Visa & residence information

Learn more about requesting new and extending or changing current visas or residence permits.

Are you employed by Wageningen University & Research or do you bring your family to the Netherlands? Then contact the website of the Welcome Center Food Valley to arrange your visa and residence permit.

Are you a scholarship PhD candidate and are you coming to the Netherlands without a family? Then the information on this page applies to you.

New visa or residence permit

Who can apply for a visa and residence permit?

The Doctoral Service Centre can arrange a visa and residence permit for a PhD candidate if:

  • The PhD candidate has been admitted to the WU PhD programme (diplomas or qualifying exam have been approved and proficiency in the English language is considered sufficient);
  • The PhD candidate comes without a family;
  • The PhD candidate has a scholarship or own financing for living allowances of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1565,-/month between 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024;
  • The PhD candidate is not employed by WUR;
  • The PhD candidate stays for a period longer than 3 months.

When to apply for a residence permit (and entry visa)

The Doctoral Service Centre can apply for a residence permit (and entry visa) if a contact person from the chair group sends a complete submission to the Doctoral Service Centre at the latest 11 weeks before the intended start of the visa.

Costs

The visa costs are € 228,-. These and any other additional costs related to the migration will be passed on to the chair group.

How to apply

A contact person from the chair group sends all documents stated below in one email to the Doctoral Service Centre via immigration.dsc@wur.nl.

During the course of the application procedure, the PhD candidate and the applicant will receive information and instructions from the Doctoral Service Centre.

Requested documents

(NOTE: all documents that must be signed by the PhD candidate must be checked for the right signature. The signature must be the same as on the passport)

  1. The forms antecedents certificate, permission to use personal details and information form PhD candidates filled in by the candidate;
  2. The information form chair group filled in by the contact person from the chair group;
  3. A clear scan of the passport (with signature, personal details page and stamped pages). The passport must still be valid for at least 6 months when the Doctoral Service Centre submits the application to the IND.;
  4. The signed form: Hosting agreement Doctoral Service Centre. Please see the instruction. For more information on applying 'kassier' for scholarship funds from external scholarship providers to PhD candidates see the intranet page Promovendibeleid;
  5. Proof of sufficient finances for the requested period of residence consisting of:
  • The form Income Statement, filled in and signed by the PhD candidate;
  • One of the following options:
    • When a scholarship is paid directly to the PhD candidate by the scholarship provider: we need the scholarship letter (specifying the costs of living and period);
    • When the PhD candidate receives the living allowances from the grant provider via WUR through the "kassiersfunctie": we need the letter of agreement and the grant award letter + a reference in the hosting Agreement at point 5 that the living allowances of the PhD candidate will be received bij WUR from the grant provider and transferred from WUR to the PhD candidate by using the kassierfunctie;
    • When the PhD candidate finances the stay him-/herself: we need an recent bank statement (with an amount of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires) for each month of the requested stay in the Netherlands. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1565,-/month between 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024;
    • When the PhD candidate receives covid-19 compensation in the period of stay: we would like to receive the addendum Covid-19 compensation, the approval letter of the application for covid-19 compensation from the Dean of Research and a proof of payment of the covid-19 compensation to the PhD candidate (latest item can be send in later and may consist of a bank statement of the PhD candidate or a signed payment request from the chair group).

Overview of needed forms


Extension of residence permit

Who can apply for an extension of the residence permit?

  • The PhD candidate has a scholarship or own financing for living allowances of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1565,-/month between 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024;
  • The PhD candidate is not employed by WUR;

When to apply for an extension of the residence permit?

The Doctoral Service Centre can extend your residence permit if a contact person from your chair group sends a complete submission to the Doctoral Service Centre at the latest 6 weeks before the current residence permit ends.

If you have the plan to travel immediately after the start date of the extension of the residence permit, please note that the application must be submitted to us at latest 10 weeks before the start date, otherwise it could be that the residence permit card is not ready before departure.

Costs

The costs for extension of the residence permit are € 228,-. These costs will be passed on to the chair group.

How to apply

A contact person from the chair group sends all documents stated below in one email to the Doctoral Service Centre via immigration.dsc@wur.nl.

During the course of the application procedure, the PhD candidate and the applicant will receive information and instructions from the Doctoral Service Centre.

Requested documents

(NOTE: all documents that must be signed by the PhD candidate must be checked for the right signature. The signature must be the same as on the passport)

  1. The forms antecedents certificate, permission to use personal details and information form PhD candidates filled in by the candidate;
  2. The information form chair group filled in by the contact person from the chair group;
  3. A clear scan of the passport (with signature, personal details page and stamped pages). The passport must still be valid for at least 6 months when the Doctoral Service Centre submits the application to the IND.;
  4. Copy of the front and back of the current residence permit pass;
  5. The signed form: Hosting agreement Doctoral Service Centre. Please see the instruction;
  6. Proof of sufficient finances for the requested period of residence consisting of:
  • The form Income Statement, filled in and signed by the PhD candidate;
  • One of the following options:
    • When a scholarship is paid directly to the PhD candidate by the scholarship provider: we need the sholarship letter (specifying the costs of living and period);
    • When the PhD candidate receives the living allowances from the grant provider via WUR through the 'kassiersfunctie': we need the letter of agreement and the grant award letter + a reference in the Hosting Agreement at point 5 that the living allowances of the PhD cadidate will be received by WUR from the grand provider and transferred from WUR to the PhD candidate by using the kassierfunctie. Voor meer informatie over het toepassen 'kassier' voor beursgelden van externe beursverstrekkers aan PhD kandidaten zie de intranetpagina Promovendibeleid;
    • When the PhD candidate finances the stay him-/herself: we need an recent bank statement (with an amount of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires) for each month of the requested stay in the Netherlands. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1565,-/month between 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024;
    • When the PhD candidate receives covid-19 compensation in the period of stay: we would like to receive the addendum Covid-19 compensation, the approval letter of the application for covid-19 compensation from the Dean of Research and a proof of payment of the covid-19 compensation to the PhD candidate (latest item can be send in later and may consist of a bank statement of the PhD candidate or a signed payment request from the chair group).

Overview of forms needed

Chaging a residence permit

Who can apply for a change of purpose of a residence permit?

The Doctoral Service Centre can arrange the change of the purpose of a residence permit for a PhD candidate if:

  • The PhD candidate has a scholarship or own financing for living allowances of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1565,-/month between 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024;
  • The PhD candidate is not employed by WUR;

When to apply for a change of purpose of a residence permit?

The Doctoral Service Centre can assist to change the purpose of your residence permit if a contact person from your chair group sends a complete submission to the PhD office at the latest 6 weeks before the current residence permit ends.

If you have the plan to travel immediately after the start date of the change of purpose of the residence permit, please note that the application must be submitted to us at latest 10 weeks before the start date, otherwise it could be that the residence permit card is not ready before departure.

Costs

The costs for extension of the residence permit are € 228,-. These costs will be passed on to the chair group.

How to apply

A contact person from the chair group sends all documents stated below in one email to the Doctoral Service Centre via immigration.dsc@wur.nl.

During the course of the application procedure, the PhD candidate and the applicant will receive information and instructions from the Doctoral Service Centre.

Requested documents

(NOTE: all documents that must be signed by the PhD candidate must be checked for the right signature. The signature must be the same as on the passport)

  1. The forms antecedents certificate, permission to use personal details and information form PhD candidates filled in by the candidate;
  2. The information form chair group filled in by the contact person from the chair group;
  3. A clear scan of the passport (with signature, personal details page and stamped pages). The passport must still be valid for at least 6 months when the Doctoral Service Centre submits the application to the IND.;
  4. Copy of the front and back of the current permit residence pass;
  5. The signed form: Hosting agreement Doctoral Service Centre. Please see the instruction;
  6. Proof of sufficient finances for the requested period of residence consisting of:
  • The form Income Statement, filled in and signed by the PhD candidate;
  • One of the following options:
    • When a scholarship is paid directly to the PhD candidate by the scholarship provider: we need the scholarship letter (specifying the costs of living and period);
    • When the PhD candidate receives the living allowances from the grant provider via WUR through the "kassiersfunctie": we need the letter of agreement and the grant award letter + a reference in the hosting Agreement at point 5 that the living allowances of the PhD candidate will be received bij WUR from the grant provider and transferred from WUR to the PhD candidate by using the kassierfunctie;
    • When the PhD candidate finances the stay him-/herself: we need an recent bank statement (with an amount of at least the amount that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires) for each month of the requested stay in the Netherlands. This amount is adjusted twice a year on 1 January and 1 July and is € 1509,-/month between 1 July 2023 and 1 January 2024;
    • When the PhD candidate receives covid-19 compensation in the period of stay: we would like to receive the addendum Covid-19 compensation, the approval letter of the application for covid-19 compensation from the Dean of Research and a proof of payment of the covid-19 compensation to the PhD candidate (latest item can be send in later and may consist of a bank statement of the PhD candidate or a signed payment request from the chair group).

Overview of forms needed