When to request your diploma as a student holding a study permit?

You must request your diploma as soon as possible once you have completed all the requirements to graduate from your study programme. Please note that it is not permitted for students with a study permit to extend the validity of their residence permit to follow electives or an internship that does not fall under requirements to graduate from a study programme.

If you have fulfilled all the requirements to graduate and wish to follow additional electives or an internship, you can do so by requesting your diploma and by applying for an orientation year permit directly through the IND. You can then simply remain enrolled in your study programme to follow those courses or internship.

Expiry date

The expiry date on your residence permit will always be calculated as follows: the expected date of your graduation or the end of your exchange programme plus three more months. When you graduate or complete your exchange programme, your residence permit will remain valid up to 3 months after graduation within the validity of your residence permit.

Applications submitted after the expiry date will result in a residence gap (more information below), three months within the validity of your residence permit after the official date of your graduation or the end of your programme.

Example 1

You officially graduate one month later than expected, for instance, on 30 September. And your residence permit is valid until 30 November. This means that your residence permit will remain only valid until 30 November after your graduation, which is the maximum within the validity of your residence permit (2 months).

Example 2

Your residence permit is valid until 30 November, but you will graduate sooner on 30 June. Your residence permit will remain valid for 3 more months after your graduation until 30 September.

Follow-up study programme

You can keep your current residence permit if you enrol for a follow-up study at the UvA (such as a Master’s programme after graduating from your Bachelor’s programme). The UvA will remain the sponsor of your current permit.

Please note that you have to extend your current permit three months before the expiry date. Also, you'll need to start this extension application yourself. Check Extension for more information.

Residence gap

A residence gap is when you don’t have legal residence in the Netherlands. This will have consequences for a future application for a Dutch permanent residence permit. For more information about the residence gap, please contact the IND.