Visa

Students can’t apply for a visa themselves, this has to be done through the University of Twente. If you need a visa, the University will send you an email guiding you through the process. More information can be found here.

Municipality

If you are staying in Enschede for more than four months, you have to register at the municipal civil registry. If you live in the city of Enschede, you will get an email from the University to make an appointment to register with the municipality. This will be in the first month of your study. If you miss this appointment, or arrive at a later date, you have to make your own appointment. You can find more information about this here.

Working in the Netherlands

If you have a nationality of a country that belongs to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland your passport (or ID card) of the country, of which you hold the nationality, is evidence enough that you are permitted to stay in the Netherlands and to work here. You are not required to report to the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) and also you do not apply to the IND for a proof of lawful residence. Your employer does not need to apply for a work permit for you if you want to work in the Netherlands.

If you are from a non-EU/EEA country, you need at least a work permit and Basic Healthcare Insurance. More information about this can be found here.

Bank account

For students that stay in the Netherlands for an extended period, it is advised that they get a Dutch bank account. This makes receiving scholarships, PIN transactions, purchasing train tickets and paying tuition fee in instalments easier. At the moment, you need a BSN to register for a Dutch bank account, you will get this after registering at the municipality. More information about opening a bank account can be found here.

Dutch phone number

When staying in the Netherlands for a longer period of time it is practical to have a Dutch phone number. In order to get a Dutch phone number and a phone contract at one of the communications companies in the Netherlands, you need to have the following:

  • A valid ID/PASSPORT (if you are an EU/EEA citizen),
  • A Dutch resident permit (if you are a citizen outside EU/EEA)
  • Your BSN Number
  • A Dutch Bank account
  • A local home address
  • Student ID for special student deals (optional)