Studying | Healthcare | Accommodation | Travel | Visa | Student Voice
There are thirteen universities in Holland, ten of which are public (Leiden, Amsterdam, Groningen, Utrecht, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Limburg, Twente; Delft and Eindhoven Technical Universities; and Wageningen Agricultural University) and three private (the Free University of Amsterdam, the Catholic University of Nijmegen and the Catholic University of Brabant in Tilburg).
All programs and courses that fall under International Education are conducted in English. They vary in length from three months to one or two years.
Each school or university will provide its own information regarding the application process. Visit the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education for a list of all higher learning institutions.
Students must make sure that they make adequate healthcare arrangements as you are not automatically insured.
Citizens of the European Union should obtain an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), giving you access to healthcare in the Netherlands. Citizens of all other countries must provide proof of private health insurance.
There are no particular health problems to note except perhaps drug consumption. Even though illegal, soft drugs are tolerated in the Netherlands, be careful!
The scarcity of housing is the main problem for students in the Netherlands.
Unlike British universities, Dutch universities, except Twente University in Enschede, are not campus based. Therefore students that are unable to arrange accommodation through the University Accommodation Office will have to make their own arrangements. However, all Dutch universities have arrangements whereby exchange students are helped to find somewhere to live, though in places like Amsterdam where accommodation is at a premium, they cannot guarantee places to all students. Although the specific procedures vary from university to university, once a place has been confirmed a student's name is passed on to an accommodation office or an International students' committee or even a faculty coordinator who then set about organising rooms.
At the University of Amsterdam the course coordinator sends the names of new exchange students to a housing corporation which has a number of available student rooms or rooms with families. Once a suitable place is found, students sign a rent contract either with the corporation (if corporation-run) or, in the case of private rooms, with the university, who manage the tenancy. In both cases the course coordinator decides on the type of accommodation needed and tries to house students accordingly. All accommodation is furnished, including blankets and sheets.
Both the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and the University of Utrecht have similar accommodation schemes run jointly by faculty and a housing office. Groningen University assigns a contact person to individual exchange students whose brief includes organising accommodation for the new exchange intake.
Note: Exchange students are actually given priority over Dutch students in many instances!
Netherlands' Schiphol International Airport is connected by rail to central Amsterdam, making it very easy to travel into the city. The train network in the Netherlands has a great reputation for efficiency, and gives access to the most remote areas of the country. The Rail Aktief Kaart or Voordeelurenkaart offers a 40% discount on rail journeys after 9 am Mondays to Fridays, throughout the whole day at weekends, and the whole day throughout July and August as main holiday months. Similarly, if you are under 26, enquire about a Jongerenkaart (Young Persons Card), which is cheaper to buy than the Rail Aktief Kaart.
There are many great packages out there enabling you to travel around and explore the country:
- Euro Domino for tickets on the Dutch Rail in the Netherlands.
- Benelux Tourrail: good for discovering the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg at reduced prices.
- EUrail Pass: valid in 17 European countries.
Within the cities, you will find a very well organised system of tramways and buses in all the cities. The country is divided into zones based on De Nationale strippenkaart. You use two strips for one zone, three for two zones, four for three zones, etc. Once cancelled you have a time limit for your journey: one hour from the time stamped on your card for a journey within one zone, an hour and a half if the journey crosses two zones. Within this time you can change buses, trams or metros (there are metros in Amsterdam and Rotterdam) as often as you like. On buses the driver cancels the required number of strips but on trams or the metro, it is up to you to do so. Typically, such trams and buses run from 6am to midnight, with night buses running in major cities. However, you will not be able to use your normal strippenkaart or pass, and so you will have to buy a ticket from the driver which costs around €1.50. Be warned: A number of tram routes have introduced conductors whilst the number of random ticket inspections has also increased. If you are caught without a valid ticket and are unable to prove your identity, you face being hauled off to a police station until your identity is proved, plus a hefty fine!
And don't forget, of course...the bicycle, a practical, cheap and environmentally friendly way of getting around. Any reputable second-hand bike shop should provide a three-month guarantee and there are plenty of bike shops listed in De Gouden Gids (Yellow Pages) under tweedehands fietsen (secondhand bikes). Alternatively you could choose to illegally buy a stolen bike off the street. If you do, you run the risk of either getting a dud bike or being arrested by an undercover police officer!
Some universities such as the Universiteit van Amsterdam will arrange a meeting for you with the aliens police upon enrollment. The aliens police actually come to the university on set days to collectively register all overseas students. They will designate you a time and date which you must attend. If you are an EU citizen, you will not need proof of regular income, but it is advisable to bring some form of bank statement or a parental letter confirming that they are willing to support you for the duration of your stay.
Everyone is also legally obliged to register him or herself on the population register (Bevolkingsregister). You should do this as soon as you receive your rental contract, which you take along with your passport to the Town Hall (Stadhuis). If you don't have a rental contract take along a letter from the university confirming your place of residence. The Vreemdelingenpolitie will automatically check to see if you are registered when you apply for a permit.
Everyone who intends living in Holland for more than 90 days must obtain a residence permit (verblijfsvergunning) from the Aliens Police (Vreemdelingenpolitie) in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague (which also covers Leiden), and Utrecht or in the case of Groningen from a police station in the area. You must first ring to make an appointment. You will then receive a letter confirming an appointment, usually in about two weeks. Bring with you your passport, two passport photos, the original and a copy of an €128 that covers the whole of your period of study, along with the originals and copies of your enrollment documents as proof of your student status.
All visitors, including those of the EU, residing for more than three months, must obtain a residency permit: Vergunning Tot Verblif' (VTV) which costs around €60.00.
Work permit
Unless you are from the USA or EEA, the possibilities to work are limited. For students from outside the USA or EEA, wishing to work, you will need to obtain, in addition to your visa, a work permit Tewerkstellingsvergunning (TWV). This is applicable to those wishing to do an internship or a work placement in the Netherlands. Your employer in the Netherlands must apply for your work permit at least five weeks prior to your internship or work placement.
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