Credential Evaluation for the Netherlands: Nuffic, Certified Copies and Translations

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

There is no recognition certificate you must obtain before applying to a Dutch bachelor's programme. The institution you apply to checks your foreign school diploma itself and decides whether it is equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma (for research universities) or HAVO diploma (for universities of applied sciences).

Who decides

The institution decides. Its admissions office compares your diploma with VWO or HAVO, checks the subjects you took and tells you whether you are admitted, admitted with conditions, or need extra certificates first.
Nuffic advises. Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for international education, is appointed by the government to evaluate foreign diplomas. It publishes overviews of more than 100 education systems showing which Dutch diploma a foreign one is compared to, and it advises institutions. Its evaluation is not legally binding.

Do you need a Nuffic evaluation?

Usually not. According to IDW, the online service through which Nuffic handles evaluations, it is often unnecessary to apply yourself if you already know what you want to study: contact the institution instead. An evaluation is useful if you are unsure what level your diploma gives you access to.

If you do apply:

You apply online at IDW, one diploma per application.
The fee is €148.83 per diploma evaluation.
Nuffic says a decision takes at least 10 working weeks once the application is complete, and longer at busy times.
You upload clear colour scans of your diploma, transcript and a valid identity document.

Certified copies

Institutions often check your documents in two stages. Leiden University, for example, asks for scans when you apply. After admission, many ask for a certified copy of your diploma: a copy bearing an original stamp and signature that confirms it matches the original.

VU Amsterdam, for example, accepts a copy certified by the school that issued the diploma or by its own student desk. Scans or photocopies of a certified copy do not count, and you should not post originals. Other institutions set their own rules, so follow the instructions in your admission letter.

Translations

Dutch institutions generally accept documents in Dutch and English, and many also in German or French. Anything else needs a translation by a sworn translator, into English or Dutch. If your school issued an official English version, send that alongside the original. See sworn translations.

Apostille and legalisation

Neither IDW nor the admission pages we checked ask for an apostille on a school diploma. You are more likely to need one for civil documents such as a birth certificate, when the municipality or the IND asks to see them. The rules depend on where the document comes from:

Countries in the Apostille Convention: an apostille from the issuing country is enough.
Other countries: legalisation by that country's foreign ministry, then by the Dutch embassy or consulate.
EU countries: many public documents need no apostille.

Netherlands Worldwide has a page per country. See apostille and legalisation.

Special cases

International Baccalaureate: Nuffic compares the IB Diploma with a VWO diploma and the IB Career-related Programme Certificate with at least a HAVO diploma. Single DP course results count only as VWO subject certificates. Some universities add requirements, such as Maastricht's three Higher Level subjects.
European Baccalaureate: the diploma of the European Schools appears on accepted-diploma lists such as Maastricht's. The name does not cover other European school diplomas.
Diplomas from EU countries: most give access to the matching Dutch level, but some technical or vocational tracks are assessed case by case.
Missing subjects: if a programme requires mathematics or another subject you did not take at the right level, you must obtain a certificate before enrolling. Erasmus University Rotterdam lists the Dutch state exam (Staatsexamen) and several approved test centres.

A realistic order of steps

Look up your country on Nuffic's education systems overview.
Read the admission page of each programme for diploma and subject requirements.
Apply through Studielink with scans of your documents.
After admission, arrange certified copies and sworn translations.
If you need a residence permit, see student visa for the Netherlands.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.