Search year permit
You apply for the search year permit yourself at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) before the expiration date of your student residence permit. After you have read the information below, please go to 'How to apply for the search year' for more information about the process.
- This permit is valid for a maximum of 12 months.
- The fee for the search year application is €614.
- With this permit you have unlimited access to the Dutch job market. A work permit is not needed.
- During your search year you cannot apply for benefits from the Dutch state such as welfare or unemployment benefits.
There are no regulations governing how you can try to find a job in the Netherlands during your search year. For instance, you are entitled to go on holiday for half a year and find employment after that time. The search year cannot be extended, meaning that if you do not find employment in the Netherlands during this year, you will have to leave the Netherlands or acquire another type of residence permit.
Orientation year
There is also the ‘Orientation year for highly educated migrants seeking employment’. You can apply for this permit if you successfully finished a Master's degree programme or PhD in the Netherlands, and you apply within three years of graduating. This permit has a disadvantage: when you stay in the Netherlands based on this permit, you will also need a work permit. Please consult the IND website for more information about this orientation year.