A study by the Dutch organisation for the internationalisation of education, Nuffic, has revealed that the number of international graduates who live and work in the Netherlands after completing their studies has increased in recent years. Worker shortages provide international students with more opportunities in the Dutch labour market, making it an advantage to stay.

Higher stay rate among international graduates in the Netherlands

According to the most recent figures, 57 percent of foreign students who graduated in 2023 were still in the Netherlands a year later - 17 percent higher than five years earlier. This number goes down slightly after a longer period of time, with 25,3 percent of graduates remaining in the Netherlands five years after completing their studies - only 1,2 percent more than in the same study in 2022. 

The trend is still positive, with a higher rate of international students now staying in the country after graduating. Internationals are also more likely to continue living and working in the Netherlands if they go on to study for a Master’s after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree at a Dutch university - 30 percent of this group were still residents after five years.

"These people are already more rooted in the Netherlands," said Nuffic researcher Ece Arat. "They have had more time to learn the language and build a network." 

Students from educational institutions in Eindhoven are the most likely to remain in the Netherlands, with 49 percent of students remaining five years after graduation. This is followed by Delft (39 percent) and Utrecht (37 percent), while Maastricht (12 percent) has the lowest stay rate. However, 37 percent of all graduates settle in Amsterdam or the surrounding area.  

Home country of students influences stay rate

The country that students leave to study in the Netherlands has an impact on whether a person is likely to stay. Those from Suriname stay the most often, with 80 percent of graduates still in the Netherlands after five years. Expats from Iran (71 percent), Ukraine (58 percent), Turkey (52 percent) and Russia (50 percent) round out the top five. 

Having ties to the Dutch language is a possible reason that these students stay more often, as it makes the transition easier. “Surinamese people often speak Dutch,” explained Arat. “And the Netherlands has large communities of Surinamese, Turkish and Ukrainian descent.”

According to Nuffic, foreign students from other European countries are less likely to remain in the Netherlands after graduation. "Germans and Italians come to the Netherlands a lot, but do not stay often. Of the European countries of origin, we only see Romania in the top ten of “comers” and stayers."

Why do international students stay in the Netherlands?

The major worker shortage in the Netherlands opens the door for international students, making it easier to find a job after graduating. This makes it worth their while to continue living in the country and is one of the main reasons that graduates in the education and technology sectors stay in the Netherlands more often. According to Michel van Smoorenburg from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the opportunities on the Dutch labour market make it an advantage to stay in the Netherlands.

“International students will weigh up the possible (financial) returns on the Dutch labour market versus the possible returns in their country of origin or in other countries even more than Dutch graduates. They generally have an international perspective,” said Van Smoorenburg. “For example, youth unemployment is low in the Netherlands. Moreover, nowhere in Europe has the tightness on the labour market increased as much in recent years as in the Netherlands.”

Not only is there an abundance of jobs, but international graduates from Dutch universities also earn more than their local peers. Arat believes that a high stay rate is good for the Dutch economy as they fill gaps in the labour market. "Many sectors have acute shortages of highly educated personnel. International students have something to offer the Netherlands,” claimed Arat. “They are generally ambitious, internationally oriented young people who have shown courage and perseverance.”

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