Home / Countries / Netherlands / Orientation year for highly educated persons
← Netherlands Immigration: Requirements and Costs
Understand this pathway
Netherlands post-study work visa: how long the Orientation year for highly educated persons takes, what it costs, and whether it leads to permanent residence
Post-study work
One-year job-search permit — not a PR route
One-year type I temporary regular permit to look for work or start a business after a qualifying Dutch bachelor or master, a designated foreign master/PhD, or qualifying research. Cannot be extended. Temporary purpose: not a route to permanent residence by itself.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-08-15
Does Orientation year for highly educated persons lead to permanent residence?
- Residency
Temporary — not a permanent-residence route on its own
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-08-15
Do you need a job offer for Orientation year for highly educated persons?
- Job offer
Not required
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-09-25
What education does Orientation year for highly educated persons require?
- Education
Dutch path accepts an accredited bachelor’s or master’s (or a post-master of at least 10 months, or a Dutch PhD). Foreign designated-institution path requires a master’s, doctoral or post-master’s programme, not a foreign bachelor. Previous stored value 'master' was too narrow for Dutch graduates and too high as a single enum, and has been removed.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-09-25
Needs review — the stored record is incomplete
How much money do you have to show for Orientation year for highly educated persons?
- Funds
Not yet checked
We have not yet checked this field against the official source. That is not a finding that the page we read does not carry a rule.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-08-15
How much does Orientation year for highly educated persons cost to apply for?
- Application fee
EUR 254
Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000 article 3.34, amounts valid 1 January 2026 through 31 December 2026: EUR 254 to grant 'het zoeken en verrichten van arbeid al dan niet in loondienst'. Extension is not applicable. Turkish nationals pay EUR 85. San Marino and Israel are free for the TEV/MVV procedure.
Source: Minister of Asylum and Migration (Staatscourant) · verified 2026-09-25
How long does Orientation year for highly educated persons take to process?
- Processing time
No commitment to a processing time
Open the authority's page for this fact
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-09-24
We tell you when we re-read a route you follow, in the note from that check, with the official link.
What does Immigration and Naturalisation Service actually require?
Quoted from the pages named beside each rule, not paraphrased.
- Language
A language test is published only for graduates of a designated foreign institution: IELTS minimum 6.0 (Academic or General Training), or another accepted English test listed in the Code of Conduct for International Students, or a civic-integration document, or the master’s / doctoral / post-master’s programme was in English or Dutch. Dutch graduates and qualifying researchers are not asked for this test on the orientation-year page.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-09-25
Not published on the pages we read
We checked for each of these and the page carried no figure. The absence is recorded with the reason, so this page states nothing the authority does not.
Processing time
Coming to work brochure: 'If the application is complete, the IND will usually decide within 2 weeks. The procedure can last up to a maximum of 90 days.' The 90 days is a statutory maximum, not an expected wait. No month range is stored.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-09-24
The process
How it works
- 1Apply yourself after a qualifying Dutch degree, designated foreign master/PhD, or qualifying research.
- 2After a job you switch to another title; this permit cannot be extended.
What changed when we last checked this record
Route is open. You apply yourself; no sponsor. Valid 1 year and cannot be extended. Temporary purpose on the IND temporary/non-temporary list, so you cannot apply for permanent residence on this permit. After a job you switch to another title such as highly skilled migrant, start-up or self-employed. Previous stored age 18, master-only minimum, USD 350 fee, 1–2 month processing, and 60-month PR pathway were unsourced or contradicted and have been removed.
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service · verified 2026-08-15
Other verified Netherlands routes
Where to go next
- Compare this pathway with another — the link stores only pathway ids.
- Compare one published rule across destinations
- Start a free assessment — No account needed. If you are not signed in, your answers stay in this browser and the estimate runs on your device. We do not receive them unless you create an account. Privacy.
This route on comparison pages
Official sources
Disclaimer: Viovena is an informational planning tool for immigration pathways and eligibility estimates. It is NOT a registered immigration agency, legal advisor, or licensed consultant. Visa decisions belong solely to government authorities — we do not guarantee approvals. All profile-fit scores and timelines are estimates for planning purposes only. Always verify requirements, fees, and processing times on official government websites before applying.