Study path
Study in the Netherlands
From choosing a programme to your first months as a student, in the order it usually happens. Each step links to the guide or official source that covers it.
Your situation
Optional. Anything you leave open shows every step.
Showing all 28 steps.
- 1
Choose your programme
Find programmes that fit, and check you can get in before you commit to one.
Find programmes that fit
Compare the Bachelor's and Master's programmes taught in English and what each one asks of you.
In the system:University application
Check your school diploma gives access
Each programme decides which secondary school diplomas it accepts. Its admission page says what to do if yours is not listed.
In the system:Diploma evaluation
Check your Bachelor's matches the entry requirements
Master's programmes usually ask for a specific Bachelor's background. Compare your degree with the programme's requirements before you apply.
In the system:Diploma evaluation
Check the language requirement
Most English-taught programmes ask for proof of your English, such as a test score. The programme says which tests and scores it accepts.
Work out tuition and living costs
Tuition depends on your nationality: EU/EEA/Swiss students usually pay the lower statutory fee, others the institutional fee the university sets.
- 2
Apply
Applications start in Studielink, and most programmes then ask for more in their own portal.
Apply through Studielink
Studielink is the national enrolment system for Dutch higher education. Deadlines are set per programme and are often earlier for students from outside the EU/EEA.
In the system:University application
Complete the university's own application
Many programmes then ask you to upload documents or a motivation letter in their own portal. Watch for email from the admissions office.
In the system:University application
- 3
Immigration and move
Your permit if you need one, somewhere to live, and your belongings.
Let your university apply for your student permit
Only your educational institution can apply for your student residence permit, as a sponsor recognised by the IND. It will ask you for documents and proof you can pay for your stay.
In the system:Student residence permit
Check whether your current permit lets you study
If you already live here on another residence permit, check whether it covers studying or whether you need a student permit instead.
In the system:Student residence permit
Take a TB test if your permit requires one
Depending on your nationality, your permit may carry a tuberculosis test condition after arrival.
Legalise the documents you will need
To register at the municipality you may need a legalised birth certificate. Arrange it before you leave home.
Start looking for housing early
Student housing is scarce in most university cities. Start as soon as you apply, and never pay before you have seen a contract.
Plan how to move your belongings
From inside the EU there is nothing to declare. From outside it, household goods can qualify for relief from import duties.
- 4
Arrive and settle
The first registrations that everything else depends on.
Use the arrival checklist for students
Your first weeks, sorted into what your university handles and what only the municipality or others can.
Register at your municipality and get a BSN
Registration gives you a BSN, the number you need for work, banking and healthcare.
In the system:Municipality registrationBSN
Get a DigiD
Your login for government services, from the tax office to your municipality.
In the system:DigiD
Open a bank account
Rent, a part-time salary and most everyday payments go through a bank account here.
In the system:Bank account
Check which health insurance you need
Whether you need Dutch basic insurance depends on your situation, especially on whether you work alongside your studies.
In the system:Health insurance
Register with a GP
Do it before you are ill: a GP is the way into most other care.
In the system:GP registration
- 5
During your studies
Keep your status and your paperwork in order while you study.
Check the rules before you take a job
Students from outside the EU/EEA can only work within limits, and the employer needs a work permit for you.
In the system:Student residence permit
Know your rights in a part-time job
Read the contract before you sign it, and know what you are entitled to as an employee.
In the system:Employment contract
Keep up your study progress
Your university checks whether you earn enough credits, and must assess your reasons if you do not. Insufficient progress can affect your permit.
In the system:Student residence permit
Check whether you can get healthcare allowance
If you have Dutch basic health insurance, you may be able to get zorgtoeslag towards the premium.
In the system:Health insurance
Report a change of address when you move
Students move often, and the municipality needs to know every time.
In the system:Municipality registration
- 6
What comes next
Your options after graduation. From here the Work and Build paths take over.
Consider the orientation year
A one-year residence permit to look for work or start a business after you graduate, with no restrictions on the work you may do.
In the system:Orientation year
Look for work
The Work path covers whether you need sponsorship, finding employers and applying.
In the system:Job search
Start something of your own
The Build path covers starting a business or freelancing, with or without an immigration route.
In the system:Right to self-employment
Consider a PhD or research career
A Dutch PhD is often a paid job, with its own contract and its own permit route.