Application procedure

The following eight steps are important if you want to arrange housing through the UvA housing service. The steps are briefly described, click on the provided links below for more detailed information. 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.

Step 1: Check if you are eligible for student housing
Step 2: Check your email (and spam folder) for the invitation to apply for student housing

If you are starting your studies in September 2025, you will receive a message from myinfo@uva.nl* with an invitation to apply for student housing by late May or early June 2025 at the latest. The message contains some application instructions and the link to the housing application system.

The message from myinfo@uva.nl is automatically sent to the email address you used to register on Studielink or the exchange students application portal. If you have not received the email in your personal (spam)inbox, or if you are an exchange student, it may have been sent to your UvA email address.

We recommend to add myinfo@uva.nl to the 'safe senders' list of your email account.

* myinfo@uva.nl is a 'no-reply' email address.
Step 3: Fill in the application form

Clicking on the link in the invitation email will take you to our online application form. In the application form you will be asked to choose a monthly budget category. Base your choice on the information about budget categories and room types. Requesting a specific housing provider, location or building is unfortunately not possible.

The upcoming application round for the Fall 2025 semester starts on Tuesday, 27 May, 09:00 CEST, until Tuesday, 10 June 2025, 23:59 CEST. This means you will have 15 days to complete the application form. After this period, all applicants will be assigned a random place on the waiting list via a lottery.

After Tuesday, 10 June 2025, 23:59 CEST it will not be possible to apply for student housing anymore. For this reason, we stress that you do not wait until the last moment to complete your application, as we cannot make exceptions for applicants who miss the deadline.
Step 4: Lottery

Because we get more applications than we have places, we use a lottery system. After submitting your housing application, you will participate in the lottery. After the draw, you will receive a random position on the waiting list. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with your exact position on the waiting list. We will inform you about your chances of receiving an offer in the third week of June 2025.

If you are selected to receive a room, you will proceed to step 5.
Step 5: Pay the UvA housing fee

If your lottery result is positive, you will be asked to pay the UvA housing fee. You will only have a few days to pay and will be notified of the deadline a few days in advance. Failing to complete this payment in time will result in the cancellation of your housing application. Follow the instructions for paying the UvA housing fee. You can pay in euros by credit card (Eurocard/Mastercard or Visa), PayPal or iDeal. Other payment methods are unfortunately not possible.

Please note that the fee is non-refundable. Read more about the housing fee on the Costs of UvA student housing and living in Amsterdam page.
Step 6: Receiving your room offer

A few days up to a few weeks after your payment of the UvA housing fee, we will inform you by email (from myinfo@uva.nl*) about a room offer. You will then receive an email on your UvA-email address from one of our housing providers with instructions on how to book your room. Again, keep an eye on your spam folder as we work with different housing providers.

You must book your room as quickly as possible, within a given time frame of a few days. If you miss your offer, or are unhappy with it, you will not receive a second one. You will also lose your UvA housing fee if you fail to respond to your offer in time. You will then need to find your own accommodation.

Some room offers will have an end date in June or July, not mid-August. Unfortunately, it depends on the availability of rooms which specific end date you will be offered. If you receive a room offer with an earlier end date and would like to stay in Amsterdam past this date, we recommend that you find a hostel for the remaining days of the semester. We understand that this is far from ideal, but at least you will have secured (affordable) housing for almost the entire semester.

* myinfo@uva.nl is a 'no-reply' email address.
Step 7: Booking your room
Your room reservation is confirmed once you make your first payment to the housing provider. Your housing provider will instruct you on how to pay, along with providing you with your tenancy agreement and other steps.

Be prepared: This initial payment will include administration costs, the first month's rent, and often a deposit. It may therefore be a significant sum.

The first rental payment needs to be made by credit card (e.g. Visa or Eurocard/Mastercard). Other payment methods, including American Express, are not possible. After the first payment, you can pay your monthly rent by bank transfer. Your housing provider will provide you with details on how to do that.

Please note that:

Room reservations are final. You cannot change rooms after you have made the reservation.

If you cancel a reserved room, we will assume you are no longer interested in UvA student housing. You will not be offered another room and the UvA housing fee will unfortunately not be refunded. The fees paid to the housing provider to complete your booking will be (partly) refundable, depending on how close to the contract starting date you cancel.
Step 8: Arriving in Amsterdam

Application procedure

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