How to Get Into a University in the Netherlands as an International Student

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Getting into a Dutch bachelor's programme is less about competing and more about meeting requirements. Most programmes admit every applicant who has the right school diploma, the right language level and applies on time. The exceptions are programmes with a fixed number of places, which run their own selection and close months earlier.

Two kinds of higher education

The Netherlands has two types of institution, and your school diploma decides which you can enter.

Research universities (universiteiten) teach academic programmes. Dutch students get in with the VWO diploma, the most academic school track.
Universities of applied sciences (hogescholen) teach professional programmes such as nursing, business, engineering or teacher training. Dutch students get in with a HAVO diploma or a level 4 vocational diploma (MBO-4), as well as with VWO.

Both are listed in our catalogue, which covers 1,303 programmes at 158 institutions.

Is your diploma enough?

Each institution decides whether your foreign school diploma is equivalent to VWO or HAVO. Some programmes also ask for specific subjects, such as mathematics for economics or science programmes.

Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for international education, compares foreign diplomas with Dutch ones and advises institutions. Its comparison is advice, not a binding decision: the institution has the final word. If your diploma falls short, some institutions offer a preparatory or foundation year.

Language

Most programmes are taught in Dutch. Our catalogue lists 382 programmes taught in English.

English-taught programmes ask for a recognised test such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English or PTE Academic. There is no national minimum score: each institution sets its own.
Dutch-taught programmes ask for proof of Dutch at the level the institution sets.

Selection: numerus fixus and other selective programmes

Most bachelor's programmes have no selection. A programme with a limited number of places is called a numerus fixus programme, and it selects its students itself.

The application deadline is 15 January.
You can apply to at most two numerus fixus programmes per year. For Medicine, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Midwifery and Oral Health Care you can choose only one institution.
You can try for the same numerus fixus programme at most three times, across all years and institutions.
Selection can use an interview, a motivation letter, a test, a lottery or a combination.

Some other programmes, such as university colleges and many arts programmes, also select through their own procedure. Dutch institutions do not publish entry score cutoffs, so check the selection criteria on each programme's page.

Step by step

Shortlist programmes and check whether each is selective, which school subjects it requires and which language test it accepts.
Check your institution's deadline. If you need a visa, it is often earlier than the national one. Leiden University, for example, sets 1 April for bachelor's applicants who need a visa or residence permit.
Apply through Studielink, the national application portal. Some institutions use their own procedure for applicants from abroad, so read the instructions on the programme's page.
Upload your diploma, transcripts and language test results in the institution's application portal.
Take part in the selection or in the study choice check (studiekeuzecheck) if the programme asks for one.
Accept your offer and enrol through Studielink.

Deadlines for the September 2027 intake

According to Studielink, applications for numerus fixus programmes close at 23:59 on 15 January and applications for all other bachelor's programmes at 23:59 on 1 May. For a September 2027 start this means 15 January 2027 and 1 May 2027. An institution may refuse enrolment if your first application arrives after 1 May.

If you are not an EU citizen

You need a residence permit for study, and in most cases an entry visa (MVV) as well. You do not apply yourself: the institution, as a sponsor recognised by the immigration service IND, applies on your behalf after you are admitted. You must show you have enough money to live on. See how much it costs to study in the Netherlands for the amount and for the fee.

Where to look next

Official sources

Studielink: application deadlines
Study in NL: official portal by Nuffic for international students
Rijksoverheid: how numerus fixus admission works (in Dutch)
Nuffic: credential evaluation
IND: residence permit for study

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