Visa, residence and work permit

Before leaving to come to Holland, make sure you understand your legal situation. Depending on your nationality and the way your PhD is financed, you might need a visa, residence permit and/or work permit.

Visa & Residence Permit

Dutch Law regards PhD candidates as "staff" in stead of "students", even if you do not receive a salary. This means that PhD candidates should not apply for a visa or resicence permit for study, but for the purpose of labour.

If you need an entry visa (MVV), and your stay will exceed 90 days, then the university can apply for your visa using a short procedure. This is usually done by Human Resouce department of your faculty or institute.

Legal Requirement for International Staff and PhD Candidates

Work permit

PhD candidates from outside the European Union must realise that in most cases a work permit is required. This depends among other factors on the way that you finance your PhD.

The Human Resouce department of your faculty or institute will be able to determine if a work permit is required or not. If so, it is usually also the Human Resouce department which will apply for the permit. The work permit is issued to the university; you cannot apply yourself.  
 
Work permit