Good fit
Recent graduates or researchers who completed a qualifying programme or research route within the previous three years and want time to find Dutch employment.
Netherlands · Study to PR
Residence Permit for an Orientation Year
A one-year Netherlands residence permit for qualifying graduates, PhD holders, researchers, and other highly educated applicants to seek work after recent study or research.
Status note. This is a one-year residence permit for highly educated persons seeking employment after qualifying study, doctorate, research, or related education.
Decision fit
Who this pathway serves
Important limits
Applicants outside the three-year qualification window or without one of the listed Dutch, Erasmus Mundus, research, policy, or designated foreign-education grounds.
Minimums · 2 of 9 fields sourced
Eligibility
Age
Work experience
Language
ContextFor the designated foreign-institution route, the form lists IELTS 6.0 or a comparable English-language condition, with alternatives for English- or Dutch-taught study.
Education
Minimumbachelor
ContextThe retained January 2026 IND form lists accredited Dutch bachelor’s/master’s study, qualifying post-master study or PhD, research permits, Erasmus Mundus, certain policy programmes, and qualifying designated foreign institutions completed within the previous three years.
Selection threshold
CompetitionUnknown - confirm with the official source
Health and character
Medical examYes
Police certificateUnknown - confirm with the official source
Costs · 0 of 2 fields sourced
Funds and fees
Settlement funds
No settlement-fund table is published.
Application fees
No fee table is published.
Outcomes · 3 of 7 fields sourced
Residence, work, and family
Permanent residence
WorkYes
StudyYes
ContextThe permit provides one year to find work; the IND highly skilled migrant guide identifies the orientation year as one route to the reduced salary criterion for a later highly skilled migrant application.
Family
ContextThe retained orientation-year form does not establish dependant conditions.
Citizenship
ContextThe retained orientation-year form does not establish citizenship eligibility.
Processing time
ContextThe permit is an orientation year: one year to look for work in the Netherlands. The retained form does not establish a processing duration.
Sources
Official sources
Citations
Field provenance
Information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees, and processing times change. Confirm the linked official pages before acting.