Study in Holland FAQ
Dec 19, 2011
This section will answer many of your questions about studying in Holland. If you have any doubts or questions, please send an e-mail to info@nesomexico.org.
Questions
1. Do I need to speak Dutch to study in Holland?
2. What options do I have for studying in Holland?
3. Are there public and private universities in Holland?
4. What is the difference between universities of applied sciences and research universities?
6. Can I do an internship in Holland?
7. What steps should I take if I want to study or do an internship in Holland?
8. Which documents are usually required for admission?
9. What level of English do I need to study in Holland?
10. Can I study an English Preparation program before the main course?
11. Do I need a visa to study in Holland?
12. How much does it cost to study in Holland?
13. Can I get a scholarship to finance my study in Holland?
14. Can I work while I study in Holland?
15. Can I stay in the Netherlands after my graduation?
16. Can I use my foreign diploma to study or work in Holland?
17. Can I enter a Bachelor’s programme with any "preparatoria"-diploma?
18. Can I enter a Master’s programme with any Bachelor’s title?
19. How do I legalize my documents for use in Holland?
20. Will I be able to use my Dutch diploma in Mexico or elsewhere?
22. Are there many Mexicans studying in Holland?
23. What is the weather like in Holland?
24. Where can I find more information about studying in Holland?
1. Do I need to speak Dutch to study in Holland?
No, there are more than 1,500 programmes taught entirely in English. Dutch people speak English very well, so in public life you will also be able to manage with just English. In the search engine for study programmes you can look for all study programmes taught in English.
2. What options do I have for studying in Holland?
You have several options for studying in Holland. You can enrol in an English-taught bachelor's, master's or PhD degree programme or short course. Or, if you speak Dutch, enrol in a Dutch programme. Read more about your study options. In the search engine for study programmes you can look for all study programmes taught in English.
3. Are there public and private universities in Holland?
Most higher education institutions receive funding from the Dutch government, but Dutch citizens always have to pay a tuition fee as well. Therefore the separation between public and private institutes is not as clear as with Mexican institutions.
There are some institutions that are completely private though. These institutes generally offer very specific programmes, such as MBA’s and non-degree courses.
4. What is the difference between universities of applied sciences and research universities?
The Dutch education system has two main types of higher education institutions: research universities and universities of applied sciences. Research universities focus on the independent practice of research-oriented work in an academic setting. However, many study programmes at research universities also have a professional component and most graduates actually find work outside the research community.
Universities of applied sciences offer programmes that focus on the practical application of arts and sciences. Acquiring practical work and research experience through internships is an integral part of the professional study programmes offered at these institutions.
5. What do the different degree titles mean (e.g. the difference between B and BA/BSc and between M and MA/MSc)?
Graduates of bachelor’s programmes at a research university obtain a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (BA/BSc) degree, depending on the discipline. The degree of a bachelor’s programme (B) offered by universities of applied sciences indicates the field of study (for example, Bachelor of Engineering, B Eng). The same applies to master's programmes (MA/MSc for degrees from research universities and M for universities of applied sciences.
Read more about degrees from Dutch institutions.
6. Can I do an internship in Holland?
If you are not interested in doing a study programme or course but want to do your internship in Holland, there are several options that are worth considering.
Find out more about your options for doing an internship.
7. What steps should I take if I want to study or do an internship in Holland?
You can use the checklist to help you find out which steps to take, how you can apply, where to look for scholarships and when to arrange your visa and other documents.
8. Which documents are usually required for admission?
For bachelor's programmes:
- high school diploma at the appropriate level;
- list of subjects with grades from your high school;
- diploma showing your level of English (TOEFL or IELTS).
For master's programmes:
- bachelor’s degree in the same field of study as your master's programme or equivalent;
- list of subjects with grades;
- diploma showing your level of English (TOEFL or IELTS).
For PhD programmes:
- master’s degree in the same field of study as your research proposal or equivalent;
- list of subjects with grades;
- diploma showing your level of English (TOEFL or IELTS).
Each institution may require additional documents, such as a motivation statement, a curriculum vitae (CV), recommendation letter(s), or a copy of your passport and/or birth certificate. Some institutions require GRE and/or GMAT-results, portfolio, and so on, depending on the programme you are interested in.
9. What level of English do I need to study in Holland?
This depends on the institution and/or study programme. The two English tests that are accepted in all institutions are:
IELTS: for this test you will need at least a result of 6.0. Some programmes may require a result of 6.5 or 7.0.
TOEFL: the minimum score for the Internet Based Test (IBT) is 80 (equivalent to 550 on the Paper Based Test, PBT). Some programmes require a higher score. Computer based result should be 213. Please note that the institutional test is not accepted by Dutch instititions.
For art institutions other regulations may apply.
10. Can I study an English Preparation program before the main course?
Yes, some institutions have the preparatory courses for international students. If you want to study English preparation program, please check the institution website to make sure that institution provides this course. The preparatory is usually designed for students who need to upgrade their English level with 0.5 or 1.0 point IELTS to be admitted to bachelor or master courses. It means that you also have at least IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL 500 to apply for the preparatory course. Therefore we highly recommend that you should get a sufficient English level in Mexico before going to the Netherlands to study to save your cost and time.
11. Do I need a visa to study in Holland?
Yes, if you are going to The Netherlands for more than three months, you need a visa called MVV. The university will apply for your MVV once you have been accepted in a programme and will require some additional documents from you. The visa will be issued by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Mexico City or one of the Consulates in Mexico.
Generally the university will apply for your MVV two or three months before your studies begin, since the procedure at the Dutch Migration Service (IND) usually takes about 2 - 6 weeks (in some cases this may be longer). The requirements are:
- Acceptance in a programme in a higher education institute that has signed the Code of Conduct;
- Proof
of sufficient funds. These minimum monthly amounts are not necessarily the same for each purpose of stay and are subject to change; they are reviewed twice a year. For the current amounts, check the IND website or ask your host institution. If your programme is more than one year, you only need to prove
sufficient funds for the first year. This requirement is very strict.
Sufficient funds may be proven in three ways:
- a bank statement of an account on your name with sufficient funds in local currency.
Take into account that the statement must mention "pesos mexicanos" (not M.N.) and that it must be translated into English by an official translater. Also, bear in mind that the exchange rate may differ from the moment you obtain the statement to the moment the IND receives it for revision.
- a bank transfer to the host universities' account.
Most Dutch higher education institutions offer the possibility to make a transfer to their account of the whole amount for one year of living expenses. They will apply for your MVV with their bank statement where your transfer appears (with the total amount in euros). Upon your arrival in The Netherlands, the university will return the money on your Dutch bank account, so you can use it for your personal expenses.
- a letter stating that you will receive a scholarship or student loan for the duration of your studies.
This letter must be in English and mention your full name, birth date, the name of the institution where you will study, the name of the programme you are going to study, the exact period in which the scholarship or loan will be granted, the total amount of the scholarship or loan and the monthly amount that you will receive. - A valid passport.
For programmes with duration of less than three months you only need a valid passport.
12. How much does it cost to study in Holland?
In comparison to most Anglo-Saxon countries, tuition fees and living costs in Holland are reasonable. In general, tuition fees for non-EU students range from € 5,000 to € 15,000 depending on the programme. For students with a double nationality, of which one is from the European Union, the annual tuition fees for enrolment in a degree programme or course at a Dutch higher education institution start at around € 1,700.
Although costs of living may vary a little per city, generally students spend between € 800 to € 1,100 per month.
13. Can I get a scholarship to finance my study in Holland?
On the Neso webpage you can find a short overview of scholarships available to Mexican students (in Spanish and English). Please note that many Dutch higher education institutions also offer their own scholarships to excellent students, so it is recommendable to enquire at the university as well whether you are eligible for such a scholarship. Some Dutch institutions offer scholarships exclusively for Mexican students. These scholarships are part of the Orange Tulip Scholarship programme for Mexican students.
On the Grantfinder webpage you may find additional scholarship options.
14. Can I work while I study in Holland?
International students who would like to take paid work alongside their studies are allowed to do so. However, depending on your nationality you can only do this for a limited amount of hours per week and only if the employer has applied for a work permit for you. Read more about working alongside your studies.
15. Can I stay in the Netherlands after my graduation?
Once you have finished your academic programme in Holland, you may want to stay and continue studying or find a job in the Netherlands. Or you want to continue studying in your home country or leave to study in yet another country. Find out more about the options you have after your studies.
16. Can I use my foreign diploma to study or work in Holland?
When you apply to study here, your Dutch host institution will evaluate your diploma to compare it to a Dutch diploma. They will check if you meet the admission requirements. Nuffic can advise the institutions about foreign diploma’s. You do not have to take action for this yourself.
If you want to work in Holland, you can contact Nuffic for more information and advice on how to have your foreign diploma evaluated in the Netherlands. You can also contact the Information Centre for Credential Evaluation (IDW).
17. Can I enter a Bachelor’s programme with any "preparatoria"-diploma?
It is always up to the university to decide whether you may enter their study programme with any preparatoria diploma. Many times it is no problem when applying for a programme in a university of applied science. For research universities it may be necessary to complete at least one year of studies at Bachelor’s level (either in Mexico or in Holland), before you are allowed to enter the Bachelor’s programme. This is due to the difference in study level between Mexico and Holland.
If you have an “International Baccalaureate” (IB) diploma, it is more likely that a university will accept you without any problem.
18. Can I enter a Master’s programme with any Bachelor’s title?
Again this depends on the institution; both the Mexican institution where you studied as the Dutch institution where you will do your Master’s programme. If you studied at a widely recognized university, such as UNAM, IPN, TEC de Monterrey, ITAM, La Salle, etc. generally there are no problems.
If your current institute is not very well-known, possibly the admissions office of the Dutch institute will send your papers to Nuffic where your diploma will be compared with Dutch standards. Nufic can only give a recommendation to the university; the admissions office takes the final decision.
It is always important that your Bachelor’s degree has affinity with the Master’s degree you want to do, since otherwise you might not have sufficient basic knowledge of the theory.
19. How do I legalize my documents for use in Holland?
In order to use your documents in Holland you need to take a few steps:
- “Apostille de La Haya” (International legalization)
For official documents it is necessary to have the “apostille” stamp in order to be recognized internationally. You can obtain this stamp on the original document at the offices of the state government (“Secretaría de Gobernación”) of the state where you obtained your diploma. For more information about legalizing documents in Mexico D.F., please visit the webpage of DICOPPU. For the addresses of offices in other states, please visit the Apostille Info webpage.
PLEASE NOTE: the apostille stamp only applies to your “título” and certificates like a birth certificate, certificate of marriage, etc. It is not possible to obtain the stamp on other documents. - Certified copies
You should never send original diplomas to the Dutch institutions as they will not return them to you after your application. Therefore it is necessary to obtain certified copies of all documents. These can be obtained either at your university or with a public notary. It is recommendable to request five or six sets of copies at once, since you might need them for other universities or scholarship programmes.
PLEASE NOTE: these copies are necessary for all official documents that you send to The Netherlands: your “título”, grade list, other diplomas, etc. - Official translation to English
Dutch institutions generally do not accept documents in Spanish. Therefore it is necessary to have an official translator make the translation of all documents in English. On the Nuffic Neso website you can find a list of various official translators in Mexico. You can also ask your university if they know an official translator near your home.
20. Will I be able to use my Dutch diploma in Mexico or elsewhere?
You can ask for a Diploma Description, which provides information about academic qualifications obtained in the Netherlands and offers a suggestion on how the qualifications should be evaluated in the country in which it is presented. A full evaluation of your diploma can only be done in the country where you intend to work or study. In Mexico this recognition is handled by the Secretary of Public Education.
Read more about the evaluation of Dutch diplomas.
If you want to use your Dutch diploma in another country, please check the Enic-Naric website for address details of recognition information centres. If the country you are looking for is not on the list, you should contact the education ministry in that country directly.
21. Where can I learn Dutch?
Although many Dutch people speak English very well, you may want to learn some Dutch as a part of your Study in Holland experience. This can make it much easier to get in touch with other Dutch students and make some Dutch friends.
Many universities offer Dutch courses for their foreign students. This means that besides the regular study programme you can take an additional course to learn the basics of the language and a little more about the Dutch culture. This is not obligatory, but optional.
If you want to take Dutch courses in Mexico, on the webpage of Neso Mexico you can find a list of different teachers in Mexico. This list is provided by the Dutch Embassy, however, Neso cannot guarantee the quality of these classes.
Several Dutch universities have language centres where you can take Dutch courses as well. Although this is mainly for students that want to start a programme taught in Dutch, some also offer the option of short courses or summer-courses. It is recommendable taking a course at a university because of the guaranteed quality.
22. Are there many Mexicans studying in Holland?
Each year a little less than 200 students go to Holland with the purpose of studying at a higher education institute. At the moment an estimated 350-400 students are registered at Dutch higher education institutes.
23. What is the weather like in Holland?
The climate in Holland is a moderate sea climate; therefore it does not have extreme cold or extreme heath. In the winter (from December to February), the temperature is about 1- 4°C. In the summer (from June to August), it is usually warm and dry with the spells of cool and wet weather.
The yearly average temperature ranges from 9.0 °C to 10.4 °C (January: 2.0°C - 3.8°C; July 16.5°C - 17.7°C).
24. Where can I find more information about studying in Holland?
- You can visit the websites:
- You can visit our office at
Galileo 50, top floor 2
Col. Polanco
México D.F. 11560
T (55) 5254-4013
Lada sin costo: 01-800-HOLANDA (01-800-4652632)
E info@nesomexico.org
Office hours:
Monday to Friday,
- from 9am to 2pm without appointment
- from 3pm to 5pm with appointment - Chat sessions:
Every Wednesday from 9am to 2pm (Mexico City time) via MSN Messenger. In order to use this service you must add “nesomexico@hotmail.com” to your contact list. - Social Network sites:
Nuffic Neso Mexico has profiles on the following social networking site:
- Facebook
- Twitter
- YouTube