Study in the Netherlands

To study in the Netherlands, you usually apply for a bachelor’s programme through Studielink, the national enrolment system, and then complete the university’s own steps. What you pay, and whether you need a residence permit, depends on your nationality: EU/EEA and Swiss students and students from other countries follow different rules. This page explains the system, the dates for 2027-28 entry, tuition and living costs, and the residence permit, with the official source for every figure listed at the end.

How Dutch higher education works

The type of institution changes the length of a degree:

• A bachelor's at a research university (WO) takes 3 years (180 ECTS).
• A bachelor's at a university of applied sciences (HBO) takes 4 years (240 ECTS), usually a first year (propedeuse) followed by three years.
• A master's at a research university takes at least 1 year (60 ECTS); research master's, teacher training and programmes in engineering, mathematics, natural sciences and agriculture take 2 years (120 ECTS), and advanced programmes in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy take 3 years (180 ECTS).

Language of instruction. Many programmes are taught in English, but not all, and the share differs by level and type of institution. About a third (32%) of bachelor's programmes at Dutch research universities are taught in English; another 15% in both English and Dutch (2025-26). English is the main language of master's programmes at research universities: 71% are taught only in English (2025-26). At universities of applied sciences most bachelor's programmes are in Dutch: only 8% were taught exclusively in a foreign language (2023-24). Check the language on each programme page; English-taught programmes ask for an English test, and the required score is set per programme.

International students are a large group: in 2025-26, Nuffic counted 129,764 students from abroad on bachelor’s and master’s programmes at publicly funded institutions.

How to apply for a bachelor’s programme

For most bachelor’s programmes you start in Studielink and then follow the institution’s own process. Some institutions use a different method for applicants from abroad, so check the programme page first. Our Studielink application guide covers every step, including numerus fixus. In outline:

1. Choose programmes and read their pages. Note the admission requirements, the language, whether the programme has a numerus fixus (limited places) and which deadline applies to you.
2. Create a Studielink account. Applicants without a Dutch home address create a Studielink account without DigiD by uploading a scan or photo of their passport or European identity card. Non-European identity cards cannot be used. Anyone registered at a Dutch address must log in with DigiD. If you hold two nationalities, one of them European, create your Studielink account with your European passport or ID card: it determines which tuition fee rate applies to you.
3. Submit enrolment applications. Studielink accepts up to four enrolment applications per academic year, of which at most one or two may be numerus fixus programmes.
4. Complete the institution’s steps. After you submit, the institution contacts you about documents, selection or matching and payment, often in its own portal. Some institutions charge non-EEA applicants or applicants without Dutch prior education an application or handling fee of EUR 75 to EUR 100.

Deadlines for 2027-28 entry

• Studielink opened for 2027-28 applications on 1 October 2026.
• Numerus fixus programmes: 15 January 2027, 23:59 Netherlands time.
• 1 May 2027 is the general Studielink deadline for programmes without a numerus fixus; the institution decides the final date for each programme.
• If a numerus fixus programme has more applicants than places, the institution runs a selection between 15 January and 15 April, and applicants in the selection receive their ranking number via Studielink on 15 April.

15 January and 1 May are general deadlines. The exact deadline may vary per institution and programme, and some universities set an earlier deadline for students who need a visa or residence permit. Always check the programme page. Two examples:

• Example: the University of Amsterdam's advisory deadline for bachelor's applicants with international prior education is 1 April (final deadline 1 May); applicants who need a visa or UvA housing are urged to apply before 1 April.
• Example: at Leiden University, the bachelor's deadline is 1 April for applicants who need a student visa or residence permit (1 May for most other bachelor's programmes; 15 January for numerus fixus).

If you need a residence permit, plan for the earlier date: the university also needs time to apply for the permit on your behalf. Our application deadlines guide puts the Dutch dates next to those of the UK, Germany and Spain.

Numerus fixus and the right to admission

For programmes without a numerus fixus, timing matters too. If you meet the admission requirements and submit your first Studielink application for a bachelor's programme by 1 May, you have the right to be admitted. Some programmes make a study choice check (matching) mandatory; missing it without a valid reason means losing that right.

Applying for a master’s programme

Each university sets the admission requirements and deadlines for its master’s programmes; the national bachelor’s dates above do not apply to them. Many universities combine a Studielink enrolment with their own application portal and their own list of documents. Read the programme page carefully, and if you need a residence permit, look for a separate, earlier deadline. Fees follow the same two levels as for bachelor’s programmes. Average institutional fees for non-EU/EEA students: EUR 12,000 to EUR 30,000 a year for master's programmes. Exact amounts differ per programme.

Master’s programmes at research universities are mostly taught in English, as the figures above show. Our guide to motivation letters for Germany and the Netherlands covers the motivation letter, which some programmes ask for.

What it costs to study in the Netherlands

Tuition fees

There are two fee levels, and your nationality (or, in some cases, your Dutch residence permit) decides which one you pay.

Statutory fee. For 2027-28 the statutory fee is €2,771 a year. You pay the statutory fee if you are a national of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or Suriname (or hold certain Dutch residence permits), study a government-funded programme, and do not already hold a government-funded Dutch degree at the same level.

Institutional fee. Students who do not qualify for the statutory fee, including most non-EU/EEA students, pay the institutional fee. Each university sets it per programme, and it is never lower than the statutory fee. Average institutional fees for non-EU/EEA students: EUR 9,000 to EUR 20,000 a year for bachelor's programmes. Exact amounts differ per programme.

Older articles sometimes mention a reduced fee in the first year. The 50% first-year tuition reduction no longer applies: it ended with the 2024-25 academic year (from 1 September 2024).

Living costs

If you need a residence permit, there is also an official minimum. For 2026, the IND requires means of subsistence of €1,130.77 per month for students at a university or university of applied sciences. The IND sets new amounts each year, so check the IND required amounts page for the figure that applies when you apply.

Residence permit and documents

This section is a general overview. The official rules are on the IND page for students at universities and on Study in NL: Do you need a visa?

EU/EEA and Swiss students. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa or residence permit to study in the Netherlands and do not register with the IND; a valid passport or national ID card is proof of lawful residence. They may work without a work permit. EU/EEA and Swiss students staying longer than 3 months must be registered at a Dutch school or university, have health insurance, and have enough money to support themselves without public funds.

Students from other countries. Non-EU/EEA students cannot apply for the study residence permit themselves: the Dutch university, as an IND-recognised sponsor, applies for it (and for the MVV entry visa, if needed) and the fee is paid through the institution.

• Entry visa (MVV). Whether you need an MVV (provisional residence permit, the long-stay entry visa) depends on your nationality. Nationals of EU/EEA countries, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City do not need one; other nationalities, including all Latin American countries, generally do.
• Fee. In 2026 the IND fee for a first study permit application is €254, paid through the institution. The 2027 fee is not yet published.
• Decision period. By law the IND has 60 days to decide.
• Documents. Official foreign documents for the residence permit must be legalised (or carry an apostille) and translated into Dutch, English, French or German. The institution gives you the document list.
• Validity. The study residence permit lasts for the length of the programme plus 3 months, up to 5 years, and only while you meet the requirements, including earning at least 50% of the credits each study year.

Everyone, after arrival. Anyone staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months registers with the local municipality (gemeente) in the Personal Records Database (BRP) and receives a citizen service number (BSN), needed for a bank account, health insurance and work. Health insurance is compulsory. If you are in the Netherlands only to study, you may not take out Dutch public (basic) health insurance and need home-country or private cover (EU/EEA students may use the EHIC, if their insurer confirms). If you take a paid job, Dutch public health insurance becomes compulsory.

The permit decision is made only by the IND.

Working during and after your studies

EU/EEA and Swiss students may work without a work permit, as noted above. For students with a residence permit the rules are stricter. With a study residence permit you may work as an employee only if your employer has a work permit (TWV) for you, and you must choose: up to 16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August. Self-employed work does not need a TWV.

How Wisemore can help

We help international students shortlist Dutch programmes that match their requirements and expectations, prepare and check their Studielink and university applications, and gather the documents a university asks for before it applies for the residence permit, with a completeness check against the official checklist. If a programme asks for a motivation letter, you write it yourself and we can give feedback on your drafts. We confirm the timeline before you pay, based on your university deadlines. Admission decisions are made by the universities and permit decisions by the IND, so we cannot guarantee either.

Prepared by the Wisemore editorial team · Last checked: 13 Oct 2026