Netherlands orientation year residence permit for graduates and researchers 2026

Anyone who wants to look for work in the Netherlands after graduating, finishing a doctorate or completing research needs a residence permit, and the orientation year permit is the route the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) offers for that purpose. It is open to people who, within the three years before applying, completed an accredited bachelor's or master's programme or a post-master's programme at a Dutch higher education institution, obtained a master's degree in an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme, or carried out scientific research in the Netherlands under a research permit or a highly skilled migrant permit. Graduates of a master's, doctoral or post-master's programme at a designated foreign institution can qualify as well.

A foreign institution is designated when it ranks in the top 200 of the general or subject rankings of at least two of three named global publishers on the date of graduation. Foreign diplomas must be evaluated by the Dutch credential evaluation body Nuffic before they are accepted. Graduates of those institutions must also show English at about IELTS 6.0 or an equivalent test, unless their programme was taught in English or Dutch.

Applicants abroad apply for the entry visa and the residence permit at the same time, after booking an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate in their country of origin or permanent residence. People already living in the Netherlands on a study or research permit can apply online. Holders of the permit may work freely, do an internship or work as self-employed, and their employers do not need a separate work permit. A second orientation year is possible after a new study programme, doctorate or research project completed after the first permit.

There is no fixed intake, so applications can be submitted throughout the year.