Are you an exchange student? Exchange students who stay in the Netherlands for only a short period of time (a year or less) are exempted from the study progress monitoring.
Are you a current or new international non-EU/EEA student, residing in the Netherlands with a residence permit for study purposes? Then we are obliged to monitor your study progress.
Why is this relevant?
The study progress monitoring (SPM) may influence your eligibility for a student residence permit. This because the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) must report to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) in case you obtain less than 50% of the required ECTS during the academic year (1 September – 31 August), and no valid exceptional personal circumstances have been reported.
If you're doing a pre-master or preparatory year programme, you need to obtain ALL ECTS of the pre-master programme by 1 September.
Binding Study Advise first-year bachelor students only
There are two separate regulations that can affect your enrollment and residence permit as a first-year bachelor student. The Binding Study Advice (BSA) and Study Programme Monitoring (SPM). EUR uses the binding study advice (BSA) regulation for all bachelor programmes. So make sure you know what this entails!
Please note that if you want an exemption for both SPM and BSA regulations, you must apply for an exemption separately for each regulation. Obtaining an exemption for one regulation does not automatically apply to the other regulation.
More information can be found on the website of the IND.
Consequences
Obtained less than 50% over the period of one academic year (1 September – 31 August)? And no personal circumstances have been reported? We will have to inform the IND about your insufficient study progress. The IND will then proceed to revoke your residence permit.
- You won’t be allowed to switch to another EUR programme and you should leave the Netherlands as soon as possible;
- You won’t be allowed to maintain your current EUR programme and you should leave the Netherlands as soon as possible;
- You can however switch to another study programme at another educational institution in the Netherlands - if you are unconditionally admitted to that programme.
- You can contact the IND for other options.
The specifics:
How does this 50% requirement affect your study programme?
You have to obtain at least 50% of the required number of ECTS every academic year. Examples*:
- You're doing a bachelor programme of 60 ECTS per year (with a duration of three years).
- You need to obtain at least 30 ECTS per year to fulfill the requirements.
Please note: you need to obtain all 60 ECTS to fulfil the requirements of the Binding Study Advice (BSA) at EUR!
- You need to obtain at least 30 ECTS per year to fulfill the requirements.
- You're doing a one-year master programme of 60 ECTS.
- You need to have obtained at least 30 ECTS by 1 September.
- You need to have obtained at least 30 ECTS by 1 September.
- A research master programme of 60 ECTS per year (with a duration of two years).
- You need to have obtained at least 30 ECTS by 1 September.
- You need to have obtained at least 30 ECTS by 1 September.
- You’re doing a pre-master or preparatory year programme, you need to obtain ALL ECTS of the pre-master programme by 1 September.
* ECTS obtained in (extra) electives are included in the calculations. If you are enrolled in two study programmes, the credits obtained for both programmes may be combined to meet the 50% requirement.
In the case of exceptional personal circumstances, the insufficient study results might be overlooked. The personal circumstances are listed in the Higher Education and Research Act and each reason can only be used once. These include reasons such as illness, exceptional family circumstances, pregnancy, physical or sensory impairment or other functional disorders and the inability to study. If this applies to your situation, then please:
- Inform your study advisor or a student counsellor immediately!
- He/she can offer you sound advice in how to prevent further study delay and move forward. Important: you need to report these special circumstances to the study advisor or student counsellor as soon as the problems occur, and you need to prove these circumstances with written proof. Only then will your situation be taken into account. Conversations with these professionals are always strictly confidential.
It is your own responsibility to keep track of your study results. Therefore, make sure to:
- Keep an eye on your results in Osiris during the academic year.
- Be sure to contact the ESSC immediately if not all of your credits are (accurately) registered in Osiris.
- This includes ECTS that you may have obtained for courses you completed abroad!
- This includes ECTS that you may have obtained for courses you completed abroad!
If you haven’t met the 50% ECTS requirement over the academic year, in autumn you will receive an official letter regarding EUR’s intention to deregister you at the IND due to insufficient study progress.
This letter will explain the consequences and provides information on the possibilities for submitting an appeal if you feel the details provided in the letter are incorrect.
More information and contact
If you have any questions concerning the information above, please feel free to reach out.
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Visitors and their visa / permits
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to Dutch migration policy, all non-EU/EEA students residing in the Netherlands with a residence permit for study purposes (with the exception of exchange students who stay in the Netherlands for a only a year or less), have to obtain at least 50% of the required number of ECTS every academic year. In case the 50% hasn’t been met, your permit might be revoked.
You met the study progress monitoring requirement (SPM), however you did not meet the Binding Study Advice (BSA) requirement. Check with your study advisor whether you can continue your studies.
This is only possible in case you reported personal circumstances and these have been confirmed by the student counsellor or study advisor as an exemption for Study Progress Monitoring (SPM). In case you have no personal circumstances reported, you are not allowed to switch to another programme at EUR. You can however switch to another university, if you are unconditionally admitted to a study programme there.