To leave enough time for immigration and housing procedures we have set different advisory deadlines for specific groups of applicants. 

The deadlines for completing your application to start your degree in September 2022:

Applicants for other Bachelor's programmes

• For Non-EU/EEA students with an international degree who require a visa and/or housing through the UvA: the final deadline is 1 April 2022
• For EU/EEA students with an international degree who require housing through the UvA: the recommended deadline is 1 April 2022
• For EU/EEA students with an international degree who do not require services from the UvA: the final deadline is 1 May 2022.

In order for your application to be processed for admission, you must:

• submit an enrolment request in the Bachelor’s programme in Studielink at least one week before the deadline;
• submit a complete application file via our online application system for your Bachelor’s programme of choice before the deadline.

Please note: the application deadlines for scholarships may vary and could be earlier than our application deadline.

Two of our Bachelor’s programmes apply selection procedures due to their small-scale and intensive approach. You can find more information about the selection procedure and application deadlines on the programme webpages.

Selective programmes with fixed quotas (Numerus Fixus)

The UvA offers several programmes with limited places and an enrolment quota. Because they can only accommodate a fixed number of students, these programmes carry out a selection process to determine which students can be admitted.

The application deadline for these programmes is 15 January 2022. More information about the entry requirements and application process can be found on the programme webpages.

How does ‘selective admission with a fixed quota’ work?

Registration and selection

You will need to apply for these programmes through Studielink, the central registration system for Dutch universities. Application is open from 1 October 2021 until 15 January 2022.

If the number of students who apply for a programme exceeds the number of available places, a selection procedure will take place between 15 January 2022 and 15 April 2022.

Applicants participating in the selection procedure will be assigned a ranking number by Studielink on 15 April based on their results. Depending on your ranking number and the number of places available, you may or may not be offered a place in the programme.

Places offered

If you are offered a place, you will have to confirm your participation in the programme via Studielink within two weeks. If you don’t confirm your participation within two weeks, your place will  automatically be assigned to another student.

If you are not offered a place immediately, there is still a chance that you will be offered a place later, if one or more selected students do not accept their place. These places will then become available for the next student in line.

Students applying for one of our Bachelor’s programmes should hold a Dutch VWO diploma, a HBO propedeuse or a foreign diploma that is equivalent to one of these diplomas. If you apply with foreign credentials, mathematics and English should be included in your final examination or attended until the last year of your secondary education. To find out what specific entry requirements apply to your prior education, please consult the diploma calculator below.

The starting level of a regular study programme at Dutch universities is comparable to that of other Western European countries, but it is generally higher than in most countries outside Western Europe.

If your prior education is not listed in the diploma calculator you can still apply. The Admissions Office will assess your documents on an individual basis. Please make sure to upload all the required documents when submitting the application form.

The diploma calculator is currently under construction and is not yet complete. No rights may be derived from the diploma calculator for your future application.

Students must be able to read textbooks, understand lectures, take part in classroom discussions and produce written work in English. Applicants are therefore required to submit proof of sufficient proficiency in English (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): level C1).

Proof of sufficient English language proficiency

The requirement for sufficient English language proficiency can be met in the following ways :

1.      By completing English-taught secondary education in Australia, Canada (with the exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America;
2.      By obtaining an International Baccalaureate diploma in English;
3.      By obtaining a European Baccalaureate diploma, with the subject English as first or second language (minimum final score result: 6);
4.      By obtaining a French Diplôme du Baccalauréat Général with the Option Internationale du Baccaluréat (OIB), section britannique/américaine;      
5.      By submitting a valid English language proficiency test certificate. Please see below for the approved tests and minimum scores.

If your diploma is not mentioned above, please consult the diploma calculator to see if your prior education exempts you from taking the English language proficiency test.

Minimum test scores

* MyBest scores from TOEFL iBT cannot be used to meet the language requirements.

Deadline

The deadline for providing the UvA with an English language test certificate with sufficient scores for non-selective Bachelor's programmes is: 1 April 2022 for non-EU/EEA applicants, and 1 May 2022 for EU-EEA applicants. Make sure to book your test at least one month before the deadline. We cannot accept applications without English proficiency test results (if required).

Online test results verification

For a timely verification of your English proficiency test results make sure to include the following documents in your application file:

• IELTS test takers: Official test results certificate including the TRF number.
• TOEFL iBT test takers: Official test results certificate including the appointment number
• Cambridge C1 Advanced test takers: Official test results certificate including the reference number.

Please note:

• The test must have been taken less than two years before the start date of the programme. Test results obtained prior to 1 September 2020 will not be accepted.
• Take enough time to prepare for the test.

The first step in the application process, is submitting an enrolment request in Studielink. Studielink is the national online registration system for students who wish to pursue a degree programme at a Dutch university. 

Activate your DigiD (before starting in Studielink)

DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID system that works with a username and password. It provides access to government administration websites.

• Students who do not live in The Netherlands can use Studielink without DigiD.
• Students who currently live in the Netherlands will need DigiD to use Studielink. Make sure you have a working DigiD in time. Check if you still remember your password or apply for a new one well in advance of the application deadline for your programme.

Degree programmes with a different name in Studielink

A few programmes can be found under a different name in Studielink:

Read the step-by-step guide to Studielink

Before submitting your enrolment request in Studielink, please read the 'Step-by-step guide to Studielink'.

Submit enrolment request in Studielink

Please submit an enrolment request in Studielink at least 1 week before the application deadline.

After submitting your enrolment request in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID (username and password). Follow the instructions in the email to activate your UvAnetID immediately, for you will need it to complete your application.

Please note: after submitting your enrolment request in Studielink, it may take up to 48 hours before you receive your UvAnetID, so make sure to register in Studielink at least 1 week before the application deadline.

After registering in Studielink, you will receive an email from the University of Amsterdam with an invitation to our online application system. This may take up to 48 hours. Here you will submit your application for the programme of your choice.

As part of the online application, we will ask you to upload the following documents:

• Diploma(s) and transcript(s) of grades for secondary and, if applicable, higher education.

If you have not yet obtained your diploma, please upload your most recent transcript of grades as well as your predicted grades.
If your diploma and transcript are not in English, Dutch, French or German, please upload in an official translation as well.

• English language proficiency test certificate (if required)
• Curriculum vitae / resume

Visit this website for examples of a resume.

If you have applied for multiple programmes, make sure to upload all required documents in every individual application file.

Pilot International Baccalaureate

The UvA is currently running a pilot for EU/EEA nationals who have or will obtain an IB diploma. If you are applying for an English-taught programme at the Faculty of Humanities or for the Bachelor’s Psychology and have or will obtain an IB diploma, you no longer need to submit an application file. You only need to submit the digital results of your IB diploma. Read more about the pilot at www.uva.nl/IBpilot.

The Admissions Office will only review complete applications. Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email with the admission decision.

Bachelor’s programmes (non-selective)

Applications to non-selective programmes are processed using the rolling admissions policy: if you apply early, your application file will be processed early. If your qualifications are included in our diploma calculator, you can expect your admission decision within one to two weeks. Full review and verification of qualifications not on this list may take up to eight weeks.

Bachelor’s programmes (selective)

Students applying for a selective programme or for a selective programme with a fixed quota can check the webpage of their programme for notification dates.

Scholarship application

If you need early confirmation of admission for scholarship purposes, please contact us well in advance of your scholarship deadline. Timely handling will always be aimed for, but cannot be guaranteed. 

Once you have been conditionally admitted, you will receive an invitation by email to confirm your place in the programme. You will automatically receive a link to confirm your participation unless you have applied for a selective programme with a fixed quota (Numerus Fixus). In that case, if you are offered a place, you will have to confirm your participation via Studielink within two weeks.

If you are waiting for additional administrative procedures that will affect your decision to confirm your participation in the programme (for instance, waiting for a scholarship decision), please confirm your place in the meantime. It will allow you to continue with other procedures while you wait for the administrative processes to be completed. Completing the form is a very important step, as other enrolment procedures, such as visa or housing applications, are triggered by your confirmation.

Please note that you can cancel your place in the programme free of charge until 1 September 2022 through Studielink.

UvA Matching (Online Programme Fit) for international students is an introduction to the Bachelor’s programme to which you are applying. It helps you determine whether the  Bachelor’s programme of your choice is the right fit for you. UvA Matching is a mandatory part of the application procedure for all prospective Bachelor’s students who have completed their prior education at a non-Dutch educational institution. This includes prospective students applying with an International Baccalaureate obtained in the Netherlands.

Matching for the Bachelor's programme in Political Science

Matching for the Bachelor's programme in Sociology

Matching for the Bachelor's programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Matching for the Bachelor's programme in Communication Science

Once you have been conditionally admitted, you will need to send in certified copies of your diploma and final transcript of grades by postal mail. The English language proficiency test certificate (if required) can be uploaded to your application file.

A certified copy is a copy of the original document with a wet ink stamp and signature from your school/university or from a notary. Certified documents that are not written in Dutch, English, German or French, must be accompanied by an official translation made by a sworn translator or a notary.

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

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.

Watch the video for more information about submitting certified documents.

If you are an international student, you will need to arrange a variety of practical matters before starting your studies. This includes your visa and/or residence permit, insurance and housing. You will receive an email with more information about these matters after you have been conditionally admitted.

More information regarding all of the above can be found on the practical matters webpage. Here you can also find out about the matters you will need to arrange upon arrival, such as registering with the municipality of the city you will move to and opening a bank account.

All students are required to pay the tuition fee in order to complete their enrolment at the University of Amsterdam.

Under Tuition fees you can find more information about the various payment options.

In the week before the start of the academic year, most programmes organise a compulsory introduction day. You will receive more detailed information about the programme introduction day in the summer.

A student ID card is a personal card which serves as proof of identity for examinations. You can also use it for borrowing library books. You will receive instructions on how to request your student ID card via email.