If your nationality is other than EU/EEA, you will need a visa and/or residence permit to study in The Netherlands. Which one you will need depends on your country of citizenship.

After accepting your offer, you will be invited by email from UvA Student Services to start both the online visa/residence application and the final registration procedure at the UvA. They will also help you through the Visa procedure. 

Questions about the Visa procedure? In your Enrolment Checklist, you will find the status of your Visa application. If you can't find the answer there, contact the UvA Immigation Team.

The UvA does not offer student housing on our campuses. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the housing market in the Netherlands before you choose your study programme.  It can be difficult to find available housing in Amsterdam, so you will need to start looking for yourself as soon as possible via Dutch student housing websites. For international students, the UvA has limited number of rooms available throughout Amsterdam, which you can apply for via UvA Housing. Please note there are not enough rooms available via UvA Housing to accommodate all international students. As placement for UvA Housing is not guaranteed, we advise you to start your orientation for housing options early and to always explore the private housing market as well.

The UvA provides some rooms for international Bachelor's and Master's students who will study in The Netherlands for the first time.

Housing application procedure:

1. The Admissions Office checks if you're eligible for Student housing and sends your details to the UvA - International Student Housing office
2. The UvA - International Student Housing will invite you to apply 
3. You fill out the form, pay the housing application fee to submit your application before the deadline
4. After this, all applicants will be assigned a random place on the waiting list via a lottery.

Please note, due to the severe housing shortage in Amsterdam the demand exceeds our supply, so unfortunately, not all students who apply for student housing can get a room.

You can find all info about the eligibility, deadlines and the lottery on these pages:

Questions about Housing? In your Enrolment Checklist, you will find the status of your Housing application. If you can't find the answer there, contact the International Student Housing Office. 

Discover your future campus and meet your peers during the Meet & Greet on in June. The exact date of this event will be announced later. You will receive an invitation by email to register for the event. We would like to welcome you, given that you have the opportunity to attend.

In order to get to know you and your fellow students we would like you to fill in an Admissions Survey, you will receive it via email. Your response will help us to get to know you better as an incoming student and prepare our student counselling services. 

You can only start with the programme after we receive and verify all of your original and/or certified documents.

What is a certified copy: A certified copy is an official copy of the original document with an original stamp and signature of a representative of your home institution or a notary. This is therefore not the same as a photocopy of a certified document. Please do not send us the original documents as we are not responsible in case any documents get lost in the process. We are not able to return you the documents sent to us. 
 
How: Transcripts, diplomas and Graduation Statements (if applicable) in any language other than English, Dutch, French or German should be submitted in their original language along with an official translation made by a sworn translator. Your conditional offer will specify which documents to send in and state the deadline for submission. Certified documents can be sent to the following address:

Admissions Office, Central Student Administration
University of Amsterdam
Hogehilweg 21
1101 CB Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Depending on where you live, it may take a while before the UvA receives your documents. Please use registered mail and do not send in your original documents. Once the certified documents have been processed for application, they cannot be returned.

Digital credential verification

If it is not possible to get certified copies because of school/ university closures, then digital versions of the required documents can be sent to the UvA Central Student Administration office. Please note they must be sent directly from your academic institution. Any submissions from student email addresses will be ignored. 

IB-diplomas, Advanced Placement (AP) and A-level and O-level results from certain exam boards can be verified online by the University of Amsterdam. This enhances the speed of the verification process.  Whenever possible, students are requested to authorize the electronic verification of documents instead of sending post
 
In certain cases, your results can be verified digitally or can be sent directly from the exam board to the University of Amsterdam. For more information please visit uva.nl/onlineverification.

When: Please send your documents as soon as possible. The deadline for submission of certified documents is 31 August 2025. If you have already graduated and received your official diploma and transcript, then you are advised to send all certified documents as soon as you receive an conditional offer of admission.  If you are still completing your degree, please wait until you have all the necessary documents which have been requested, as this will minimize the chances of your documents being separated from each other.

If your diploma will not be issued before the deadline that applies to you, please send in an official Statement. In this Statement, your university needs to declare that you have fulfilled all graduation requirements and have graduated from the Bachelor's programme, stating your exact graduation date. This graduation date cannot be later than 1 September 2025. The Statement needs to be signed and stamped by your home institution. 

Due to the volume of documents which we receive, we will not send you a confirmation upon receipt of individual documents; only once you have fulfilled all conditions.

Questions about your certified documents? In your enrolment Checklist, you can find the status of your admission. If you can't find the answer there, contact the Central Student Service Desk.

The Student Administration will register you for your courses of the first year and will send you your personal timetable for the first block via email at the end of August. 

From year 2, you will be responsible for your course registration. By that time, you will receive more information via email about how to register for courses.

Courses and Books

In the Course Catalogue you will find your courses and the corresponding study materials. There is no separate book list. You can order your books online with a membership from study association Sefa.

Compulsory calculator for your exams

For exams of your first-year Bachelor courses, you are exclusively allowed to use the UvA Economics and Business (EB) calculator. Other calculators are not allowed. You can buy the calculator at the Sefa desk in the hall of the E-building. The calculator costs €16.49. If you have any questions, please contact the Education Desk.

Questions about your timetable? For questions about your timetable please contact the Education Desk.

Questions about ordering books? For questions about the book store, please contact Sefa.

When: Before arrival.

Make sure you have proper insurance coverage for the duration of your studies. Health insurance, liability insurance and insurance against fire and theft are all required and/or recommended. 

Questions about insurance? Please contact the UvA Central Student Service Desk.

When: from the beginning of May and before 31 August 2025.

When you enrol at a university in the Netherlands, you must pay tuition fees each year. You cannot start your studies if you do not pay in time.

If the UvA does not receive your tuition fee on time, you will not be enrolled and you will not be entitled to attend classes or receive financial assistance or reimbursement for public transport.

Questions about the tuition fee payment? In your Enrolment Checklist, you can find the status of your tuition fee payment. If you can't find the answer there contact the UvA Student Service Desk. 

Start your university life at the UvA with the programme introduction of your study programme in August. Where you can get to know your new study programme and prepare for your time as a student at the University of Amsterdam. You will receive an invititation via email. 

Questions about the programme introduction? For questions please contact the Education Desk.

Together with a smaller subgroup of your first-year group you will attend weekly tutorials. The aim of tutorials is to help you improve your personal and academic skills and support you in the courses you are taking. In the first semester, the ‘Skills and connect’ sessions will help you develop the academic skills needed for a smooth transition to an academic environment. Guided by your skills tutor, you and your fellow students will exchange study tips, set goals and reflect on them. You’ll develop and improve your teamwork, public speaking and Excel skills.

Also, your skills tutor will help you to connect with your fellow students by organising social activities, find your way around campus and will make you feel comfortable at the UvA. You will meet your skills tutor at the study programme Intro-days in August.

University of Amsterdam's Intreeweek

Intreeweek is the official introduction week of the University of Amsterdam. With two senior students of your study as guides, you will get to know the city, the university and your fellow students. You will be invited for this event by email. For more information and questions please check the Intreeweek website.

Introduction camp Study Association SEFA

Sefa is the study association of Economics and Business (EB) at the University of Amsterdam. Can’t wait to meet your fellow BSc students and to get your student life off to a great start? Then join the Sefa Introduction Camp.

Read this step-by-step guide to find out what you need to do once you arrive in the Netherlands. 

We just want you to know that each step in the enrolment process takes time and involves different departments at the University. If you have any questions about these subjects, just contact the right department to get the fastest and most up to date answer:

• Admissions related procedures - Central Student Service Desk
• Visa and Residence permit - Central Student Service Desk
• Housing / Studielink / Tuition fee payment / Arrival guide - Central Student Service Desk
• Your personal timetable / Intro-Day - Education Desk Economics and Business

Curious about what student life at UvA - Economics and Business is like? You can already get a sneak peek into the events that are organised by student associations via Uni-Life. This is the app for and by Economics and Business students. Once you've decided to enrol, you can join the community of your study programme to connect with fellow new students and current students.

Have a question about enrolment or what it's like to study with us? Chat with our current students! Our student ambassadors are from around the world and represent a variety of programmes. Chat with a student now!

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