Entry visa testimonials

On this page you can find the testimonials of Hammid, Linda, Samuel and Wenyu about how they experienced their Visa application process. All these students arrived in Wageningen during the Covid-19 period which complicated their process.

Note: No rights can be derived from this information. Make sure to check the information provided by the IND and the Dutch embassy in your or a neighbouring country.

Hammid from Nigeria - MSc Communication, Health and Life Sciences

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Arranging my Visa was very stressful due to the Covid-19 outbreak. I was invited to book an appointment with the embassy on July 20th. Since the Dutch embassy in Nigeria does not process Visa for people over 18 who stay for a longer period abroad, I had to go to an embassy in neighbouring countries. However, the borders were closed. I was planning on going to Accra (Ghana), but was not able to go there because of the closed border. So I changed my plan and emailed the IND to ask for an interview at the embassy in Benin. I got an interview, but crossing the border was hard because of the strict entering measures. I prepared myself very well and took all the documents (appointment confirmation, scholarship letter, MVV letter), got an approved medical facemask and got in. Once I was in Benin at the embassy everything was done within a few minutes. They only needed my MVV form, the appointment letter, the admission letter and my passport. After two weeks I asked if it was ready, and it was so I could schedule to pick it up. Therefore, I booked a flight from Benin to Amsterdam so I could first pick up my Visa and then continue my travel to the Netherlands. Unfortunately my flight had a long layover in Istanbul, but I made it to arrive on August 24th in the Netherlands. What helped me a lot during this period was the communication with the United Community of African Students (UCAS). We created a Whatsapp group with the Nigerian students coming to Wageningen and also communicated with the fellow students on the Facebook page of UCAS.

Linda from Kenya - MSc Climate Studies

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On July 30th the IND approved my application and I could book an appointment with the embassy. Unfortunately, according to their online system I was only able to book an appointment from September onwards. Via the United Community of African Students (UCAS) I was advised to email the embassy directly. I got a reply that they were closed due to Covid-19. However, the following day I received an email that I had an appointment scheduled within two days, on August 4th. From my village (Kisumu) it took 8 hours to go to the embassy in Nairobi where I could stay with a cousin. At the embassy I found out that I did not have the right passport, since the Kenyan government introduced a new passport including biometric information one year prior. I panicked, cried and started calling everyone who might be able to help. One of my contacts advised to go to Nyayo House, a place with governmental departments including immigration services. I took my scholarship form, the IND approval letter and the appointment email from the embassy. Luckily, my new passport was ready within two hours. I contacted the Dutch embassy again and got a new appointment on August 5th. I brought my new passport, the MVV form, a photo, and the Covid-19 questionnaire. I was not able to stay in Nairobi any longer, so I arranged with the embassy that my brother could pick up my passport and Visa. He picked it up on August 10th and sent me a scan of it, I forwarded it to SSC together with my airport form. Two days later my flight was booked and on August 17th I came to the Netherlands. Very helpful was the communication with UCAS, It helps to speak with fellow students. Thereby the OKP Facebook page helped as well, other scholars exchanged the progress of their preparation to come to the Netherlands. When I arrived In Wageningen I got assigned a buddy student who helped me to settle.

Samuel from Ghana - MSc Urban Environmental Management

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On July 27th I receive a letter from SSC that the IND approved my application. I checked the website of the embassy to find out that it was not possible to make an appointment since the embassy was closed due to Covid-19. A student from my university in Ghana was also going to study at WUR and already went to the embassy to pick up her Visa. She advised me to email the embassy to make an appointment. Unfortunately, I received an email that I could not apply for the MVV since all borders were closed. A few days later I received an email that I can make an appointment, so I booked an appointment for August 13th. Then I received an email from the embassy stating that they did not work on the 13th. This was very frustrating for me since the first possibility to rebook an appointment was August 26th. It would be too late to have an appointment then, so I emailed the embassy, expressed my frustration and thankfully I got an appointment on August 7th. I made sure to arrive the day before the appointment in Accra in order to prevent being late due to traffic congestions. When I had the appointment the people at the embassy were very nice to me. I had to bring (a copy of): the cover page of my passport; date page of my passport; scholarship letter; birth certificate; transcript of records; Bachelor’s certificate; IND letter; MVV letter; and the appointment letter*. I did not need an interview, they only took the biometric date from me and told me to pick up the Visa after 15 days. I sent the scans to SSC and they booked my flight. Unfortunately my first flight was cancelled, but on September 9th I was able to arrive in Amsterdam via Dubai. A tip to students from Ghana is: make sure to print all the required document after receiving the IND approval to ensure that you have them ready when booking an appointment with the embassy. Thereby, keep an eye on your email and try to respond as quickly as possible to prevent delays in arranging your Visa.

*No rights can be derived from this information. Make sure to check the information provided by the IND and the Dutch embassy in your or a neighbouring country.

Wenyu from Beijing - MSc Environmental Management

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I was stressfully waiting for the embassy to open. When they opened in July for students and knowledge workers, I immediately made an appointment online. When visiting the embassy, I only had to take the MVV form, my passport and a photograph. Due to Covid-19 I had to wear a face mask and they regulated the amount of people inside the embassy. Nevertheless, it took me only five minutes to arrange everything. Two days later everything was delivered from the embassy at my house. Now I could book my flight to Amsterdam. There was no mandatory Covid-19 testing at the airport. Thereby a student association of the Chinese government provided health bags with face masks and medicines to students traveling abroad for studies. In Wageningen I am in a QQ group (Chinese chat app) with Chinese people including Zhang, she advises students how to handle things when in the Netherlands. I would advise all student to ask their questions and issues, which cannot be found on the website, directly to the university.