Handbook

Immigration 2023-2024
Welcome to the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

We assist (conditionally) admitted students, arranging

all immigration formalities.
The handbook helps familiarize you with the procedures.

Warm regards from your EUR immigration officers

Claire, Jennie & Melanie
Index
1. What is the IND and who are we?
2. Immigration procedure: the road to your residence permit
3. MVV + residence permit
a. MVV: Brief introduction
b. MVV: Immigration procedure explained
c. MVV: Upon arrival in the Netherlands
d. Residence permit: Brief introduction
e. Conditions of your residence permit
4. Exchange students
5. Example osiris immigration case
6. Common mistakes made by students
7. Immigration costs and financial means
8. Refund procedure
9. Studielink and payment method
10.Changes in your situation, take action!
11. Contact
12.FAQ
 1. What is the IND and who are we?
The IND
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) implements the foreign national policy
in the Netherlands. The IND collects the immigration fee and creates your residence permit after we have
sent them your information and you have been approved by the IND. The cost of the application is
determined by the IND.

Immigration Office
The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is a recognised sponsor for the purpose of stay “to study” at the IND.
A recognised sponsor can submit applications for the residence permit for study for their international
students and declares in the application that the international student meet the conditions.
As a recognised sponsor, we have our responsibilities. We assess and submit all the application forms for our
students to the IND. The IND checks whether the student meets all the conditions required and must decide
on an approval or not. We comply by the code of conduct for Higher Education.

The Immigration Officers

Claire, Jennie & Melanie are your EUR immigration officers (sponsors) and we’re part of the International
Office of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. We will assist you during the process of arranging a visa and
residence permit.
 2. Immigration procedure:
The road to your residence permit
By Dutch law, students cannot apply for a study residence permit themselves, so the EUR will apply for your
MVV and residence permit.

Conditions
There are certain conditions that apply to everyone (these procedures and conditions also apply to exchange
students):

• You have (conditionally) been accepted by a university or university of applied sciences as a student to
a full-time accredited study programme.

• This university or university of applied sciences is a recognized sponsor. The EUR is a recognized
sponsor. Recognized educational institutions are listed in the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors.

• You have an independent sufficient and sustainable income. This will be checked every year. More
information: IND income requirement.

• You obtain at least 50% of the required credits for each academic year. This is called study progress
monitoring.

There are several legal obligations that apply to students who have a study permit. The obligation to provide
information if anything changes to your situation and the following conditions: being registered at the city
hall, enrollment at the University, study progress monitoring and providing a statement of income each year.
The IND and EUR checks whether you comply with these obligations and conditions.
If you do not, your residence permit can be revoked.
 2. Immigration procedure:
The road to your residence permit
The Immigration procedure – a global overview:

• Student is (un)conditionally admitted to study program.

• Faculty will start your immigration procedure in Osiris cases. You cannot start your own case.
• Immigration office determines what type of visa and/or residence permit you need based on
nationality and provides instructions accordingly. (+/- 5 working days)
• Student pays the invoice, prepares all required documents and submits the
application in Osiris Cases.
* Not applicable for ISS / MEL / Mundus Map/IHS students who will receive an invoice from the
faculty *
• Immigration Office has +/- 10 working days to let you know if your documents
are correct/incorrect.
• Once correct, the Immigration Office forwards the application to the IND.
• Within 8 weeks the Immigration Office receives the outcome from the IND and will inform
you promptly through email with further instructions.

If you are already in the possession of a Dutch residence permit, send us a copy
and we will provide you further instructions:
mail to: [email protected]
 3a. MVV brief introduction
An MVV is a long stay multiple-entry visa which permits you to come to the Netherlands for 90 days for
study purposes. The MVV is always issued in combination with a residence permit. So, after you have
your MVV, you can come to the Netherlands to collect your Dutch residence permit. Only universities
can apply for the student MVV and residence permit at the IND.

We chose the MVV procedure for you based on your nationality. You can read more about it on the IND
website. If you think you fall under one of the MVV exemption categories , you can upload your document
under the passport section of your Osiris case for our review. You cannot substitute the MVV condition
with a short stay tourist visa or your tourist visa free condition based on your nationality, as you otherwise
will not receive a Dutch residence permit. Therefore, we strongly recommend you wait with planning your
itinerary AFTER your visa application has been approved.

Important MVV facts:

• After your application has been approved, you have 90 days to collect your MVV at your chosen embassy with a >6
months valid passport. Schedule as soon as possible, as it can be extremely busy in the summer period.

• Once you have collected your passport with your MVV sticker, you have 90 days to travel to the Netherlands.

• Its validity cannot be extended by team Immigration nor you.

• It is issued by the originally chosen Dutch Embassies / Consulates General (you cannot change the location of your
chosen embassy)

• MVV processing can take approx. 10 working days and two appointments, so you may be without a passport for two
weeks.

• Once you have a residence permit, it overrules the MVV.

• There is a list of MVV pick-up locations where you can choose from. If your country is not on it,
you should go to the nearest country, where you can enter legally with your passport and pick up your MVV.
 3b. MVV immigration procedure explained
1. You received an email to start your immigration procedure via Osiris cases (you can find an example of
Osiris cases in Chapter 5). You also received another email with your payment instructions (chapter 7).
• Not applicable for ISS/MEL/IHS students who will receive an invoice from their faculty instead.

2. In Osiris cases, you will be asked to upload certain documents. You can download the forms in Osiris case
as well.
The following documents are required:
• A valid passport copy with the page with your signature included.
• Antecedent form: this is a criminal background check. Based on your nationality a TBC test form.
• A transfer receipt of your fees (proof of payment) or a scholarship letter
• Chinese students only: Nuffic certificate
• Signing declaration of intent study progress monitoring

IMPORTANT NOTE:
 Digitally signed forms are NOT accepted and your signatures on the forms must match your passport’s
signature. Always sign with a pen.
 The antecedent form and TBC test form cannot be older than 3 months.

3. The Immigration Office will review your documents within 10 working days and let you know if your
documents are correct or incorrect.
○ Are they correct? This means that your payment has been received and all your documents are
correct. Your application will be sent to the IND. The IND will send us their decision regarding your
residence permit within 8 weeks.
○ Are they incorrect? The Immigration office will send your application back with remarks about your
incorrect documents or payment. Please read the remark and correct your mistakes. After that, you
can upload and submit your documents again. Incorrect documents will delay the entire process,
as the ten working days will start again after resubmitting.
3b. MVV immigration procedure explained
If your
documents are
incorrect, you will
receive an email
and you should
go to your
Immigration case.
At the bottom,
you will see:
Remark and our
explanation about
the incorrect
documents.
Open your form,
correct the
mistake and make
sure to submit
your form again.
 3b. MVV immigration procedure
explained
Please also note the following regarding review timeline:

We review your documents within 10 working days after submission and will forward your application to
the IND if all your documents are correct. We ask you to be patient and wait until the processing time of 8
weeks passed before contacting us about the status of your immigration case.

After IND’s approval regarding your application, we will receive your approval letter. You can expect this
letter in your Osiris case and a notification with new instructions via email. Please read this email carefully
as it details how to contact the embassy to schedule an appointment to collect your MVV (entry visa)
sticker.

You have 3 months (90 days) to collect your MVV and your passport needs to be valid for another 6
months. The embassy will ask you for your IND V-number when you contact them. We uploaded your
approval letter* in My Cases and the V-number is on the right side (10 digits V-number).
*You should not need to provide the embassy with the official approval letter, please inform us if you
embassy requires this letter [email protected]

At your first MVV appointment, your biometrics will be taken (your fingerprints, signature and photo).
The IND needs these details in order to issue your Dutch residence permit, which you can pick up after
your arrival in the Netherlands. Your passport will be kept at the embassy so they can issue your
MVV (approx. 10 days).
 3b. MVV immigration procedure explained
Please also note the following:

When your passport and MVV are ready, the embassy will contact you. Make an appointment to collect
your passport. After you have collected your passport at the second appointment
(some embassies will send your passport, double check with your embassy),
you can travel to the Netherlands with your MVV sticker.

Make sure to travel within the validity (90 days) of your MVV and keep
in mind that your MVV needs to still be valid when you collect your residence permit
in the Netherlands.

The validity is shown on the MVV sticker. The MVV sticker shows 2 dates:
• Effective date: as of this date the MVV is valid.
• End date: as of this date the MVV is no longer valid.

Do not make any travel arrangements until you have received your MVV.

Kind reminder: Do not enter the Netherlands/Schengen area with a tourist visa, as the MVV is part of
the study residence permit application, and without your residence permit cannot be issued. Even if you
can travel as a tourist visa free based on your nationality, you are still expected to pick up the MVV in
your home country to finalize the residence permit application!
 3c. Upon arrival in the Netherlands
1. You will receive an email from Team Immigration once your permit is ready to collect. The email
has instructions and more details on where to collect your permit.

2. Upon arrival in the Netherlands, you must register in the Municipal Personal Records Database
(BRP) in the municipality you are going to live. You can register your Dutch address directly on arrival
with your MVV in your passport. Register at the city hall/ municipality schedule an appointment or visit
the one stop shop, ISS students can register in The Hague.
* If you are planning on living somewhere other than Rotterdam, The Hague or Capelle a/d IJssel,
you may need to bring your birth certificate for your appointment at the municipality*

3. After your registration at the municipality, you will receive your BSN number (citizen service
number) about two weeks later by postal mail at your Dutch address. You need a BSN number to
open a bank account, arrange your health insurance, get a job or internship position in the
Netherlands, or apply for your DigiD.
Questions? Mail to: [email protected]

4. Only if applicable (based on nationality): undergo your tuberculosis test (TB test) within 3 months
after your residence permit pickup. You must make an appointment for this with the Area Health
Authority (GGD). Please take the "TB test referral form" with you to the appointment.

5. Arrange your health insurance if you haven’t done so yet.

* ISS students do not need to take out health insurance, as this will be arranged by the ISS*
 3d. Residence permit: brief introduction

Once you have obtained your MVV and you made plans to come to the Netherlands within 90
days, you can soon collect your residence permit. The IND uses your biometrics* to produce
your permit card. Once the card is ready, you receive an email from us with instructions. The IND
needs approximately 8 weeks to send the pickup letter after you received your MVV in your
passport. If it takes longer, contact us at [email protected] with your student number.

The residence permit allows someone to live in the Netherlands for a period longer than 90
days. It is issued in the form of an identification card.

*When you need an MVV, you have submitted your biometric information at the embassy
when picking up your MVV.
 3e. Conditions of your residence
permit

• The residence permit card is issued by the IND in the Netherlands

• It is valid for the entire study program as long as you stay enrolled at the EUR
+ 3 extra months as graduation gift from the IND
• You must register at the municipality/city hall upon arrival (as soon as possible) if you
are staying for longer than 4 months in the Netherlands.
• If you deregister or leave the Netherlands, you should always contact the immigration
office.
-> Do you want to study longer in the Netherlands? Please apply for an extension 3 months before
your current residence permit expires.
 3e. Conditions of your residence
permit

Study Progress Monitoring (Not applicable to Exchange students):

• As a full-time degree student, you need to pass at least 50% of your nominal ECTS per
academic year in order to keep your residence permit. This is called study progress
monitoring. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) must report to the Dutch Immigration and
Naturalization Service (IND) in case you do not meet the 50% requirement.

• Please note: First year BA students need to obtain all 60 ECTS to fulfil the requirements of the
Binding Study Advice (BSA) at EUR! The BSA requirement gets priority over the 50% requirement of
the study progress monitoring policy

• ! Pre-master students need to successfully complete their program in 1 year!

 4. Exchange students

1. Exchange students also follow the same procedure for MVV

2. But there are 2 options for exchange students:

1. On exchange longer than 4 months

Follow the normal procedures:
• Apply for MVV
• Follow steps upon arrival in the Netherlands

2. On exchange shorter than 4 months

Follow procedure:
• Apply for MVV
• Do not register at municipality
• You cannot get a BSN number, but you also won’t need one
• For refund you need to mail [email protected] for more information.

! As an exchange student, you do not pay the tuition fee. You will receive an invoice with only
the immigration fee (210 euros) and the living fee/financial means (again this is based on how
many months you will be staying in the Netherlands).
 5. Example of an immigration case in Osiris.

16
17
18
 6. Common mistakes made by students

1. Use your full name

2
0
 6. Common mistakes made by students

2. Always match your signature and make sure it’s handwritten.

2.5 refers to a
section in
one of the
forms you
have to fill out.
You will find
this once you
start your
immigration c
ase.

6
 7. Immigration costs and financial means
Having sufficient financial means is part of the procedure for the Dutch study residence permit.
You will receive a separate email from us with payment instructions and your invoice alongside the
immigration welcome email. *Not applicable for ISS/ MEL/IHS students who will receive an invoice from your faculty *

The invoice includes:

1. Immigration fee: €210,- (the IND needs this fee to process your application)

2. Tuition fee: applicable to your situation

not applicable to Eu-HEM/EMLE students or exchange students).

3. Living fee/financial means €975,- for every month you will be studying in the Netherlands.
(refundable):

• This living fee should correspond with the duration of your programme. It has a maximum of 12 months; in case you
enroll for a programme with a duration of more than one year. (e.g., €975 * 12 = €11,700,-)
• If you have a Scholarship Letter (click here for an example), the scholarship can be part of or substitute the living
fee/financial means amount.
The remaining part still needs to be transferred to the university's bank account (the transferred part of the living
fee/financial means is refundable).
• You can either pay the invoice amount once or do separate payments if your bank has a transfer limit. Make sure to
always mention your student number/full name (per reference as stated in your invoice)
As long as the payments are done before the immigration application deadline.
• If you do have a SEPA bank account, you can pay in installments. Keep in mind we have to see that you have the tuition
fee amount available in your bank account, as we need to check your cash flows.

IMPORTANT: please note that all additional fees that the banks may charge for the
international bank transfer must be covered by yourself (you bear all costs)!
 7. Immigration costs and financial
means
Our recommended options for a safe international money transfer are:

• Transfermate: easy and cheap way for our international students to pay their fees.
• Traditional banks: you can request your local bank to make an international transfer using
the information from our invoice. You can also find our bank information on our
website here. *ISS/MEL students, refer to the invoice received*
• Online money transfer providers: depending on your country, you may find an online
provider that allows you to use your local bank card for an online
transfer. Transferwise and Revolut are such known services. Please choose a reliable
provider yourself, as this option differs per country. Furthermore, some banks have limits to
the maximal amount you can transfer per day. You are allowed to make multiple transfers to
pay all costs in order to continue your immigration case. Please always mention your
student number in the reference.
• Specialized money transfer companies: again, depending on your country, you may find
branches of Western Union, MoneyGram and others alike that can send your money safely.

Important notes:
• Remember to take the commission costs of a transfer into account. If there is an option to
choose to bear ALL commission/transfer costs, please do so. This is because upon
receipt, our bank may also deduct commission costs for receiving an international transfer.
• Consider that the EUR should receive a correct exchanged amount in euros.
• We do not accept creditcard or Paypal transactions.
 8. Refund procedure

If you transferred money to the university bank account to show you have sufficient financial
means to cover your living expenses in the Netherlands, you can request a refund of the
deposit. We will start your refund procedure of transferred living fees procedure at the end of
August.

ISS/MEL/IHS students please contact your faculty for your refund procedure.

Please note that we strongly advise students to bring enough money with you to sustain yourself
in the first two months after arrival, since it can take some time to receive your refund because
you need a Dutch bank account or another EU bank account.

Please take into consideration that the bank costs have been deducted and the amount you will
receive from us might be less than the amount you transferred.*
 8. Refund procedure
Requirements:
• Your enrolment at EUR is complete;
• You have a Dutch bank account; (EU-EEA bank account)
• Your study permit procedure has been approved and/or; you received an email from us about the
procedure.

Instructions:
• Go to ‘My Cases’ In Osiris Student, where we will have started your procedure already; (last week
of August)
• Check the amount we have received in your email “Confirmation of receipt of financial means
(Immigration)”;
• Fill in the form according to your situation;
• Upload all the required documents for the refund procedure in Osiris Student.
• Please make sure that your name and account number are both visible on the document you
upload.

In general, it takes about two weeks for the payments to be processed. Please contact us at
[email protected] in case you did not receive the money in your bank account within two weeks
after you submitted the refund request.
 9. Studielink and payment method

If you transferred your tuition fee, living

fee/financial means and immigration fee manually
to our bank account, you will also have to
indicate your payment method in Studielink in
order for your enrollment to be processed
correctly.*

Please see the link for a detailed

explanation or scan the QR code.
For more questions, please contact the ESSC.

*N/A to Eu-HEM/ISS/EMLE/MEL/IHS/Exchange students*

 10. Changes to your situation,
take action!

1. If you continue to study in the Netherlands after the expiry date (in Dutch: geldig tot) of your
student residence permit, then you need to extend your residence permit. It is your own
responsibility to start the application process in time. You are strongly advised to start
the process three months before the expiration date.
2. If you are travelling abroad for longer than 3 months, please contact us
([email protected]) with your student number.
3. If you decide to de-enroll/terminate your enrollment from the University, please contact us.
4. Lost or stolen residence permit, please contact us.
5. Have you completed/are you ready to complete your EUR studies, but don’t feel ready
to leave the Netherlands yet? Check out our "after graduation" page and the IND page for
more information.
*Not applicable if you are an OKP scholarship student*
 11. Contact
Please always mention your student number, when contacting the University!

1. How can I contact (a department from) the International Office?

Please click here.

2. Is there a student help desk? Can they help with my enrollment?

Yes, please contact the Erasmus Student Service Centre (ESSC) here.

3. How can I contact the IND for questions?

Please click here.

4. How can I contact my faculty for questions?

Please click here.

5. Where can I ask questions for issues after arrival?

Please email this mail address: [email protected]

6. Where can I ask questions about housing?

Please email: [email protected]
 12. FAQ
1. Where can I find information about my visa/residence permit?
You can find all information regarding immigration matters here.

2. Is there a checklist for me to follow in preparation of my studies in Rotterdam?

You can find a checklist here.

3. Where can I find information about life in Rotterdam after I have arrived?
You can find information about life in Rotterdam, the Dutch language and our educational system here.

4. Do you want to know more about orientation activities for international students in Rotterdam?
You can find information about orientation here.

5. I want to bring my spouse, children or another family member with me to the Netherlands. How do
I arrange their stay?
The Immigration Office does not arrange this, you have to arrange this with the IND. How? Click here.

6. I want to start a part-time job/internship in the Netherlands, do I need a work permit?

Everything regarding part-time jobs and internship can be found here.
 12. FAQ
7. How can I arrange my health insurance?
Please click here.

8. How do I set up a Dutch bank account?

Please click here.

9. What is the correct bank account of the EUR? *Not applicable for ISS students*
Please click here.

10. I am a student from Hong Kong/Taiwan/Macau, do I need a Nuffic certificate?

No, you do not need a Nuffic certificate, please upload your passport and we will exempt you from the
Nuffic certificate. For more information, click here.

11. There is no embassy where I can receive a MVV sticker in my country, what can I do?
Please pick a neighboring country with an embassy. If you have a residence permit of another country,
upload your permit in Osiris and we will check if you are allowed to go to another country.

12. Can I register at the municipality without my residence permit?

Yes, you can register with your MVV sticker.
 Greetings from team Immigration
Thank you for your time.
We hope the information provided made the process a little clearer.
We’re looking forward to seeing you and wish you a very nice day and especially time in the
Netherlands and the Erasmus University Rotterdam!

Warm Regards,
Claire, Jennie and Melanie - Team Immigration .

We go to great lengths to ensure that, to the best of our knowledge, the information provided is current and accurate.

Although every reasonable effort is made to provide correct information, we cannot be held responsible for any changes or

inaccuracies.