Do I qualify for the orientation year permit?

16 March 2023

Are you recently graduated or do you know someone who has recently graduated? Welcome-to-NL has an amazing tool to apply for an 'Orientation Year Permit'. This can give your career or that of a friend the kick-start it deserves! 

You have almost completed your studies in the Netherlands, and it’s starting to feel like home. Perhaps you graduated from a Dutch institution or from a top 200 university abroad in the past three years?

To start your career you may require a different type of residency permit than the one you currently have. If you’re an EEA or Swiss citizen, you’re free to live and work in the Netherlands by default. If you’re a non-EEA citizen and you’ve completed your studies or research project in the Netherlands, you may be eligible to apply for the ‘orientation year’ residency permit.

First off, make sure to check that you’re eligible. Conditions include having completed a bachelor’s or master’s programme at a Dutch institution for higher education, or obtaining a master’s degree in the context of an Erasmus programme.


There is a special tool now to see if you’re eligible. Check it out at Welcome to NL