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Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Dutch Immigration Service (IND) requires students who have a residence permit for study purposes to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement for each academic year in which they are enrolled.

AIl students with a residence permit for study purposes need to obtain at least 50% of their yearly ECTS in order to keep the right of their residence permit for the next academic year. This is also known as MOMI requirement. A normal study load is 60 ECTS per year, which means you have to obtain at least 30 ECTS per year. If you started your programme in February, then you need to obtain 15 ECTS, unless you started a Pre-Master programme in February, in which case you need to obtain 100% of your credits. 

In a nutshell, Satisfactory Academic Progress boils down to the following: 

  • Satisfactory Academic Progress entails that you need to complete 30 ECTS in each academic year. The deadline for obtaining these credits is 23 August. The International Office will perform several checks throughout the year to update you on your progress.
  • If you did not obtain 30 ECTS by 23 August, you are only allowed to continue your studies at VU Amsterdam when you have an excusable reason. Below you will find what is defined as an excusable reason.
  • When you do not meet the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress and you do not have an excusable reason, VU Amsterdam must report this to the Dutch Immigration Service (IND). The IND will subsequently proceed to withdraw and revoke your residence permit. You have to leave the Netherlands as soon as the IND has revoked your residence permit.
  • N.B. We only count the credits of courses that are an obligatory part of the curriculum; extracurricular courses do not count towards your Satisfactory Academic Progress. 

It may be the case that due to personal circumstances you will not be able to obtain the minimum required number of credits before 23 August. In this case, you might be eligible to request for an exemption from the requirements. The following circumstances, which are listed in the Higher Education and Research Act, count as an excusable reason:

  • illness
  • physical or sensory impairment or other functional disorder
  • pregnancy
  • exceptional family circumstances
  • board duties
  • the inability to study.

If this is applicable to you, you can request for exemption of the MOMI requirements on Satisfactory Academic Progress. However, we always advise you to consult an academic advisor first to talk about your situation.
To apply for an exemption of the MOMI requirements, please follow the next steps:

  • Send a motivation letter explaining your personal circumstances. (max. 1 A4)
  • Please include additional proof (e.g., medical note, statement from a course/internship coordinator) if applicable.
  • Submit the motivation letter and additional proof to the MOMI email address of your faculty. (See email addresses below)
  • The deadline for submitting your file is 1 July 2024
Faculty of SciencesPlease use this online form to submit your request.  We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciencesmomi.fgb@vu.nl
School of Business and EconomicsPlease use this online form to submit your request.  We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
Faculty of HumanitiesPlease use this online form to submit your request. We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
Faculty of LawPlease use this online form to submit your request. We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
Faculty of Religion and TheologyPlease use this online form to submit your request. We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
Faculty of Social SciencesPlease use this online form to submit your request. We recommend to contact your academic advisor before submitting your request.
VUmc School of Medical Sciencesmomi.gnk@amsterdamumc.nl  

Your request will be evaluated by the MOMI-Committee. The International Office will inform you about the outcome before 1 August.

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More information

  • Information for first-year Bachelor's Students

    Please note that as a first-year Bachelor student you might need to obtain at least 42ECTS as part of your binding recommendation on continuation of studies (BSA). Do note that the MOMI procedure is different than the BSA procedure; these are two separate procedures.

    The BSA requirements are linked to your enrolment.
    The MOMI requirements are linked to your residence permit, but can have impact on your enrolment.

    These are the possible scenarios:

    1. + MOMI, + BSA:
      You have met the requirements of both procedures. That means that you can continue your current study programme
    2. + MOMI, – BSA:
      You have met the MOMI requirements, but you haven’t received your BSA. In that case you cannot continue your current study programme, but you may switch to another programme that VU Amsterdam offers. If you need to leave the programme because you cannot meet the BSA requirements, please contact your academic advisor for information about your enrolment for another programme. You may also switch to another educational institution.
    3. – MOMI, + BSA:
      N/A.
    4. – MOMI, – BSA:
      You haven’t met the requirements for both procedures. That means that you cannot continue with your current study programme and that your current residence permit for study at VU will be deregistered at the IND. That means that your legal right to stay in the Netherlands will be revoked. You can, however, switch to another educational institution in the Netherlands after being admitted first. The other educational institution can take over your current study permit in that case.

  • Information for pre-master's students

    Please note that the above is not applicable when you are enrolled in a pre-master's; you will need to obtain all credits of the pre-master's, even though you have an excusable reason. You still need to have obtained 100% of your study credits during your pre-master's. Otherwise we have to deregister you with the IND and you cannot continue your studies at VU Amsterdam. 

  • Timeline

    February - First check

    Each February the International Office will carry out the first check. You will be informed by email when we have evaluated your study results. We will also inform the Academic Advisors of the outcome of the check. It is normal for most students to not yet meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress in February. However, in case you foresee any issues, it is advisable to already seek the counsel of an Academic Advisor to help you with a study plan. When you expect to obtain the required credits, there is, of course, nothing to worry about.

    May - Second check

    In May the International Office will again check your study results. You will be informed about the outcome by email. In case you do not meet the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress, you are again strongly advised to contact your Academic Advisor for help. When you expect to obtain the required credits, there is, of course, nothing to worry about.

    June - Third check

    In June the International Office will again check your study results.

    May until August

    You are advised to consult your Academic Advisor about possible reasons for not passing all courses. The Academic Advisors can advise and help you to make a realistic study plan before the deadline of 23 August. If you believe that you have an excusable reason for not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress, you can request for exemption of the MOMI requirements (see the information above). The deadline for submitting your request is 1 st July. 

    23 August - Final Check

    On 23 August we will perform a final check and we will inform you by email about your study progress. In case you do not meet the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress and you do not have an excusable reason, you will be informed that you will receive negative advice regarding the continuation of your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for the next academic year. You must have completed 30 ECTS before 23 August. You cannot re-register for the next academic year if you fail to do so. Consequently, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam must report your status to the Dutch Immigration Service (IND), who will proceed to withdraw your residence permit. The International Office will inform you when you have been reported to the Immigration Authorities (IND). You can, however, switch to another educational institution when you have been admitted there. In that case your new sponsor will take over your study permit. Only in case of an excusable reason, you are allowed to continue the same study programme at VU Amsterdam. 

  • Appeal Process

    You can submit an appeal against the cancellation of your residence permit directly at the Dutch Immigration Service (IND). Please note that retroactive registration is not possible at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

    Please visit this website to find out more about the appeal procedure.

  • FAQ

    Answers to specific questions can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions.

Contact information

Feel free to reach out to us

In case you have questions about your immigration procedure, please send an e-mail to studentimmigration@vu.nl.

Telephone: +31 (0)20 598 3078 - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, between 11:00-13:00 CET. 

Please note: on Thursday May 9th and Monday May 20th there will be no phone hours due to national holidays.

You can also schedule an appointment with us (phone or face-to-face).