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Why Study in the Netherlands?

  • For students seeking higher education, the Dutch make very good hosts, as they are deeply involved in their education system. The Netherlands has a very large foreign student population from as many as 160 different nations. It’s cheaper to research in the Netherlands than other popular destinations like the U.S. and U.K.
  • A study shows that more foreign students are coming to the Netherlands to study and the numbers won’t be waning anytime soon. A total of 122,000 students from 162 countries follow a degree program at a university of applied sciences or university, according to an analysis by Nuffic, the Dutch organization for internationalization in education.
  • The 2018 Global University rankings show that universities in the Netherlands are among the best in the world. Universities like the Vrije University, University of Amsterdam, Erasmus University and the Delft University of Technology are among the most highly ranked universities in Europe and the world.
  • Amsterdam is one of the most famous cities for students in the Netherlands. More than 100,000 students from various parts of the globe are centered in the open-minded and multicultural area. Amsterdam is famous for its many friendly student organizations, and you always have one.
  • In Europe, the Netherlands has the greatest variety of English language services. Almost every university has an English version of every Dutch language teaching program. Lecturers are generally bilingual and can easily communicate with students who speak English. Moreover, more than 70% of the Dutch population speaks the English language, making foreign students feel at home while studying in country.

Education System in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has the largest number of English language teaching services in continental Europe, with over 2,100 foreign study programs and courses.

In the Netherlands, the higher education system is based on a three-cycle degree system, consisting of a bachelor’s, a master’s and a Ph.D. There is a binary structure for Dutch higher education, which means that one can choose between two forms of education

  • Research-oriented degree programs: Offered by research universities
  • Professional higher education programs: Offered by universities of applied sciences.

A third, smaller branch of higher education is offered by international education institutes, which provide programmes explicitly tailored for international students. Some research universities offer 2-year technical engineering doctoral programs (PDEng).

The credit system:

The Netherlands is introducing ECTS, the European System for Credit Transfer and Accumulation, to assign credits to courses. There are 60 ECTS credits required for each academic year. 1 point of credit corresponds to 28 hours. The completion of these hours involves attending classes, studying for examinations, engaging in seminars.

Cost of Studying in the Netherlands

  • Tuition rates are much lower in the Netherlands compared to other European study destinations abroad. For EU and non-EU students, the cost of studying is different. Universities in the Netherlands are known for their focus on realistic education methodology, costing about EUR 1800-4000 per year for EU students versus 6000-20000 per year for non-EU students.
  • In general, the upper limit for tuition costs for bachelor’s and master’s degree courses in the Netherlands is between EUR 19,400 and 52,000 per year. There are typically higher fees for courses like Business Management, Pharmacy, Law.

See the list below for most affordable universities in the Netherlands.

  • Radboud University 
  • University of Twente (UT) 
  • Utrecht University
  • HAN University of Applied Sciences

Read about program wise tuition fees, cost of accommodation, food cost, travel cost, insurance pricing, and other details of costs involved to stay and study in the Netherlands as an international student.

Popular Cities, Courses and Universities

Popular Cities in the Netherlands

  1. Leiden
  2. Amsterdam
  3. Groningen
  4. Rotterdam
  5. The Hague AKA Den Haag
  6. Eindhoven

Popular Courses in the Netherlands

Popular courses to study in the Netherlands along with their duration and fees are mentioned in the table below.

·         Name of the course

·         Econometrics and Data Science

·         Animation

·         BigData Engineering

·         Water Science Engineering

·         Medical Physiology

·         Health Sciences

·         Economics

·         Law

·         MBA (Management Consultancy)

·         Industrial and Applied Mathematics

 

  • Utrecht University
  • University of Groningen
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Leiden University
  • UvA University of Amsterdam
  • Radboud University
  • Radboud University
  • VU University Amsterdam
  • Wageningen University & Research
  • Delft University of Technology
  • Maastricht University

Scholarship students to study in the Netherlands

Find below a few scholarships for reducing the cost of education in the Netherlands as an international student.

Jobs while studying

    • You will work in June, July, and August for 16 hours a week while studying and full-time during vacations.
    • If you want to do a task while studying, you may need a work permit.
    • Your employer will apply for a permit for you to work.
    • However, a work permit is not necessary if you do an internship that is a part of your coursework.An internship assignment should be signed by your host institution and the employer. As long as your payment is only compensation for expenses, it will not be subject to taxation.
    • Laws in Ireland are extremely strict when it comes to working outside allowed hours. An employer gets fined if such a situation is observed.
    • Donot forget to apply for a Citizen’s Service Number (Burgerservicenummer – BSN). The university should explain this during the orientation program. You can get this from the local city hall.
    •  

    One can also be self-employed while studying. You need to register your company in the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel). You need to pay taxes yourself. You might be obliged to take out Dutch public healthcare insurance.

    Stay back Options

    • One can extend one’s stay up to 12 months after a bachelor’s or masters to apply for a job. This period of 12 months is called ‘Orientation year’.
    • An application can be made online and registration fees of EUR 622 apply.
    • One must obtain a work visa for this time. One may be required to get a work permit after study in the Netherlands whose type depends on the program one has passed- bachelors, masters, or PH.D.
    • The residence permit needs to be updated reflecting a change in the purpose of stay.
    • If one gets a job within a year of stay back period, the next step is to ask the employer for applying for a work permit on one’s behalf.
    • International students seeking a job after their Masters and Ph.D. will need to apply for a residence permit for ‘highly educated migrant seeking employment’.
    • Proof of funds needs to be produced to renew one’s residence permit after graduation.
    • If one gets a job in orientation year, one must be earning at least EUR 2228 per month. 

Admission requirements for Netherlands

Most universities have varying requirements for admission. Some seek specific subjects as a part of the curriculum while others may exempt a student for a 4-year bachelor’s requirement. The general admission requirements for studying in the Netherlands are briefed below.

Course type

Admission requirement

Bachelors programs

Higher senior secondary with minimum 55% aggregate

IELTS Academic – Minimum 6.5

TOEFL iBT – Minimum 90 overall

Masters courses

Bachelor’s degree with a score nearing 70% in bachelors

Work experience, if required

GRE/GMAT

IELTS – Overall 6.0-7.0 minimum

TOEFL iBT – Minimum 90-100 overall, preferred 21 in individual section

A few universities also accept TOEFL CPT, TOEIC¸TOEFL PBT, TOEFL ITP and Cambridge English (169-172). 

Admission process

  1. Register: Register with us.
  2. Profiling: We assess academic qualifications, work experience, financial status, career goals as well as life interests and aspirations.
  3. Standardized Tests: We evaluate the requirement of any standardized tests you may need to take or review results that has been already obtained.
  4. University/Course Selection: Together, we shortlist potential countries, universities and courses that match your profile.
  5. Document Editing: We edit essays, Statement of Purpose, Letters of Recommendation and Resume, which have been written by you.
  6. Application Review and Submission: The completed application forms are reviewed before they are submitted to your final choice of universities.
  7. Interview Preparation: We assist in preparation (including mock sessions) for the interviews that you may have with the chosen universities.
  8. Visa Counseling: We assist in preparation (including mock sessions) for the interviews that you may have with the High Commissions or Embassies, as well as the collation and review of relevant documentation for submission of the visa application.
  9. Pre-Departure Information: We deliver comprehensive information about the country of choice to ensure that you are completely prepared for life at an overseas university.

Documents required for Netherlands Student Visa

  1. The first step is to have a valid passport.
  2. In case, one wants to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, a residence permit is required.
  3. Additionally, a long-stay visa called MVV is required as an authorization for a temporary stay. 
  4. MVV is nothing but a stamp that will be marked on a visa.
  5. In some cases, one may be exempted from the requirement of the MVV visa.
  6. The educational institution applies for the MVV (long term stay study visa) and the residence permit at the same time on behalf of the student. 
  7. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) has to give a decision within 60 days about the residence permit.
  8. If the IND intends to grant the visa, then they will inform the education institutions that applied for the MVV on the student’s behalf to collect the MVV from the Dutch Embassy.
  9. There will be a set of legalized documents to to be provided by the student. 
  10. A student has 3 months to collect the MVV. Make an online appointment for this with the Embassy in the student’s home country. 
  11. A student’s passport must be valid for at least 6 months on the day one gets the MVV. Once he has collected his MVV, he can travel to the Netherlands. 
  12. Entry into the Netherlands is allowed within 90 days of the issue. The validity is shown on the MVV sticker. The MVV allows one to travel within the Schengen Area.
  13. Students are requested to go through the link to understand the step-by-step procedure for obtaining an MVV.

Testimonial

First I would like to thanks to team member of Simar career consultants. It was a wonderful experience from the Simar careerconsultants; they helped me a lot on my study program in Latvia. SCC give me the right counseling, helped me to select a great university, and on my visa process. Currently I am doing my Bachelor’s from RTU from Latvia.
Prabjeet Gill
Prabjeet GillStudent, Latvia
I got enrolled in TU Clausthal in Germany, I had an excellent experience! Got my visa without much effort from my side. Simar career consultants took care of it all, Very friendly staff who are very much accessible and who were spontaneous in responding to my queries.
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Vyom shahStudent, Germany
I would like to thank Simar career consultants and the entire team, especially Praveen sir and Rahul sir for helping me get my student visa for KTU Lithuania. They helped me in finding the right university and course. Team of SCC was there for me through the entire process and was knowledgeable of everything. If I had any queries, they would always reply promptly, no matter how many times I called them. Thanks again Simar career consultants team, for helping me achieve my dreams.
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Supragy PandayStudent, Lithuania
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