Bachelor's in the Netherlands: the Turkish diploma, numerus fixus and the 15 January rule

Turkish high school diploma and grade threshold

There are two types of institutions in the Netherlands. A bachelor's at a research university takes three years and is 180 ECTS. At hogeschools, which focus on applied study, a bachelor's takes four years.

Nuffic treats the Turkish high school diploma as equal to at least HAVO level in the Netherlands. Research universities add their own requirements. For example, for 2027/28 entry, Leiden asks for a general high school diploma grade of at least 80. In the social sciences, an online math exam is required unless your math grade is above 80 every year.

Leiden assesses Imam Hatip, vocational and technical high school diplomas only together with university results. These thresholds change from school to school, so we suggest you read the admission page of each program separately.

Numerus fixus: deadline 15 January

Programs with a limited number of places are called numerus fixus. Medicine and psychology at Radboud belong to this group. For September 2027 entry, the deadline in Studielink is 15 January 2027.

• You can register for at most two numerus fixus programs in one academic year.
• After 15 January, universities run their own selection process.
• Ranking numbers are announced in Studielink after 15 April 2027.

Older guides say applications for these programs run from January to April until the places are full. In today's system, what decides is not the order of applications but the selection made after 15 January.

For other bachelor's programs, the general deadline is 1 May. However, UvA applies 1 April 2027 for non-EU students with a foreign diploma.

Tuition fee examples for 2027/28

At the same school, the master's tuition fee is clearly higher than the bachelor's. At Erasmus Rotterdam, the economics bachelor's is €14,700 and the master's is €22,800.

The Holland Scholarship was renamed NL Scholarship in June 2023. Students from outside the EU receive a one-time €5,000. Each school announces its own conditions and deadline. At Groningen, the 2027/28 deadline for master's is 1 February 2027.

Visa, living costs and working while studying

The university makes the MVV and residence permit application on behalf of the student. The student sends the documents and the fee to the school. After approval, the MVV is collected from the chosen Dutch consulate by appointment. The deadline for uploading documents to the school is 1 June at VU Amsterdam and 1 July at Groningen.

In 2026, the IND asks university and hogeschool students for living costs of at least €1,130.77 a month. Schools may ask for a higher amount. Groningen gives its 12-month amount for 2026 as €14,160. This money is calculated separately from tuition.

Students from outside the EU can work at most 16 hours a week during the term, or only in the summer months. After graduation, you can get a zoekjaar permit of up to one year to look for work. You apply for this permit within 3 years after graduation, and it cannot be extended.

For details, see our Netherlands page.