Returning home
As your studies in the Netherlands come to an end,
there are several important steps to take before returning to your home country. Whether you're an EU or non-EU student, ensuring that you have completed all necessary tasks is crucial to a smooth departure.
For all international students, EU and non-EU students
- De-enroll your education to prevent further payment of tuition fee. Go to www.studielink.nl and log in. Your de-enrolment will be effective as of the first of the next month of de-enrolment (bachelor).
- Deregister at the municipality. You do this by informing the Civil Affairs Department (burgerzaken) of your municipality that you are leaving the Netherlands.
- Cancel your health, liability and repatriation insurance.
- Notify the housing agency in time (please check the notification deadline with the housing agency). They will have to do a final check. Clean your accommodation before leaving. Look at the rental contract which action needs to be taken to get your deposit back. The landlord of your room can ask you for proof of deregistration at the municipality as a condition.
- Arrange to have all phone, gas, water and electricity bill schedules disconnected & pay all outstanding bills.
- Close your Dutch bank account.
If applicable
- Make sure if you do have student financing to cancel it on time and/or if you have a student travel product to de-activate on time. More information can be found on the site www.duo.nl.
- You have to discontinue the rent benefit. Information about how to do this can be found under I want to submit a change on the webiste of the dutch tax office www.belastingdienst.nl
- We discontinue the healthcare benefit. Call the Tax Information Line (0800 – 0543).
Especially for non-EU students
After graduation is complete, there are two possibilities:
- You will stay in the Netherlands to work and you are a non-EU student: make sure you apply for an orientation (zoekjaar) permit. The part Fontys has to fill out will be handed to you together with your graduation certificate. IND will be notified of your graduation and your residence permit based on study will be cancelled.
- You will go back home. If you have a residence permit based on study, IND will be notified of your graduation and your permit will be cancelled. Your residence document is the property of the Dutch government. You must, therefore, return your residence document before you leave the Netherlands. You can send your document to: IND Bureau Documenten P.O. Box 7025 8007HA Zwolle. Kindly make the document invalid before mailing it. You can do this by making a cut in the document or perforate it. Please do not cut the document in half. It is also possible to hand in your residence document at the IND desk in your region. if your visa expires before your graduation ceremony, apply for an alternate visa.