Entry visa & residence permit procedure

Entry visa & residence permit procedure Contents page 02 page 03 page 04 page 05 page 06 page 07 page 09 page 10 page 15 page 16 page 17 page 18 page 19 page 20 page 23 page 24 Do I need an entry visa and residence permit? What is an entry visa? What is a residence permit? What does the application procedure look like? What are the conditions for a visa and residence permit? What is the deadline for meeting the conditions and sending in my application? How do I apply for an entry visa and residence permit? Step 1. Pay the invoice before the deadline and obtain proof of payment Step 2. Make a scan of your passport Step 3. Fill out the Antecedents Certificate & TB test Declaration Step 4. Prove you have the financial means to stay and study in the Netherlands Step 5. Obtain adequate health insurance Step 6. Upload your documents and submit your application in OSIRIS for a final check Step 7. Once your digital documents are approved, send in your original hard copy documents before the deadline Step 8. The Visa Office will send your application to the IND and let you know when you can make an appointment with the Embassy to collect your entry visa and enrol your biometric data Appendix 1: Antecedents Certificate Appendix 2: Declaration of intent to undergo a TB test Appendix 3: Scholarship Certificate Appendix 4: Financial Statement Sponsor Form

Entry visa & residence permit procedure Introduction In this fact sheet, you will find an overview of the steps you need to take to submit an application for a residence permit with an entry visa. We strongly recommend that you read through this guide thoroughly before starting your application. Do I need an entry visa and residence permit? Follow these steps: Note: if you currently hold a residence permit from a Schengen country, please contact us at visa@qdesk.uu.nl Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 02

What is an entry visa? (Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf or MVV for short) An MVV is a visa to enter the country. It is a sticker in your passport issued by the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your home country. This sticker allows you to travel and enter into the Netherlands. For actually staying and studying in the Netherlands you need a residence permit. What is a residence permit? (Vergunning Verblijf Regulier or VVR for short) A residence permit is a permit that allows you to reside legally in the Netherlands. It is issued for a specific purpose, in your case: study. After your application is approved, the IND will issue a card with your residence permit. This is an official government document that proves you are legally residing in the Netherlands. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 03

What does the application procedure look like? Residence permits are issued by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). As a student, you cannot apply to the IND directly for a residence permit for study. That is why the Visa Office of Utrecht University will apply for the permit for you. This means your only point of contact will be us and never directly the IND. We will also apply for your entry visa. In order to apply for your residence permit and entry visa, we need to verify that you meet certain conditions for residing in the Netherlands first. For this purpose, we need several digital and hard copy documents from you. You will also need to pay an application fee and your tuition fee for the first academic year. We will send you an invoice for this by email. You can submit your application and the digital documents in OSIRIS Online Application. We advise you to do so as soon as possible - even if you are still waiting for a document. Once we receive your application, we will first check your digital documents. If a document is missing or does not meet the IND s requirements, we will let you know by email. Once we have approved your digital documents, you can send us the required hard copy documents by post. If they are complete and you meet all of the conditions, we will send your application to the IND, who in turn will assess it. Once your application is approved by the IND, we will notify you of this by email. You can then arrange an appointment with the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your home country to collect your entry visa. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 04

What are the conditions for a visa and residence permit? 1. You must be unconditionally accepted for a programme at Utrecht University. If you are conditionally admitted, you need to meet the conditions for admission before the deadline. The only exception is a conditional acceptance based on graduation from your current studies. 2. You must pay the invoice for the visa/residence permit application fee and your tuition fee before the deadline. 3. You must prove that you have sufficient financial means to stay and study in the Netherlands and that you have adequate health insurance. 4. You must send in the required digital and hard copy application documents before the deadline. What is the deadline for meeting the conditions and sending in my application? The entire procedure may take up to 2,5 months after the IND has received your application. That is why our deadline has to be 15 November. This means that we need to have received your digital and hard copy documents and your payment before this date. Only when we have received your complete application and you meet all of the conditions, can we send your application to the IND. Because we need to check your digital documents first, please upload them well in advance - even if you are still waiting for your new insurance for example. That way, you will still have time to arrange new documents, should they not meet the IND's requirements, and send us your hard copies before the deadline. Important information for Chinese students: You must register with Nuffic for a Nuffic Certificate before your visa application can be submitted. This includes taking an IELTS or TOEFL test. For more information see Nuffic If you hold a Hong Kong or Taiwan passport, this does not apply to you. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 05

How do I apply for an entry visa and residence permit? Checklist: STEP 1. Pay the invoice before the deadline and obtain proof of payment STEP 2. Make a scan of your passport In order to apply for an entry visa and residence permit you need to complete several steps. All of these steps will be described on the following pages. Please read these instructions carefully so that we can process your visa and residence permit application as quickly as possible. STEP 7. STEP 3. Fill out the Antecedents Certificate & TB test Declaration STEP 4. Prove you have the financial means to stay and study in the Netherlands Once your digital documents are approved, send in your original hard copy documents before the deadline STEP 8. STEP 5. Obtain adequate health insurance STEP 6. Upload your documents and submit your application in OSIRIS for a final check The Visa Office will send your application to the IND and let you know when you can make an appointment with the Embassy to collect your entry visa and enrol your biometric data Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 06

STEP 1. Pay the invoice before the deadline and obtain proof of payment Invoice You will receive an invoice for both the tuition fee (for the first academic year) and the visa/residence permit application fee by email. The application fee is 192. The invoice will be sent to the email address you entered in your Studielink account. Payment information is included in the invoice. Please note that the exact amount must be received by us, as we in turn transfer the entire amount to the IND. Therefore, any costs associated with the transfer must be covered by you. Payment of the invoice is the starting point of your visa and residence permit application and has to be concluded before the deadline. Without the payment, we cannot submit your application to the IND. Note: if you have applied for more than one Bachelor or Master's programme, please check if you have received the invoice for the correct programme. If not, please contact us at visa@qdesk.uu.nl. Important information for Chinese students: The IND does not accept Certificates of Deposit as proof of sufficient financial means (see page 10). You will therefore receive an invoice for your tuition fee, the visa/residence permit application fee and the amount needed for your proof of financial means. The amount for your financial means will be kept in your name until your arrival. Once you have arrived, you will need to open a Dutch bank account, so that we can refund your financial means as soon as possible. The application fee will be deducted from this amount and paid to the IND. If you hold a Hong Kong or Taiwan passport, this does not apply to you. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 07

Scholarship Students who have been awarded a scholarship can forward the invoice to their scholarship provider. There are a few exceptions: > If you have been awarded a scholarship that does not cover all your expenses, such as an Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, a scholarship from the faculty, or from another external scholarship organisation, you may need to pay (part of) the tuition fee and the visa/residence permit application fee. Please contact us as soon as possible at visa@qdesk.uu.nl. Proof of payment After you have paid the invoice, obtain proof of payment. It must include the following details: > Account number of the account the invoice was paid from > Name of the account holder > Name of the bank > Payment date > Amount transferred + currency > Account number of the recipient (UU) > Payment reference Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 08

STEP 2. Make a scan of your passport One of the documents you need to send in is a scan of your passport. Please make sure the scan includes: > All your personal data > Your signature > The passport number > Date of issue and expiration (note: your passport must be valid until at least 1 August 2019) > All other pages containing information (such as stamps, renewals, etc.) > If you also hold a residence permit from another EU country, please upload a scan of this as well. STEP 3. Fill out the Antecedents Certificate & TB test Declaration (in appendix) The Antecedents Certificate lists declarations the IND requires you to state and sign for. By filling in and signing the TB test Declaration, you declare that you are prepared to undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test and - if necessary - treatment after your arrival in the Netherlands. Please see the appendix for more information. Note: a digital signature is not accepted! You need to print the forms, fill them out, sign them with an ink pen and scan them. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 09

STEP 4. Prove you have the financial means to stay and study in the Netherlands The IND requires proof that you can financially support yourself during your stay in the Netherlands. Taking into account average housing costs and living expenses in the Netherlands, the IND has set a minimum amount students will need every month of their stay. Minimum amount: 900 per month. This means that you need to prove in advance that you have at least 900 per month available for the first twelve months of your stay on top of the money needed to pay your invoice. For example, if you are staying for one year, you need to prove that you have 12 x 900 = 10800 available and that you haven't used this money to pay your invoice. A bank statement with 10000 and an email telling us you will get the other 800 in April is not accepted by the IND. The full amount must be in your bank account in advance. Please note that the IND is very strict with regards to the proof of financial means. It is therefore important that your financial documents meet the IND's requirements, otherwise they will not issue your visa. Important information for Chinese students: For proof of financial means please refer to page 7. If you hold a Hong Kong or Taiwan passport, this does not apply to you. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 10

How can I prove my financial means There are three ways to prove you will have enough funds to support yourself during your stay: A. Scholarship B. You have your own financial means C. You have a sponsor who does not live in the Netherlands > Note: Someone living in the Netherlands cannot act as your sponsor. It is possible to combine funds from categories A, B and C. A. Scholarship You have been awarded a scholarship in order to fund your stay in the Netherlands. The IND has set criteria for the information needed regarding the scholarship. This information is combined in our Scholarship Certificate (see appendix). Please ask your scholarship provider to use this form to make sure you meet the IND criteria. If for some reason the scholarship provider cannot use the standard form, they must issue an award letter that contains all of the following information: > Name and address of the organisation awarding the scholarship > Your name > Your date of birth > The exact study period (dd/mm/yyyy) to which the scholarship applies (e.g. from 01-02-2019 until 31-01-2020) > The exact amount of money that has been allocated > The letter has to be signed and certified with a stamp of the organisation awarding the scholarship > The letter has to be dated > The letter has to be in English, French or German. If not, it must be translated by a certified translator. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 11

B. You have your own financial means In order to prove that you have sufficient financial means of your own to fund your stay in the Netherlands you must send in: > A recent bank statement* of an account in your name (a copy or the original) OR > A recent declaration from the bank, signed and certified with a stamp of the bank (the original) *A bank statement is an official periodic (usually monthly or quarterly) statement issued by your bank, showing your account details together with the balance and any withdrawals or deposits made during the previous period. E-statements are also accepted. Which criteria should the bank documents meet? The bank documents stated above MUST meet all of the criteria listed below in order to meet IND requirements. 1. The bank document(s) must contain all of the following information: > Name and address of the bank > Name of the account holder(s). In case of a shared account, you must submit written approval of the second account holder that you can dispose of the amount mentioned. > Complete account number > Currency > Balance > Date > Account type. If the account type is not clearly stated, the bank needs to declare that the funds in the account are freely accessible at all times. 2. The document(s) must: > be less than 2 months old. If you have already paid your invoice, the date of the document(s) must lie after the payment date. > contain no indication that there is a hold on the funds > show a balance sufficient to cover your financial means for the first twelve months of your stay. If you have not paid your invoice yet, the document(s) must show a balance sufficient to cover both your financial means and the invoice. > be in English, French or German. If not, they must be translated by a certified translator. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 12

Which account types are generally accepted? The two account types generally accepted are current or checking accounts and regular saving accounts (as long as the funds are freely accessible). NOT accepted are: loans, credit card accounts, term/time deposits (unless the bank declares that the funds are freely accessible), investment accounts, share portfolios, equity funds, bonds, pension funds, mortgage accounts etc. If you are unsure if your account type will be accepted, contact us first at visa@qdesk.uu.nl. C. You have a sponsor who does not live in the Netherlands Someone sponsors your stay in the Netherlands, for example your parents. In order to prove that you have a sponsor with sufficient financial means to fund your stay in the Netherlands, you must send in: > A recent bank statement* of an account in your sponsor's name (a copy or the original) OR > A recent declaration from your sponsor's bank, signed and certified with a stamp of the bank (the original) AND > A copy of your sponsor's passport. In case of a shared account, you must also submit a copy of the second account holder's passport. > The Financial statement sponsor form (see appendix), filled out and signed by your sponsor (the original). In case of a shared account, the second account holder must also fill in their name and co-sign the form. *A bank statement is an official periodic (usually monthly or quarterly) statement issued by your bank, showing your account details together with the balance and any withdrawals or deposits made during the previous period. E-statements are also accepted. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 13

Which criteria should the bank documents meet? The bank documents stated above MUST meet all of the criteria listed below in order to meet IND requirements. 1. The bank document(s) must contain all of the following information: > Name and address of the bank > Name of the account holder(s). > Complete account number > Currency > Balance > Date > Account type. If the account type is not clearly stated, the bank needs to declare that the funds in the account are freely accessible at all times. 2. The document(s) must: > be less than 2 months old. If your invoice has already been paid, the date of the document(s) must lie after the payment date. > contain no indication that there is a hold on the funds > show a balance sufficient to cover your financial means for the first twelve months of your stay. If your invoice has not been paid yet, the document(s) must show a balance sufficient to cover both your financial means and the invoice. > be in English, French or German. If not, they must be translated by a certified translator. Which account types are generally accepted? The two account types generally accepted are current or checking accounts and regular saving accounts (as long as the funds are freely accessible). NOT accepted are: loans, credit card accounts, term/time deposits (unless the bank declares that the funds are freely accessible), investment accounts, share portfolios, equity funds, bonds, pension funds, mortgage accounts etc. If you are unsure if your account type will be accepted, contact us first at visa@qdesk.uu.nl. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 14

STEP 5. Obtain adequate health insurance Dutch law requires that everyone living in the Netherlands has adequate health insurance, therefore you must provide proof thereof for your residence permit. Medical costs in the Netherlands are high. Your health insurance must therefore cover medical expenses at cost. That means there can be no limit to the amount that will be covered for e.g. a doctor s visit or hospitalisation. Dutch insurance package The university has made a special agreement with the following Dutch provider of student insurance packages for students, as the coverage of the ICS Complete + Package meets all legal requirements in the Netherlands: > AON: www.aonstudentinsurance.com/utrechtuniversity The premium is approximately 56 per month. You will find more information about the conditions on their websites. Does my insurance meet the criteria? Other insurances rarely meet the immigration criteria. We will only accept your insurance if it provides coverage for (regardless whether you actually need them): -Pre-existing medical conditions -(Pre-existing) psychological conditions -HIV/AIDS -Medical costs for a minimum of 500.000 Send in a copy of your insurance For your residence permit application you need to send in a copy of your health insurance card and policy (in English, French or German). In the case of AON you can email us a copy of the policy. Make sure you are covered for at least the first twelve months of your stay in the Netherlands. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 15

STEP 6. Upload your documents and submit your application in OSIRIS for a final check Digital visa & residence permit application The Visa Office will enable you to use the digital visa and residence permit application module in OSIRIS. By answering the questions in OSIRIS, you will provide us with the information we need to apply for your entry visa and residence permit. Furthermore, the application module contains important terms you need to agree with. Without this statement we cannot send out your application. Upload your documents The digital visa & residence permit application module also allows you to upload scans of your passport, proof of payment, antecedents certificate, TB test declaration, financial documents and your proof of health insurance. Due to the importance of the documents needed for the application and the strict IND regulations we require that you upload these scans in OSIRIS before sending in the documents by post, so that we can check them first. If a document is missing or does not meet the IND's requirements, we will let you know by email and you will be able to upload a new document in OSIRIS. If we need more information from you, we will also let you know by email. Please make sure your scans are legible and upload them as soon as possible! Note: we only accept documents in pdf format, not larger than 2 MB. Name each scan as follows: start with your Utrecht University student number, then enter the type of document. For example: 1234567passport.pdf. It is possible to upload multiple documents under one question. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 16

STEP 7. Once your digital documents are approved, send in your original hard copy documents before the deadline Please use page 6 as a checklist to make sure you don t forget anything. The completed forms and hard copies need to be sent to: By regular mail to: Utrecht University International/Visa Office P.O. Box 80125 3508 TC Utrecht the Netherlands By courier or express mail to: Utrecht University International/Visa Office Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht the Netherlands Note that the IND strongly advises you NOT to book your flight until you have received your entry visa. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 17

STEP 8. The Visa Office will send your application to the IND and let you know when you can make an appointment with the Embassy to collect your entry visa and enrol your biometric data. The Visa Office will forward your visa and residence permit application to the IND. It usually takes between 2 to 6 weeks for the IND to assess your application. Once your application is approved, we will notify you of this by email. You can then arrange an appointment with the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your country to collect your entry visa. Note: you will most likely have to visit the embassy twice before you receive your entry visa! In many countries, the Dutch embassy no longer issues the visa themselves, but they have to send your passport to a specific office. About 5 working days after your first visit (it may take longer, depending on the embassy you will be asked to visit the embassy a second time to receive your passport with the entry visa. Biometric data When you visit the Dutch Embassy or Consulate to collect your visa, you must also enrol your biometric data: your facial photograph, signature and fingerprints. The IND needs your biometric data to make your residence permit card. During your appointment, an embassy or consulate employee will record your signature and take your fingerprints. You will also need to hand in a recent passport photo, so make sure you bring one (please read the criteria your passport photo needs to meet. The Embassy or Consulate will forward your biometric data to the IND in the Netherlands, who will then issue your residence permit card. Within a month after your arrival in the Netherlands, you will need to visit the IND office to collect your card. We will arrange this appointment for you and email you the details about two weeks before the start of your programme. Utrecht University Entry visa & residence permit procedure 18

Appendix Antecedents Certificate This certificate only needs to be completed if the foreign national is 12 years of age or older. 1 Certificate > Please tick the applicable situation I certify that: I have never been sentenced to imprisonment or a custodial measure for committing a crime; I have never been sentenced to perform community service for committing a crime; I have never been imposed an unconditional fine for committing a crime; I have never accepted an out-of-court settlement for committing a crime; I have never been imposed a penalty order by a public prosecutor for committing a crime; I am currently not subject to prosecution for committing a crime; I have never been responsible for one of the following categories of acts as referred to in Article 1F of the 1951 Refugee Convention: a crime against peace, a war crime, a crime against humanity, a serious non-political crime (for example murder or terrorism), or acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations (for example terrorist acts); and I am aware of the fact that a sentence for committing a crime may result in a refusal or termination of the right of residence. I have not submitted any incorrect data during earlier residence procedures; I did not reside in the Netherlands illegally in the past; I am not subject to any entry ban. I am unable to certify the above for the following reasons: 2 Signing I have completed this form truthfully. 2.1 Name 2.2 Place and date Place Day Month Year 2.3 Signature Please note! If this antecedents certificate has not been completed truthfully, this will have consequences for your right of residence.

Appendix Declaration of intent to undergo a TB test In order to obtain a residence permit, you (or the person you represent) must be prepared to undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test and - if necessary - treatment. If you submit the completed declaration of intent to undergo a TB test to the IND together with your application (and also meet all other conditions), the IND will grant you a residence permit as soon as possible. You are granted this permit under the express condition that you will actually undergo a TB test within three months. Should it become clear after the issue of a residence permit that - despite signing the declaration of intent - you failed to undergo a TB test within the period of three months, this may result in a cancellation of the permit that was granted. Enclose the completed and signed declaration of intent with your application before you make an appointment with the Municipal Health Service. In doing so, you declare that you are prepared to undergo a TB test and, if necessary, TB treatment. For the appointment with the Municipal Health Service, you must complete the referral form as much as possible (part 1) and take it with you. The obligation to undergo the test does not apply if you are a national of one of the countries listed in the appendix 'Exemption from the obligation to undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test'. Nor does the obligation to undergo the test apply if you have an EU residence permit for long-term residents issued by another EU country or are his/her family member and were already admitted to another EU country as a family member of the long-term resident 1 Details of foreign national to be tested (the applicant) 1.1 Application for a permit for the purpose of work, wealthy foreign national, learning while working or study? 1.2 V-number (leave blank) 1.3 Name Surname as stated in the border-crossing document First names 1.4 Sex and Date of birth > Please tick the applicable situation Day Month Year Male Female 1.5 Place of birth 1.6 Country of birth 1.7 Nationality 1.8 Home address Street Number Yes No Postal code Town 1.9 Civil status > Please tick the applicable situation unmarried married registered partnership divorced widow/widower 1.10 Details border-crossing Number Country document Valid from (date) Valid till (date) 1.11.1 Do you have a spouse or (registered) partner? No > Go to 2 'Signing' Spouse > Please complete the requested details below (Registered) partner > Please complete the requested details below

1.11.2 Name Surname as stated in the border-crossing document First names 1.11.3 Sex > Please tick the applicable situation Male Female 1.11.4 Home address Street Number Postal code Town 1.11.5 Nationality 2 Signing I hereby declare that I am prepared to cooperate in a tuberculosis test and any treatment. I am aware of the fact that I must undergo a TB test within three months after the application for a residence permit has been submitted. If I fail to do so, this will have consequences for my right of residence in the Netherlands. 2.1 Name of foreign national 2.2 Place and date 2.3 Signature of foreign national 2.4 Name in case of legal representative 2.5 Place and date 2.6 Signature of legal representative Place Place Day Month Year Day Month Year

Do not enclose this appendix with the form! Appendix Exemption from the obligation to undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test If you have the nationality of one of the countries on this list, you do not have to undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test. Albania Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chile Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominica Egypt El Salvador Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Grenada Guatemala Honduras Hungary Iceland Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Yemen Jordan Kosovo Kuwait Latvia Lebanon Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mexico Monaco Montenegro Netherlands New Zealand Niue Norway Oman Paraguay Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Spain St Kitts & Nevis St Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Venezuela b44

SCHOLARSHIP CERTIFICATE On behalf of the Board of Governors of: Name educational institute: Place: Undersigned declares hereby that: Surname student: Given names student: Nationality: Date of birth: will receive during the period: Starting date / / End date : / / a monthly scholarship of: The scholarship is funded by: Name institute or company: In the frame of: Scholarship programme: Date: Place: Name: Signature: Name Institute or Company funding the student Stamp educational institute: Address: Postal code + city: Telephone number:

FINANCIAL STATEMENT SPONSOR FORM I, the undersigned, Name: First name: Born on: Day / Month / Year Place of Birth: Nationality: Passport number or number of identity card (please send copy of passport or identity card with this statement) Tel.: Address: Zip code: Place: Country: hereby declare that I will financially support the following student: Name: First name: Born on: Day / Month / Year Place of Birth: Nationality: Passport nr during his/her studies in the Netherlands. I hereby guarantee that I will transfer a minimum allowance of per month from (Start date): Day /Month / Year until (End date): Day /Month / Year I hereby enclose a recent bank statement (not older than two months) proving that I have enough funds to transfer the amount in the period mentioned. Date: Day / Month / Year Place: Signature: Second account holder (if applicable) Name: First name: Signature: