Application procedure

Read Utrecht University’s course catalogue to find a programme you are interested in. 

To be accepted for a bachelor’s programme at Utrecht University, you need to have the right qualifications and meet the entry requirements for your chosen programme. You can find more information on our diploma equivalence page and on the Entry requirements page of your bachelor’s programme. If you are unsure about your eligibility, feel free to get in touch with our International Student Admissions by sending an e-mail to admissionsoffice@uu.nl.

Make sure to also note whether your chosen programme is a limited enrolment or selective programme. To enroll in these programmes, meeting the entry requirements is not sufficient: you must also be selected for the programme.

Every programme has its own application deadline, which you can find on the Application procedure page of your programme. The deadline depends on whether you are applying for a limited enrolment or selective programme and on whether you need a student visa and/or residence permit to study in the Netherlands. Always make sure to check which deadline applies to you.

All deadlines expire at 23:59 (midnight) Central European Time on the specified date. You must complete the entire application process (including submitting your application documents in OSIRIS Online Application and paying the application fee) by this time.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible. The earlier you apply, the more time there is for us to help you if your application file is not complete. You will also receive a decision about your application earlier.

Keep in mind that you may need to apply even earlier than the standard application deadline, if you also wish to be considered for a UU scholarship or need an early admissions decision for a scholarship application in your home country. You can find more details about the specific application procedures on our Grants and scholarship page.

The list of required application documents varies for each programme, but will always include the following.

• Scan of your passport or EU national ID card, which must be valid at the start of the programme.
• Evidence of current and/or previous education (such as a diploma, supplement or list of grades) that shows that you (will) meet the entry requirements for your chosen programme.
• Proof of Dutch and/or English language proficiency (depending on the language of instruction of your chosen programme).

Check the website of your programme for any additional documents you may need to submit (for example a motivation letter). If the website does not mention such documents, none are required.

We can process your application and determine your eligibility based on scans and/or digital documents.

If your qualification certificates and transcripts are not in English, Dutch, French, German or Spanish, you also need to arrange a translation by a sworn or certified translator. All other application documents (if required) must be submitted in English or Dutch, unless the instructions on the website of the bachelor’s programme indicate otherwise.

You can apply even if you have not yet obtained your preliminary qualification. In this case, we will need written proof that you will obtain this qualification before the start of the bachelor’s programme. You can ask your school to issue a formal statement. Alternatively, they can use our standard Diploma Statement form. Download the Diploma Statement (pdf, 111 kB) for guidelines and our standard form for this statement. 

If you do not yet have proof of your proficiency in English, you can indicate this on the application form in OSIRIS Online Application. Should you be found eligible for your chosen programme, your offer of admission will remain conditional until you provide us with test results with sufficient scores.

Do you have a question about the application documents, check our admission and application FAQ!

Studielink is the national website created for students to arrange their enrolment (and re-enrolment) at Dutch universities and other higher education institutions. To apply to Utrecht University, you must first start an enrolment application in Studielink.

• If you live in the Netherlands, use your DigiD to log in to Studielink.
• If you live in the Netherlands but do not have a DigiD, visit the DigiD website and request one before applying!
• If you live outside the Netherlands, you will need to create a Studielink account before you can apply. Click on ‘Create Studielink-account without DigiD’ under the ‘Log in without DigiD’ button to create a Studielink account. Make sure to fill in all personal details correctly and as they appear on your official identification documents (such as your passport or national ID card).

Once you have logged in to Studielink, you will be asked to add information about your previous education. Please include all secondary and higher education qualifications you have obtained or are in the process of obtaining.

If you completed part of your previous education in the Netherlands, the relevant information will automatically be entered into Studielink for you by DUO (the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Education). You may still have to enter education you completed outside the Netherlands by hand.

After entering the details of your educational background, you can immediately start an application for your chosen programme. You can submit a total of four active enrolment applications per academic year in Studielink. Additional restrictions may apply if you are applying for one or more limited enrolment programmes.

Once you have submitted your enrolment request to Utrecht University, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing your student number. Make sure to always mention this number when communicating with Utrecht University.

If you live in the Netherlands and are submitting an enrolment application for a programme without limited enrolment, you will also receive an invitation to the ‘matching’ procedure of your chosen programme. Matching is an opportunity to familiarise yourself with your chosen programme before you actually enrol and is a mandatory part of the enrolment process for prospective students living in the Netherlands. You can find more information on our matching web page.

If you have any questions about Studielink, take a look at the Studielink FAQ.

After submitting your enrolment request in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail with login details and further instructions for OSIRIS Online Application.

You will have to complete our application form and upload your documents. The documents you upload must be in PDF format and must not exceed 2 MB. It is possible to upload multiple files for the same question.

After uploading your documents, you will be asked to either pay the application fee of €100 or request an exemption from the fee. We can only grant an exemption in very specific cases. Visit our application fee page to see if an exemption applies to you and read about the available payment methods. Be aware that you will not be able to submit your application without first paying the application fee or being granted an exemption.

You can save and return to your application as many times as you like before submitting. We will only be able to view and process your application once you have clicked ‘Submit’ on the final page of the application form.

If you have any questions about OSIRIS Online Application, take a look at our admission and application FAQ.