Application & admission: FAQ
This FAQ is only for students applying based on non-Dutch credentials, obtained either outside or within the Netherlands.
Step 1: Before I apply
The eligibility of most common secondary school qualifications is listed under the entry requirements for each programme. If your secondary school qualifications aren’t listed, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can send an e-mail to admissionsoffice@uu.nl.
Conditional admission means you will be admitted after fulfilling all the requirements stated in your conditional letter of acceptance. These requirements can range from sending in certified hard copies of your qualification certificate and final transcript to completing extra courses. Some bachelor’s programmes at Utrecht University are selective or have a limited enrolment status. This means only a certain number of places are available on the programme. After receiving your conditional admission, you will have to undergo a selection procedure. Please note that you need an unconditional letter of acceptance for enrolment. A Certificate of Admission is also required for selective and limited enrolment programmes.
To start your application, log in to Studielink. If you experience any difficulties in starting your application, we advise you to check whether your question is answered on the Studielink FAQ page. You can find several step-by-step guides on this page. If you cannot find an answer to your question, you can always contact Student Services.
Please always check the complete application procedure on the page of the specific study programme you are interested in to make sure you have not missed any steps. View the summary of all bachelor’s programmes.
After you have completed the first part of the application in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail with login details for OSIRIS Online Application within 24 hours. If this is not the case, please check your spam folder or contact International Student Admissions at admissionsoffice@uu.nl.
Go to OSIRIS Online Application and click on ‘change username/password forgotten?’ If this doesn’t work please contact the Admission Office at admissionsoffice@uu.nl.
Please upload a PDF explaining why you do not have this document. As all requested documents are an essential part of your application file, we can only process complete application files. If you are unable to submit your application in OSIRIS Online Application because you are missing a document, please contact Student Services.
Applicants must pay an application fee of €100. Applications made without the fee being paid will not be considered. The application fee is non-refundable. Please check the application fee page for more information and possible exemptions.
The application fee payment process is integrated into OSIRIS Online Application. The fee can be paid by VISA or MasterCard (debit or credit card). We also offer the option of paying with iDEAL, Bancontact or Sofort.
The scans of your qualification certificate or transcript do not have to be certified. If the scans of your qualification certificate and transcript are not in Dutch, English, French, German or Spanish, they must be accompanied by an official translation, drawn up by a sworn translator and bearing the original stamp and professional details of the translator.
Your proof of anticipated degree statement or school statement must carry a stamp from your university or school.
We advise students to apply as soon as possible. You can submit an application even if you have not yet obtained your qualification certificate. However, in this case we will need written proof that you are indeed in the final year of secondary education and that it is likely that you will graduate soon. You can ask your current school to write a statement. This statement must contain the following information:
- Expected graduation date.
- The subjects you will be taking your exams in.
- The name of the certificate you will obtain.
The statement must be signed and stamped by an official at your school.
View the UU Diploma Statement (PDF).
In this case you can upload the same document under degree and transcript.
Please note that it is not necessary to have passed an English test at the time of your application. The results can be submitted later. Please inform us of the test you will take and the date you will take the test in OSIRIS Online Application.
Step 2: After conditional admission
A certified copy is a photocopy of your original qualification certificate or transcript that carries an official stamp and signature from the institution that issued the original document. See this video for more information.
Summary
If your courier confirms delivery, your documents are on their way, but processing at Utrecht University can take several weeks. You will be notified once everything is complete, so please send documents as soon as possible to allow time for the process.
Detailed answer
If you have used a track-and-trace service and the courier shows your documents as delivered, you can assume they are on their way to us.
Please note that once your documents arrive at Utrecht University, they are first handled by our central postal office before being sent to our department. This process can take several days, so we are unfortunately not able to confirm their arrival right away.
Once we get your documents, we check them within a few working days. If everything is correct, we inform your Graduate School. Then they can send you your unconditional acceptance letter, usually within 10 working days.
In total, this entire process can take up to several weeks. We kindly ask for your patience and recommend sending certified documents as early as possible. You will hear from us as soon as your documents have been processed.
The cost of a visa/residence permit application is €286. Please note that you will have to transfer this to Utrecht University together with the tuition fee for the first academic year. You will receive the invoice by e-mail in May or November, depending on the start date of your programme.
One of the conditions for your visa application set by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) is that students must have sufficient funds to live and study in the Netherlands. In more specific terms, students must have sufficient funds to pay for their study and living expenses without needing to work. This is generally about €11,000 plus the tuition fee for the whole academic year. More details will be provided by e-mail when it is time to start the application.
We will process the documents of students who require a visa first, as the deadline is 15 June. For students who do not require a visa, please note that we will process your documents from June onwards. Thank you for your patience.
Visa/residence permit applications for study at Utrecht University are submitted by Utrecht University. Your point of contact will always be Utrecht University and not the IND. The visa department will notify you by e-mail when it is time to start the application.
Step 3: After unconditional admission
Once you have successfully submitted an enrolment request in Studielink for one of our programmes, you will receive an e-mail from Utrecht University containing your student number. Please state your student number when contacting Utrecht University.
A Solis-ID is a username that, together with a password, gives you access to Utrecht University services. You will be given access to this student account once you have been fully enrolled. Your Solis-ID account number will usually be the same as your student number. New students will receive their Solis-ID and password in two separate e-mails to their private e-mail address.
As a student registered at Utrecht University, you will receive a digital student card stating the degree programme in which you are enrolled and the period of enrolment. You will find your student card in the MyUU app once you are fully enrolled. You can log in to the app with your Solis-ID. If you prefer a paper version or cannot use the app, you can print your Declaration of Enrolment in OSIRIS.
If you have any other questions about the UU, the application process, financial aid, or anything else, please contact us.