Netherlands
Closed: spouse may not work. This route is not ranked.
Verdict
Not a fit. The IND states plainly that a student's partner may not work. A Bangladeshi applicant must put roughly USD 27,000 to 34,000 on the table before flying, while facing reported delays and rejections.
The after-study route is strong: a 1-year free-work permit, a EUR 3,122 graduate salary threshold, and permanent residence and citizenship at 5 years. It is only worth it with about USD 50,000 of real funding or a large scholarship.
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source money plan for this route compare
- Can the spouse come
- Conditional
- Conditions
Yes in law, on poor terms. Study is not on the IND list of permits that bar a sponsor from bringing a partner, so as a master's student you can sponsor your spouse (IND "residence permit for partner", fee EUR 254, legal decision period 90 days). Who files differs by institution.
The IND student page says the educational institution can apply for family members' permits, but VU Amsterdam says it will not and you must file yourself as sponsor. So arriving at the same time is possible only if the institution you choose agrees to file for your spouse together with you.
Otherwise your spouse follows about 1 to 4 months later. Family members of a student do not have to take the civic integration exam abroad or in the Netherlands (IND student page). Both partners must be 21 or older (18 or older if you married while both lived abroad). You must show sufficient means for the couple.
Study-permit holders may use a grant, bank balance or third-party financing instead of salary. The marriage certificate must be legalised or apostilled and translated. Your spouse's permit depends on your study permit and ends with it.
- Spouse work rights
- None
- Spouse work in detail
Two IND pages say this. Partner page: "You have a residence permit for study. Your partner is not allowed to work". Student page: "Your family member is not allowed to work in the Netherlands". VU Amsterdam says the same.
Your spouse becomes free to work only once you, as a graduate, hold a highly-skilled-migrant permit (IND: the partner of a highly skilled migrant is free to work). The IND partner page does not list the orientation year.
It says the partner "often" has the same work rights as the sponsor, which would mean free work during the orientation year, but this is not stated outright and is not confirmed.
- Student work hours
As an employee: at most 16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August, and only if the employer obtains a TWV work permit. As self-employed: no TWV, "as much as you want" (you must register with KvK and pay tax). Internships that are part of the programme need no TWV.
You must earn at least 50% of credits each year or the institution reports to the IND.
- First year for two
- about 62.4 lakh USD 50,000 before earnings over the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Tuition in detail
Not free for non-EU students. Study in NL (official): non-EU master's fees average EUR 12,000 to 30,000 per year. The EUR 2,694 statutory fee for 2026-27 is for EU/EEA students only.
Business and analytics master's at research universities are typically about EUR 15,000 to 22,000 for a 1-year programme (programme-level figures not confirmed).
Wittenborg (private UAS, rolling intakes): MSc Master of Business Management EUR 21,300 total, MBA EUR 23,300 total (18 months), plus study materials EUR 600, 1-year health cover EUR 720 and MVV administration EUR 650.
Some institutions charge an application or handling fee of EUR 75 to 100 (Maastricht charges a handling fee for non-EU diplomas, amount not shown).
- Money to show in detail
For you: the IND study norm for 2026 is EUR 1,130.77 a month, which is EUR 13,569 for 12 months, on top of tuition. The institution checks this before filing and sets the method. For Bangladesh: Wittenborg does not accept a bank statement from Bangladeshi applicants.
You must pay the full EUR 13,570 living guarantee to the school before the visa file, and it is refunded in monthly instalments after arrival. Other universities may accept a bank statement or apply a similar rule (check each).
For your spouse: the IND partner norm is EUR 2,337 a month gross (1 Jul to 31 Dec 2026, re-indexed each 1 Jan and 1 Jul). A student sponsor may use bank balance, grant or third-party financing. The IND does not state how many months must be covered or whether the EUR 2,337 couple norm replaces the student norm.
The working assumption is 12 x EUR 2,337 = EUR 28,044 for the couple (not confirmed; the floor is your own EUR 13,569). There is no blocked-account system.
- Budget note
Bangladesh Bank, 12 Nov 2026: USD 1 = BDT 124.75, EUR 1 = BDT 138.35 (EUR 1 = USD 1.109). One year of non-EU tuition is about EUR 15,000 to 22,000. First-year outlay for two is about USD 50,000 (tuition about USD 20,000, living about USD 26,600, plus fees, health cover and flights).
Cash out before or at arrival is about USD 34,000 on the earliest (Wittenborg) route, because a Bangladeshi applicant must pay the EUR 13,570 living guarantee, the tuition payment and about EUR 2,000 of school charges up front. It is about USD 27,000 at a research university that accepts a bank statement.
Your spouse cannot earn and you are capped at 16 hours a week with an employer permit, so these costs cannot be earned back.
- Realistic earnings
Minimum wage is EUR 14.99 an hour gross (age 21 and over, from 1 July 2026; re-indexed 1 January 2027, new figure not published). At 16 hours a week you earn about EUR 1,040 a month gross, and only if an employer gets a TWV, which puts many employers off.
Freelance work needs no TWV and has no hour cap, which suits developer or business-intelligence work but depends on finding clients. Your spouse earns EUR 0 during the study period. Single-student costs are officially EUR 1,000 to 1,500 a month. A couple needs roughly EUR 2,000 a month (an estimate), and housing is scarce.
Applying
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Visa
- MVV (provisional residence permit) plus a residence permit for study at university or HBO. The educational institution files it as recognised sponsor through the IND's TEV procedure.
- Lands
- March 2027 (estimate) An estimate, not a promise.
March 2027 at the very earliest (Wittenborg 22 March 2027 intake, apply by 22 January 2027). Late August 2027 for a research-university master's. Your spouse arrives at the same time only if the institution files for your spouse too. Otherwise your spouse arrives 1 to 4 months later.
- Next intakes
- February 2027, research universities (Maastricht MSc International Business: Information Management & Business Intelligence)Deadline: The non-EU deadline was 1 November 2026; visa file due 30 November 2026Still open: No, closed for non-EU applicants
- 8 February 2027, Wittenborg UAS (private, MBA or MSc)Deadline: 8 December 2026 (non-EU)Still open: Open on paper, but not realistic: the IND may take up to 60 days, then comes the Dhaka MVV step, and full payment is needed first
- 22 March 2027, Wittenborg UASDeadline: 22 January 2027 (non-EU)Still open: Yes
- 10 May 2027, Wittenborg UASDeadline: 10 March 2027 (non-EU)Still open: Yes
- 23 August 2027, Wittenborg UASDeadline: 23 June 2027 (non-EU)Still open: Yes
- September 2027, research universities (main intake; Maastricht example)Deadline: 1 May 2027 for non-EU applicants at Maastricht (opened 1 October 2026; visa file by 30 June 2027; tuition payment recommended by 1 August 2027). Other universities often close between January and April 2027, so check eachStill open: Yes
- 11 October 2027, Wittenborg UASDeadline: 11 August 2027 (non-EU)Still open: Yes
- Typical length
- 12 months
- Where to apply from Bangladesh
No travel abroad is needed. The institution files with the IND in the Netherlands. After the IND's positive letter you book an online appointment (the embassy's VFS appointment system) at the Netherlands embassy in Dhaka, within 3 months of the letter, and hand in your passport.
The MVV sticker takes up to 10 working days and is collected Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, without an appointment. No interview is listed, and biometrics are not mentioned on the page. Bangladeshi marriage and birth certificates must be legalised or apostilled and translated.
Bangladesh has publicly asked the Netherlands to lift limits on its apostilled documents.
Visa and passport risk
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Risk for a Bangladesh passport
- High
- Why
No official refusal rate for Bangladeshi study applicants was found. The signals are negative.
(1) On 24 July 2026 Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser raised "prolonged processing times" and an "increasing rate of rejections" of Bangladeshi students with the Dutch foreign minister, who only promised "due consideration" (single secondary source).
(2) The Dutch ambassador reportedly said on 30 January 2026 that scrutiny was tightened over study used as cover for long stays (same source).
(3) Wittenborg's own page lists Bangladesh among the countries whose students may not show a bank statement and must pay the full living guarantee up front, a sign that institutions treat Bangladesh as higher risk. No suspension of Bangladeshi students was found.
- Visa processing time
For you: the IND legal decision period is 60 days (IND student page; it can be extended). Recognised-sponsor files are often faster, but no current figure for Bangladesh exists. Then comes the MVV at the embassy in Dhaka: the appointment is booked online (slots fill fast) and the sticker takes up to 10 working days.
For your spouse: the IND legal period is 90 days, then the same MVV step. Bangladesh's foreign minister complained on 24 July 2026 of prolonged processing for Bangladeshi students.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Hassle
- 8 out of 10 10 is the most hassle. This site's rating, not a checked fact.
After the degree and PR
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Work after the degree
Orientation year (zoekjaar) permit, per ind.nl (last updated 7 Oct 2026): valid 1 year, cannot be extended, free to work or intern with no TWV, fee EUR 254. You must apply within 3 years of completing the degree.
A highly-skilled-migrant application made from the orientation year uses the reduced salary criterion of EUR 3,122 a month gross (2026) instead of EUR 4,357 (under
30) or EUR 5,942 (30 and over). The employer must be an IND recognised sponsor. The highly-skilled-migrant fee is EUR 423.
- no single source · see all sources
- PR route
Study (temporary purpose), then the orientation year (1 year, free work), then a highly skilled migrant permit with a recognised-sponsor employer at EUR 3,122 or more a month (your spouse is then free to work).
After 5 consecutive years of valid Dutch residence permits, while holding a non-temporary permit such as highly skilled migrant, you can apply for permanent residence (EUR 254, civic integration exam A2, sufficient sustainable income, IND decision up to 6 months). The EU long-term resident permit counts study years at 50% (not confirmed).
Naturalisation is also possible after 5 consecutive years (A2, EUR 1,139, up to 12 months), with renunciation of Bangladeshi nationality unless exempt.
- Language for PR
Dutch civic integration exam at level A2 for both permanent residence (IND page updated 20 May 2026) and naturalisation (updated 20 Oct 2026). A planned rise to B1 for naturalisation was reported in January 2026 but is not on the IND page, and it is not confirmed as law.
Recent rule changes
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- 2025 and 2026
1) 2026 amounts on ind.nl: study norm EUR 1,130.77 a month; partner norm EUR 2,337 a month (1 Jul to 31 Dec 2026); fees EUR 254 for study, partner, orientation year and permanent residence, EUR 423 for highly skilled migrant, EUR 1,139 for naturalisation.
2) Highly-skilled-migrant thresholds 2026: EUR 3,122 reduced, EUR 4,357 under 30, EUR 5,942 aged 30 and over.
3) Minimum wage EUR 14.99 an hour from 1 July 2026.
4) Reported, not confirmed: the 10-year naturalisation plan was dropped in the January 2026 coalition agreement, with the language level planned to rise to B1; the MVV issuing procedure changed on 2 March 2026.
5) 2026: tighter scrutiny, delays and rising rejections of Bangladeshi study applicants were reported, and foreign enrolment in the Netherlands reportedly fell.
6) All IND amounts and fees change again on 1 January 2027.
- Corrected in this check
- The study permit decision period is 60 days, per the IND student page.
- Who files for your spouse: the IND says the institution can apply for family members, while VU specifically refuses. Arriving at the same time is therefore possible at institutions that file for family.
- The civic integration exam is not required for your spouse.
- The spouse work ban is stated directly on two IND pages, as well as by VU.
- Orientation year, per ind.nl: 1 year, not extendable, free work without TWV.
- Rule for Bangladesh: Wittenborg requires Bangladeshi students to pay the full EUR 13,570 living guarantee up front instead of showing a bank statement.
- Upfront cash is about USD 34,000 for the earliest (Wittenborg) route. USD 27,000 holds only for a research university that accepts a bank statement.
- Wittenborg fees, per its own page: MSc EUR 21,300, MBA EUR 23,300, plus EUR 600 materials, EUR 720 health cover and EUR 650 MVV admin.
- The 8 February 2027 Wittenborg intake is not realistic. Wittenborg also has 23 August and 11 October 2027 intakes.
- Exchange rate from Bangladesh Bank, 12 Nov 2026: EUR 1 = BDT 138.35.
- Self-employment: the IND allows unlimited hours without a TWV. You must also earn 50% of credits each year.
- MVV step: collection needs no appointment, the application appointment is made through the embassy's VFS booking system, and biometrics are not mentioned on the page.
- The highly-skilled-migrant fee is EUR 423.
- Student monthly earnings at the cap are about EUR 1,040 gross (16 h x 4.33 weeks x EUR 14.99).
Not verified
unverified- New 2026 rule changes or Bangladesh news beyond the pages listed in the sources.
- Show-money total for student plus spouse on savings: the IND says bank balance counts, but not the number of months or whether EUR 2,337 a month replaces or adds to EUR 1,130.77 a month. USD 31,100 assumes 12 x EUR 2,337.
- Whether your spouse may work during your orientation year (the IND page is silent; "often same rights as sponsor" suggests yes).
- Which institutions actually file the spouse's application with the student's, and Wittenborg's own practice and first-payment amount (a first instalment of about EUR 13,600).
- Whether study years count in full toward the 5 years for the national permanent residence permit (the IND page says 5 consecutive years with a valid permit and does not single out study).
- EU long-term resident permit counting study years at 50%.
- Actual current processing time and refusal rate for Bangladeshi study applicants. The risk rating rests on one secondary news source plus Wittenborg's country list.
- Non-EU tuition for specific research-university programmes (Maastricht, Tilburg, Erasmus and others) and Maastricht's handling fee.
- Coalition-agreement items (10-year plan dropped, B1) and the 2 March 2026 MVV procedure change.
- January 2027 minimum wage and 2027 IND amounts and fees (they change on 1 January 2027).
- Student living costs of EUR 1,000 to 1,500 a month.
- Couple living cost (about EUR 2,000 a month) and health cover for two are estimates, not official figures.
Confidence in this page: Medium.
Programmes
0 in the programme listSources
21 official pagesStudy norm EUR 1,130.77/month (2026); partner norm EUR 2,337/month (1 Jul-31 Dec 2026); HSM EUR 3,122 reduced / 4,357 under 30 / 5,942 aged 30+
ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirementsFees: study 254, partner 254, orientation year 254, HSM 423, permanent residence 254, naturalisation 1,139 (EUR)
ind.nl/en/fees-costs-of-an-applicationStudy permit: 60-day decision period; 16 h/week or full-time Jun-Aug with TWV; self-employment unlimited; institution can apply for family members
ind.nl/en/residence-permits/study/student-residence-permit-for-university-or-higher-professional-educationPartner of study-permit holder is not allowed to work; partner of HSM free to work; 90-day decision; EUR 254; age 21 (18 if married abroad); study not on barred-sponsor list
ind.nl/en/residence-permits/family-and-partner/residence-permit-for-partnerStudy and orientation-year sponsors may count grant, bank balance or third-party financing, for themselves and for a partner
ind.nl/en/independent-sustainable-and-sufficient-incomeOrientation year: 1 year, not extendable, free to work without TWV, within 3 years of graduation, EUR 254
ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-for-orientation-yearVU: student applies himself as sponsor, IND up to 3 months, partner not allowed to work
vu.nl/en/education/more-about/bringing-family-members-as-a-non-eu-vu-studentMVV in Bangladesh: embassy in Dhaka, online appointment within 3 months of IND letter, up to 10 working days, collection Sun-Thu
www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/visa-the-netherlands/mvv-long-stay/apply-bangladeshPermanent residence: 5 consecutive years, non-temporary purpose, A2, EUR 254, 6 months
ind.nl/en/replace-extend-renew-and-change/permanent-residency/permanent-residence-permitNaturalisation: 5 consecutive years, A2, renunciation, 12 months
ind.nl/en/dutch-citizenship/becoming-a-dutch-national-through-naturalisationMaastricht non-EU deadlines: Feb 2027 start 1 Nov 2026 (visa file 30 Nov); Sep 2027 start 1 May 2027 (visa file 30 Jun)
www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/master/programmes/international-business-information-management-and-business-intelligence/admission-requirementsWittenborg start dates and non-EU deadlines (8 Feb, 22 Mar, 10 May, 23 Aug, 11 Oct 2027); 18 months
www.studyinnl.org/dutch-education/studies/master-of-business-administration-mba-in-data-analytics-11318-wittenborg-university-of-applied-sciencesWittenborg fees: MBA EUR 23,300, MSc MBM EUR 21,300 total; materials 600, insurance 720, MVV admin 650
www.wittenborg.eu/tuition-fees.htmWittenborg: EUR 13,570 living guarantee; Bangladeshi students must pay it in full instead of showing a bank statement
www.wittenborg.eu/financial-guarantee-visa-support.htmNon-EU master's tuition EUR 12,000-30,000/year; statutory fee EUR 2,694 (2026-27); application fee EUR 75-100
www.studyinnl.org/finances/tuition-fees24 July 2026: Bangladesh raised student visa delays, rising rejections and apostille limits; ambassador's January 2026 remark
www.visaverge.com/visa/bangladesh-urges-netherlands-to-ease-student-visa-delays-on-july-24-2026-dr-khalilur-rahman/Minimum wage EUR 14.99/hour from 1 July 2026
business.gov.nl/amendments/minimum-wage-increases-july-2026/USD 1 = BDT 124.75; EUR 1 = BDT 138.35
www.bb.org.bd/en/index.php/econdata/exchangerateNot re-: EU long-term resident permit counts study years 50%
ind.nl/en/residence-permits/long-term-eu-residency/apply-for-a-residence-permit-for-long-term-eu-residentsNot re-: 10-year naturalisation plan dropped, B1 planned
www.dutchnews.nl/2026/01/no-change-on-dual-nationality-but-10-year-residence-plan-dropped/Not re-: student living costs EUR 1,000-1,500/month
www.studyinnl.org/finances/daily-student-expenses-and-cost-of-living-in-the-netherlands