hogeschool) must be an IND recognised sponsor, and once you accept your offer and pay, it submits the application for you. The steps are:

• Apply for admission through Studielink and the institution's own portal. Non-EU deadlines are often months earlier than Dutch ones, so check each programme.
• Show your funds and pay. Most institutions ask you to transfer your first-year tuition and living costs to them, or to show proof of funds, before they file with the IND.
• The institution applies to the IND. The fee is €254, and most institutions pass it on to you.
• Collect your MVV entry visa at the Dutch embassy or consulate in India once the IND approves, then travel and pick up your residence permit in the Netherlands.
• TB test if your institution says you need one, at the local GGD within 3 months of getting your permit.

The permit is issued for the length of your programme (plus a preparatory year if you have one) plus 3 months, up to a maximum of 5 years. Keep one rule in mind: you must earn at least 50% of the credits each study year. If you don't, your institution can report you to the IND, and that puts your permit at risk.

What It Costs: Tuition and Proof of Funds

Non-EU students pay the higher "institutional" fee, not the statutory fee Dutch and EU students pay. Study in NL gives these average ranges:

• Bachelor's: roughly €9,000–€20,000 per year
• Master's: roughly €12,000–€30,000 per year (medicine, business and some technical programmes sit at the top end)

For living costs, the IND sets the minimum you must show. For university and hbo students in 2026 it is €1,130.77 per month, or about €13,569 for a 12-month year. That is a legal minimum, not a comfortable budget. Rent in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Rotterdam can use up most of it on its own, and finding a room is the most common problem international students report. Start your housing search as soon as you have an offer. Our proof of funds guide explains how to document education loans and family sponsorship cleanly.

On scholarships, the NL Scholarship (formerly the Holland Scholarship) gives non-EEA students €5,000, once, in the first year, through participating institutions. It helps, but it doesn't cover full tuition.

Working While You Study

Dutch rules are stricter than most students expect. To work for an employer, the employer must get a work permit (TWV) for you, and then you can work either up to 16 hours a week or full-time in June, July and August, not both. Internships that are part of your programme don't need a TWV. Freelancing is allowed without a TWV if you register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and pay tax, but you still have to meet your study-progress requirement. Don't plan to pay for your degree with part-time work. Compare the rules with other countries in our part-time work guide.

After Graduation: The Orientation Year (Zoekjaar)

This is the Netherlands' strongest selling point. The orientation year for highly educated persons gives you up to one year in the country after graduation, during which, according to the Dutch government, you are free to work, with no employer-sponsored permit needed. You can apply within 3 years of graduating, and the fee is €254.

The bigger benefit comes next. If an employer hires you during or soon after the orientation year, you qualify for the reduced highly skilled migrant salary threshold of €3,122 gross per month in 2026. That is far below the standard threshold, and it makes Dutch employers much more willing to sponsor fresh graduates. A reduced EU Blue Card threshold of €4,754 also applies. Thresholds are updated every January, so check the IND's required amounts page.

What's Happening With English-Taught Programmes?

Between 2023 and 2025, Dutch governments proposed limiting English-taught degrees, including a bill (the Wet internationalisering in balans) and a language-of-instruction test that could have forced some programmes into Dutch. Those plans lost momentum when the Schoof cabinet fell in 2025. The January 2026 coalition agreement says the language test will be scrapped and existing English-taught programmes kept. As of October 2026, these are political commitments that have been reported, not changes confirmed in law, and caps on non-EEA intake for individual programmes are still possible. In practice, confirm on the programme page that it is taught in English for your intake year, and look out for any numerus fixus (capped) programmes.

Is the Netherlands Right for You?

• Choose the Netherlands if: you want a 1-year master's or a 3-year bachelor's taught in English, a straightforward sponsor-led visa, and a real post-study job route through the orientation year and the lower skilled-migrant salary threshold.
• Look elsewhere if: cost is your main constraint, since Germany's public universities and France's public fees are far cheaper, or if you need generous part-time work income. Ireland offers a longer 2-year stay-back for master's graduates.

For a side-by-side budget, see our cost of studying abroad comparison.

Thinking About the Netherlands? Get a Shortlist Built Around Your Profile

The Dutch system has fewer visa surprises, but early deadlines, funds transfers and housing catch Indian students out every year. Book a free consultation with Goodwind. We'll check which recognised-sponsor universities fit your profile and budget, and map your timeline from Studielink to your MVV appointment.