Study in Netherlands 2026/27: Fees, Deadlines, IND Permit

To study in the Netherlands as a non-EU student, you apply for your programme through Studielink, pay the university's institutional tuition fee, and let the university apply for your residence permit. Bachelor's applications close on 1 May, or on 15 January for programmes with a numerus fixus (a cap on places). In 2026/27 the institutional fees at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Twente and the University of Groningen run from €13,500 to €32,200 a year. The immigration service (IND) expects students to have €1,130.77 a month in 2026.

The statutory fee of €2,694 that you see quoted everywhere applies to EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese students and a few groups of permit holders, not to most students from India, Africa, the Middle East or the US. The sections below answer the questions students ask most, using the IND, the education agency DUO, Studielink and the universities' own 2026/27 pages, checked in November 2026.

Is education free in the Netherlands for international students?

No. Higher education in the Netherlands is not free for anyone, and non-EU students usually pay much more than Dutch students. There are two fee levels:

Statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld): DUO sets it at €2,694 for the 2026/27 academic year. You qualify if you study at a publicly funded programme, do not already hold a degree at the same level, and meet the nationality requirement. Groningen's fee page lists Dutch, EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese nationals, plus some non-EEA nationals such as holders of a Dutch residence permit of type II, III or IV and certain family members of EU citizens living in the Netherlands.
Institutional fee: everyone else pays a fee set by each university. On a standard student residence permit, this is the fee you will pay.

If you think you might fall into one of the exceptions, ask the university's admissions or immigration desk before you apply: the difference is often more than €10,000 a year.

Tuition fees in 2026/27: three universities compared

Institutional fees differ by university, by degree level and by faculty. These are the full-time, non-EU/EEA fees each university publishes for 2026/27:

Erasmus University Rotterdam, bachelor's

Most faculties (economics, law, social sciences, history, philosophy): €13,500
Rotterdam School of Management: €14,000
Erasmus University College (Liberal Arts and Sciences): €16,300
Erasmus Medical Center: €32,200

Erasmus University Rotterdam, master's

Most faculties: €21,000
Rotterdam School of Management: €25,800
Erasmus Medical Center: €34,100

University of Twente, master's

Lower rate, €18,200: for example Business Administration, Communication Science, Psychology and Public Administration
Higher rate, €21,700: engineering and science programmes such as Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics and Civil Engineering & Management

University of Groningen, master's

Arts, Philosophy, and Religion, Culture and Society: €19,900
Economics and Business, Law, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Spatial Sciences: €22,200
Science and Engineering: €24,900
Medicine and Dentistry: €32,000

Two things follow from this. At Erasmus, a bachelor's in most faculties costs €7,500 a year less than a master's in the same faculty. And engineering, science and medicine sit at the top of each university's scale. Erasmus also notes a transitional rate of €11,700 for non-EEA bachelor's students who started in 2025/26 and re-enrol without a break, so fees can change between your first and later years: check the fee page for every year of your course.

1280px-academiegebouwvanderijksuniversiteitgroningen2015.jpg

Photo: JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Can Indian students get in with a CBSE Class 12 certificate?

At some universities, yes. The University of Groningen accepts the All India Senior School Certificate of the CBSE for its bachelor's programmes if you have at least five externally examined courses with a grade of A1, A2 or B1 in all five. Courses that are not externally examined, such as Work Experience or General Studies, do not count. Many programmes then add subject requirements:

No extra subjects: for example Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and International and European Law.
Mathematics: for example Econometrics, Applied Mathematics and Industrial Engineering and Management.
Mathematics and Physics: Applied Physics, Astronomy and Physics.
Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry: for example Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy. Groningen rates CBSE Chemistry as insufficient for these, so you may need an extra certificate.

An Indian school certificate does not exempt you from an English test at Groningen. The exemption list covers qualifications such as the IB with English as medium of instruction, A-levels, or schooling in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or English-speaking Canada. For 2026/27 most faculties ask for IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, with Economics and Business at 6.0 and Law at 7.0. IELTS Online and the One Skill Retake are not accepted, and IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and LanguageCert results are valid for two years.

Other universities publish their own country lists, so look up your board (CBSE, ISC, a state board, WAEC, or your national secondary certificate) on each university's entry requirements page. Dutch universities grade on a 1 to 10 scale; our guide on what a good GPA is explains why a 7 is a solid Dutch grade.

How to apply through Studielink

Bachelor's applications at Dutch universities start in Studielink, the national enrolment system. The order is:

Choose your programmes and check whether each has a numerus fixus or its own selection procedure.
Create a Studielink account and submit an enrolment request for each programme.
Meet the deadline. Studielink gives 23:59 on 15 January for numerus fixus programmes and 23:59 on 1 May for all bachelor's programmes without one. Some programmes with their own selection close earlier, so check each programme page.
Complete the university's own application (uploads, motivation letter, test scores) in the university portal it links you to.
Accept your offer and pay the tuition fee and the residence permit costs, as the university asks.

Master's deadlines are set by each university and programme, so take them from the programme page.

The student residence permit: what the IND requires in 2026

You do not apply for the permit yourself. Only a recognised sponsor, in practice your university, can apply to the IND for your student residence permit. According to the IND:

Fee: €254 for a first application, which covers the provisional residence permit (MVV) and the residence permit together. The university pays it to the IND; ask whether it passes the cost on to you.
MVV: the IND requires a valid MVV for this permit, so the university applies for both in one application.
Money: you must show €1,130.77 a month for university or higher professional education (the amount valid from 1 January to 31 December 2026). Over 12 months that is €13,569.24, on top of tuition. A parent or sponsor living in the Netherlands can fund you instead if they meet a separate income level.
TB test: if your university says you need one, book it with the local health service (GGD) within three months of receiving the permit.
Study progress: you must obtain at least 50% of the credits for each study year.
Validity: the length of your programme plus three months, up to five years. A preparatory year before your programme usually lasts one year.

The IND says it usually decides within two weeks of an institution's application, so the timing mostly depends on how early you finish the university's steps.

Can you work while studying in the Netherlands?

Yes, within limits. On a student permit you choose either up to 16 hours of paid work a week, or full-time work in June, July and August. Your employer must get a work permit (TWV) for you from the employment agency UWV. Internships that are part of your programme do not need a TWV. Self-employed work does not need one either, but you must register with the Chamber of Commerce and pay tax.

Plan your budget without counting on part-time income: 16 hours a week does not cover an institutional fee, and the IND funds requirement must be met before you arrive.

Can I get PR in the Netherlands after study?

Not straight away, but there are clear steps.

Orientation year: within three years of finishing an accredited Dutch bachelor's or master's, you can apply for a one-year "orientation year for highly educated persons" permit. It costs €254, cannot be extended, and lets you work freely without a TWV while you look for a job or start a business.
Highly skilled migrant permit: if you find a job, the 2026 gross monthly salary criteria are €5,942 at age 30 or older, €4,357 under 30, and a reduced €3,122 if you apply during your orientation year or within three years of graduating.
Long-term residence: the EU long-term residence permit needs five consecutive years in the Netherlands on a valid permit, plus the civic integration requirement. Years on a student permit count for half.

Is a salary of €50,000 good in the Netherlands for a graduate?

For immigration purposes, it clears the bar if you use the reduced criterion. €50,000 a year paid over 12 months is €4,166.67 gross a month, well above the €3,122 reduced criterion for recent graduates. For someone aged 30 or older applying without the reduced criterion, it is below the €5,942 threshold.

English-taught programmes: what is changing

The Dutch government's Balanced Internationalisation Act (Wet internationalisering in balans) is still a bill, not law. The University of Twente reported in February 2026 that the revised bill had been sent to the Council of State for advice, that the language test now applies only to new programmes, and that the bill also aims at programme-specific enrolment caps. Some universities have already moved tracks to Dutch: Twente's Psychology bachelor's, for example, is now taught in Dutch. Before you apply, check on the programme page that it is taught in English for your intake year and whether it caps international places.

Checklist for a 2027 start: (1) check the programme is taught in English and whether it has a numerus fixus; (2) check your school certificate on the university's country page; (3) book IELTS Academic (not IELTS Online); (4) enrol in Studielink by 15 January (numerus fixus) or 1 May (other bachelor's); (5) budget the institutional fee plus €1,130.77 a month (IND, 2026 amount); (6) let the university file the MVV and residence permit; (7) plan for 50% of credits each year.

Where to start

Stuudy's ranking of the best universities in the Netherlands uses EduRank. In its world ranking the University of Amsterdam is #76, Utrecht University #78, the University of Groningen #118, TU Delft #137, Leiden University #158 and Erasmus University Rotterdam #231. The Netherlands country page brings together universities, cities and programmes, and the programmes below are two bachelor's options listed on Stuudy.

Interesting programmes for you

University College Utrecht - Liberal Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Arts · Full-time · On Campus