Drop in Permit Fees for International Students

28.04.2018

Sharp Drop in Permit Fees for International Students in the Netherlands

From 3 May 2018 international students in the Netherlands will pay considerably less for study permits, as well as post-study permits that grant them one year to look for a job after graduation. In addition, it will also become cheaper for companies to hire highly skilled migrants.

The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) announced the new fees a day after a letter, explaining the reduced amounts, was sent to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer).

The cost for a study permit will be dropped from €321 to €192. To apply for an orientation year permit after graduation (“zoekjaar”) will be reduced from €641 to €285 from 3 May.

Nuffic, the Dutch agency promoting internationalisation in higher education reports that the cost of a highly skilled migrant application (“kennismigrant”) will also decrease significantly - from €938 to €582.

In addition, it will also be cheaper for employers and institutions to retain international talent from outside the EU. “They may only apply for residence permits for international talents if they have concluded a framework agreement (recognised sponsor status) with the IND. The one-off costs for this have been lowered from €5,345 to €3,861, making it easier for organisations to recruit international talents,” Nuffic wrote in its newsletter.

“The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) charges a fee for services such as applying for a residence permit. The basic principle for calculating the fees is that they should cover organisational costs as much as possible. The current fees were calculated before the Modern Migration Policy Act dramatically changed the IND’s working process in 2013.”

The new fees will apply to applications submitted on or after 3 May 2018. This is the earliest date on which the necessary adjustments can be made to the IND’s IT system (Indigo).

WUP 28/4/2018