{ "country": { "code": "NL", "name": "Netherlands" }, "route": { "id": "nl-orientation-year", "name": "Orientation year — a year to look for work after studying (zoekjaar)", "slug": "orientation-year", "kind": "seek", "summary": "A one-year permit to look for work — any job, no separate work permit, and it cannot be extended. The Dutch immigration service (IND) grants it after certain studies, doctorates or research finished in the three years before you apply; its list of qualifying programmes and institutions is longer than the two cases asked about here, so read its own page before ruling yourself out. Having a job offer does not stop you applying — but with an offer the work routes may fit you directly, so compare them.", "info_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "scope": { "value": "some-conditions-stated-not-asked", "reason": "Of the five situations the authority lists, the two that turn on where and when you studied are asked here; three are not — research carried out in the Netherlands, an Erasmus Mundus master's, and a permit you already hold or have held — and three further conditions are listed with the rules below and never asked. The provisional residence permit this application needs is listed with the rules below too, and your passport decides whether the Dutch immigration service exempts you from it.", "not_asked": [ "no-second-orientation-year", "turkish-citizens-differ", "the-research-finished-within-three-years", "english-where-the-institution-was-abroad", "mvv-needed", "two-of-five-situations-modelled" ] }, "criteria": [ { "field": "citizenship", "op": "eq", "value": "third_country" }, { "field": "destination", "op": "in", "values": [ "nl", "all" ] }, { "op": "any", "label": "where you studied", "paths": [ { "label": "a Dutch university or research institution", "criteria": [ { "field": "nl_recent_grad", "op": "eq", "value": "yes", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "An accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree programme at a Dutch higher education institution.", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07" } } ] }, { "label": "a foreign institution the Dutch immigration service designates", "criteria": [ { "field": "top200_grad", "op": "eq", "value": "yes", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "A master’s degree programme, a doctoral programme or a post-master’s study programme at a designated foreign educational institution", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07" } } ] } ], "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "You completed one of the following study programmes in the 3 years before the date of application:", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07" } } ], "statements": [ { "id": "no-second-orientation-year", "kind": "precondition", "text": "You must not have previously held an orientation year permit for the same study programme, doctorate or research.", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "You have not previously held a residence permit for an orientation year for the same research for which you are now applying. Nor have you held such a permit following the completion of the same study programme or doctoral programme.", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07", "legal_basis": "Dutch immigration service, Residence permit for orientation year — Requirements (the page's own last-update date: 12 June 2026)", "history": [] } }, { "id": "turkish-citizens-differ", "kind": "caveat", "text": "If you hold a Turkish passport, the Dutch immigration service says the requirements for you and your family may be different. It does not say how, so read its own page before relying on the answer above.", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "Different requirements may apply to Turkish citizens and their family members.", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07", "legal_basis": "Dutch immigration service, Residence permit for orientation year — Requirements", "history": [] } }, { "id": "the-research-finished-within-three-years", "kind": "precondition", "text": "The scientific research must have been carried out in the Netherlands in the three years before the date of application", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "You have conducted scientific research in the Netherlands in the 3 years before the date of application.", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07" } }, { "id": "english-where-the-institution-was-abroad", "kind": "precondition", "text": "If you studied at a foreign educational institution the Dutch immigration service (IND) designates, you must also meet one of its further requirements: a score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS English test or another accepted test, or a programme that was taught in English or Dutch", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "If you have completed your course or programme at a designated foreign educational institution, you must also meet one of the following requirements: You obtained a minimum score of 6.0 on a test in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07" } }, { "id": "mvv-needed", "kind": "precondition", "text": "This application needs a provisional residence permit (MVV).", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-year", "quote": "A valid provisional residence permit (MVV) is needed for this application", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-10" }, "except": { "citizenship": [ "AU", "CA", "JP", "MC", "NZ", "VA", "GB", "US", "KR", "CH" ], "text": "You do not need a provisional residence permit (MVV) — the Dutch immigration service names your passport among the nationalities that need none.", "source": { "source_url": "https://ind.nl/en/mvv-exemptions", "quote": "You do not need an MVV if you have the nationality of one of these countries. Australia Canada Japan Monaco New Zealand Vatican City United Kingdom United States South Korea Switzerland An EU/EEA Member State", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-10", "legal_basis": "Dutch immigration service, MVV exemptions — Your nationality is decisive", "history": [] } } } ], "readings": [ { "id": "two-of-five-situations-modelled", "text": "The Dutch immigration service lists five situations that open this route. We model the two that turn on where and when you studied; the other three — research done here, an Erasmus Mundus master, a permit you already held — are not asked about anywhere on this site." } ] }, "page": "https://permitrulebook.com/netherlands/orientation-year/", "dataset_version": "2026.09.18", "schema_version": "0.8.2", "licence": "CC BY 4.0", "source": "https://github.com/OytunOnal/permit-rulebook-data", "rules_read": "2026-09-17" }