The International Office at Utrecht University has information for International Students (for information on visas and permits, please see "Arriving and living in Utrecht").
Whether or not you will need a visa to study in The Netherlands will depend on your nationality and length of stay. In most cases, you will need to apply for a visa well in advance (it can sometimes take up to 3 months) before you depart.
The Nuffic website has a
Student Visa Wizard which will inform you about the type of visa you'll need for your stay in The Netherlands.
For up-to-date information about immigrating to The Netherlands, please visit the
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) website.
Once you have arrived in The Netherlands, you are required to register with the city that you live in. Once you register, you will receive a BSN (personal identification number) with which you can open a bank account or apply for a work permit, if necessary. You will receive
information about registering at orientation.
If you are an international student from Bulgaria, Romania, or do not have an EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, you will need a work permit in order to work in The Netherlands.
The
UU International Students site has information about work permits.