Study in Netherlands

Who this applies to

International students at Dutch universities. The Netherlands is a leader in ENGLISH-taught degrees; admission via the national Studielink portal.

Governing authority

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW); DUO; Nuffic (internationalisation). Application portal: Studielink (all publicly funded universities).

Degree system

Research universities (WO): Bachelor 3 yrs, Master 1–2 yrs, PhD 4 yrs (usually salaried). Universities of applied sciences (HBO): 4-yr Bachelor.

Admission

How

Apply via Studielink + the university's own portal. Some programs have a numerus fixus (capped, lottery/selection). Deadlines: non-EU often 1 Apr or earlier.

Language

Huge range of English-taught Bachelor's & Master's — IELTS/TOEFL for non-native speakers; Dutch-taught programs require Dutch (NT2).

Tuition Per Year Eur

Eu Eea Statutory

~€2,530 (2025 statutory fee)

Non Eu Eea

~€6,000–€20,000 (Bachelor ~€8,000–€15,000; Master varies; medicine/some higher)

Source

European Commission — Study in the Netherlands

Student visa & residence permit

Non-EU students need an entry visa (MVV) + residence permit, applied for by the university with the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service). Proof of funds + health insurance required.

Scholarships

Holland Scholarship, Orange Tulip Scholarship, Erasmus+, NL university scholarships.

Sources & references

• tuition — https://education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe/country-profiles/the-netherlands (2026-06-10)
• application/Studielink — https://www.study-abroad.org/blog/nl-application-guide/ (2026-06-10)