Visa and residence permit procedures

The Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) provides visa and residence permit services for non-EU/EEA students admitted to full-time study programmes at the AHK that will stay in the Netherlands for periods longer than 3 months. Visa services are operated by AHK Central Student Administration (AHK Visa Services) as an intermediate between the applicant and the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). For the handling of visa and residence permit applications AHK uses a system called VisaCare.

In most cases, non-EU/EEA students fall into one of the following categories:

Students who do not need an entry visa (mvv) or residence permit (VVR)

Visa and residence permit services are not required for nationals of countries within the European Economic Area: EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Vatican City.

Students who need to apply for a residence permit (VVR) without an entry visa (mvv)

Nationals of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea require a residence permit for study purposes in the Netherlands. They do not need an entry visa (mvv). Fee for the application of a residence permit (VVR) : €328.

Students who need an entry visa + residence permit (TEV)

Students from all countries not mentioned above need both an entry visa and residence permit for study purposes. Fee for the application for both: €328.

Students that have a residence permit linked to a different Dutch educational institution

If another educational institute has applied for your residence permit and you want to switch to the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), you also need to start a residence permit procedure via our Visacare system in order to inform the immigration services that you are changing universities. No fee is charged for this service. AHK visa services can simultaneously apply for an extension of your residence permit if needed. Application fee: €328.

Students that live in the Netherlands based on family residency / refugee status

For students that already live in the Netherlands and have a residency status linked to a family member or have a residency permit based on a refugee status, no extra residence permit procedure is necessary. AHK will need copies of the front and back of your residence permit which can be emailed to the Central Student Administration: csa@ahk.nl.

Non-EU exchange students linked to an EU/EEA partner university

Students with a non-EU nationality that have a valid residence permit for study purposes in another EU member state, do not need a Dutch residence permit. They are allowed to study in the Netherlands for a maximum of 360 days. This is known as intra-EU mobility. The AHK needs to send a notification to the Dutch immigration service (IND). Students that make use of intra-EU mobility need to send copies of their residence permit, passport and proof that they meet the minimum set income requirement for study (€1217.96 per month for the duration of their stay). The AHK charges €100 administration costs.

How to apply for an entry visa and/or residence permit?

For the handling of visa and residence permit applications, the Amsterdam University of the Arts uses a system called VisaCare. As soon as we receive confirmation that you are admitted (from the faculty), we will register you in VisaCare. You will receive an email with your account details (don’t forget to check your spam folder). As soon as you activate your account, VisaCare will tell you what you need to do. On the IND website you can already read which documents you will need to prepare for your application. Do not send these documents to us by email straight away. They must be uploaded via the VisaCare system.

Important: Annual Study progress monitoring & income check

Every year you will need to show that you still meet all residence permit requirements. Therefore, the AHK will initiate a residence permit check in VisaCare each academic year. What will we ask for?

  • Each year you will need to confirm that you still meet the minimum income requirement. For this you sign a form to confirm this.
  • Each year you will have to prove that you passed at least 50% of your study credits / are successfully taking part in your studies or preparatory programme. Read more about the study progress monitoring on the IND website.

Also: Students need to have paid their full annual tuition fees before August 1st of that same academic year. The school will check this during the summer.
Please note: It is important that you complete these checks in time. If not, we will have to inform the Dutch immigration service (IND) and you risk losing your residence permit. If you’re having difficulties meeting the set requirements and there is a valid reason for it, please contact your student counsellor.

Other important information

Insurance

Please note that you need to be insured for medical costs throughout your entire stay in the Netherlands. We want to stress that being properly insured during your stay is of the utmost importance. For full information on the Dutch health care system and types of insurances, please refer to our website.

Other practical matters

There are more important matters to think about before you move to the Netherlands like: Registration at a Dutch municipality, opening a bank Dutch account, work permits for part time jobs, etc. All these subjects are described in detail on the Study in NL website.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to get in touch with us: visaservices@ahk.nl.

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