Netherlands universities welcome more foreign students

Over 70 institutions accredited

THE HAGUE - Last year over 6,500 foreign students applied for a temporary residence permit, up ten percent over 2004. The IND, the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service, grants such permits.

Student organizations in the Netherlands earlier had assumed that the number of foreign students was declining due to stricter criteria set by the IND. The decline however is the result of European Union expansion, so students from new member states no longer need apply for the IND permit. The number of students from China is in sharp decline however – last year down to 1,200 - because of stricter criteria set for them.

The IND has accredited 74 colleges and universities in the Netherlands. The service only accepts applications from students having pre-enrolled in such institutions.