Orientation year — designated foreign top-200 institution

If you want to look for work in the Netherlands after your graduation, doctorate or research, then you need a residence permit.

You completed one of the following study programmes in the 3 years before the date of application:

A master’s degree programme, a doctoral programme or a post-master’s study programme at a designated foreign educational institution.

This is an educational institution in the top 200 of the general rankings or rankings per faculty or academic subject of the following publishers: Times Higher Education: Times Higher Education World University Rankings (general) and Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject (by subject). Quacquarelli Symonds: QS World University Rankings (general) and QS World University Rankings by Subject (by subject). ShanghaiRanking Consultancy: Academic Ranking of World Universities (general) and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (by subject).

Your educational institution is in the top 200 of the general rankings or the rankings by subject of at least 2 of the 3 publishers. Your educational institution is in the top 200 of these rankings on the date of your graduation or promotion. Is your educational institution in a ranking by subject? In that case that ranking must be about your study or research subject.

All foreign diplomas have to be evaluated by Nuffic before they can be accepted.

If you have completed your course or programme at a designated foreign educational institution, you must also meet one of the following requirements: You obtained a minimum score of 6.0 on a test in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

You obtained a minimum score comparable to 6.0 IELTS on another accepted English language test (TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge English grades & scale) that is listed in the Code of Conduct for International Students in Higher Education. You have a diploma, certificate or other document as referred to in Article 4, first paragraph, part b of the Civic Integration Act 2021 (only in Dutch).

Your master’s degree programme, doctoral programme or post-master’s study programme was in English or Dutch.

You may work freely in the Netherlands or do an internship. Your employer does not need a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or TWV). You may also work freely as an independent entrepreneur, self-employed person or freelancer.

The residence permit for the orientation year for highly educated persons is valid for 1 year.

You cannot extend the residence permit for the orientation year for highly educated persons.

Did you find a job during your orientation year and you want to stay in the Netherlands? You can apply for a residence permit that allows you to work. For example, a residence permit as a highly skilled migrant, start-up or self-employed person.