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    Student visa guide · Pakistani students

    Netherlands student visa for Pakistani students: fee, requirements and processing time

    The Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa) costs $295 in fees nobody can skip, up to $788 if every situational extra applies.

    About Rs 81,800 for the Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa) at the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026. The fee is charged in the destination's currency, so the exact amount moves with the exchange rate.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    What is different when you apply from Pakistan

    The general process is on the Netherlands student visa guide. These are the parts that only apply to you.

    The Netherlands does not accept Pakistani apostilles

    Pakistan is party to the Apostille Convention, but the Netherlands does not recognize apostilles issued there. Your birth certificate, diplomas and other civil documents need the separate legalization route the Dutch government publishes for Pakistan, which takes longer than an apostille.

    NetherlandsWorldwide: In which countries are apostilles valid?

    How much bank balance is required for a Netherlands student visa from Pakistan?

    For the Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa), the Netherlands asks you to show EUR 13,569 (about $15,740). The accepted form is Twelve times the monthly study norm, held in your own name or by a financier, and it covers 12 months of living and study costs, excluding tuition fees. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from IND: Required amounts income requirements, checked August 2026.

    IND: Required amounts income requirements · checked August 2026

    Netherlands student visa documents for Pakistani applicants

    9documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWhat it involves
    A place on an accredited program at a recognized-sponsor institutionOnly universities and hbo institutions on the IND's public register of recognized sponsors can apply for a student residence permit, and they must have signed the Code of Conduct for International Students in Higher Education. If your institution is not recognized, there is no route. source
    Your institution applies, not youThe university or hbo checks that you meet the requirements, then submits the combined MVV and residence permit application on your behalf. If you do not meet a requirement the process stops at the institution, before it ever reaches the IND. source
    Twelve months of the study norm available to youYou need 12 × the monthly study norm (€13,569.24 for university or hbo study in 2026) in your own freely withdrawable account, deposited with your institution, covered by a scholarship, or guaranteed by a company or private financier on the IND's statement-of-support form. Documents must be under three months old. source
    An MVV entry visa stickerMost nationalities need an MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) to enter and collect the permit. Only citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vatican City and the EU/EEA are exempt. No origin market we cover is on that list. source
    A valid passport or travel documentThis applies to every regular residence permit. The MVV sticker goes into that passport, and you use it to travel to the Netherlands and pick up your residence card. source
    A completed Antecedents Certificate if you are over 12Everyone aged 12 and over fills in Appendix 7601, declaring whether they have ever committed an offense or crime, to show they pose no danger to public order or national security. source
    A tuberculosis test after you arrive, unless your nationality is exemptThe TB test is taken in the Netherlands after arrival, not before you travel. Nationals of the countries on IND appendix 7644 are exempt, as are applicants aged 11 or under and anyone who took a TB test in the Netherlands within the last six months. source
    Documents in Dutch, English, German or FrenchAnything in another language must be officially translated, and foreign documents generally need legalization: an apostille or full consular legalization, depending on the issuing country. The IND does not legalize or translate documents for you. source
    At least 50% of your credits every yearThe permit is granted for the length of your program plus three months, to a maximum of five years, and only lasts while you keep meeting the requirements, including earning at least half your credits each academic year. source

    Netherlands student visa processing time from Pakistan

    Because a recognized-sponsor institution files the application and vouches for the documents, the IND usually decides within about two weeks whether a student may come to the Netherlands. Applications peak over the summer, which is why the IND schedules central award days before the academic year begins.

    IND: International students and the IND · checked August 2026

    How to apply for a Netherlands student visa from Pakistan

    1. Get admitted by a recognized-sponsor institution

      Apply to a Dutch university or hbo that appears on the IND's public register of recognized sponsors. Admission and the immigration route are the same conversation here: the institution is your sponsor, and it decides whether your application goes forward.

      source
    2. Prove your income to the institution

      Supply bank statements, a deposit to the institution's own account, a scholarship declaration, or a signed statement of financial support from a company or private financier, together with their bank evidence. You also sign IND appendix 7613, the foreign national's own statement of income, for each study year.

      source
    3. The institution files the combined MVV and permit application

      Your recognized sponsor submits the application and pays the €254 fee, which it normally passes on to you. Because a recognized sponsor vouches for the documents, the IND usually decides within about two weeks rather than the full statutory period.

      source
    4. Collect your MVV sticker at a Dutch embassy or consulate

      Once the IND approves the application it tells you where to collect the MVV. The sticker is a Type D visa placed in your passport, valid across the Schengen Area and usable for more than one entry until you pick up your residence card.

      source
    5. Travel, collect your residence permit and take the TB test

      Since 2022 the IND has run central award days where thousands of students collect their residence documents at one location before the academic year starts. You need that card to arrange health insurance or open a bank account, and unless your nationality is exempt you take the TB test after arrival.

      source

    Work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    Students on a study residence permit may work either a maximum of 16 hours a week year-round or full-time during June, July and August, but not both. Your employer must hold a work permit (TWV) from the UWV before you start; the Dutch Labour Inspectorate checks this and reports breaches to the IND, and the employer is fined.

    source

    Dependants

    A partner or minor child needs their own residence permit to live with you, and the sponsor must show independent, sustainable and sufficient income. From 1 July 2026 that is a gross social-security salary of €2,337.00 a month without holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 with it. That is a threshold a student working 16 hours a week will not normally reach.

    source

    After graduation

    The orientation year (zoekjaar) residence permit lets graduates stay to look for work or start a business, and costs €254. You can apply within three years of graduating, obtaining a doctorate, or your research permit expiring. While you hold it, or for three years afterwards, a reduced highly skilled migrant salary threshold of €3,122 a month applies instead of the standard €5,942.

    source

    Netherlands student visa for other nationalities

    Student visas for Pakistani students elsewhere

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does a Netherlands student visa cost for Pakistani students?
    $295 in mandatory fees for the Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa). About Rs 81,800 for the Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa) at the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026. The fee is charged in the destination's currency, so the exact amount moves with the exchange rate. Situational extras can take it to $788.
    How much bank balance is required for a Netherlands student visa?
    EUR 13,569 (about $15,740), held as Twelve times the monthly study norm, held in your own name or by a financier, covering 12 months of living and study costs, excluding tuition fees. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. The 2026 study norm is €1,130.77 a month for university and higher professional education (hbo), so 12 × €1,130.77 = €13,569.24 for a year. Senior secondary vocational (mbo) students show €928.58 a month. USD figure at EUR 1 = USD 1.16, August 2026. Source: IND: Required amounts income requirements (August 2026).
    Can you work on a Netherlands student visa?
    Students on a study residence permit may work either a maximum of 16 hours a week year-round or full-time during June, July and August, but not both. Your employer must hold a work permit (TWV) from the UWV before you start; the Dutch Labour Inspectorate checks this and reports breaches to the IND, and the employer is fined. Source: IND: Employing a foreign national (August 2026).
    How long does a Netherlands student visa take?
    Because a recognized-sponsor institution files the application and vouches for the documents, the IND usually decides within about two weeks whether a student may come to the Netherlands. Applications peak over the summer, which is why the IND schedules central award days before the academic year begins. Source: IND: International students and the IND (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a Netherlands student visa?
    A partner or minor child needs their own residence permit to live with you, and the sponsor must show independent, sustainable and sufficient income. From 1 July 2026 that is a gross social-security salary of €2,337.00 a month without holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 with it. That is a threshold a student working 16 hours a week will not normally reach. Source: IND: Required amounts income requirements (August 2026).

    Official sources

    Proof of funds: EUR 13,569, IND: Required amounts income requirements.