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Visas and permits

Change of purpose: switch permits without ever leaving the country

Once you hold a Dutch permit you switch categories in-country (study to orientation year to knowledge migrant to self-employed to permanent) with a change-of-purpose application - no new MVV, no going home. It is also a safety net: lose your knowledge-migrant job and take a lower-paid role, and you may switch to a regular employee permit rather than falling out of status. You must meet the new category's conditions when you switch and keep residence continuous.