how to apply from Nepal
Applications run through Studielink, the national system. Getting admitted matters more here than anywhere else in this guide — because your university, not you, then applies for your permit.
The Dutch sequence is short on your side and long on the institution's. Your work is front-loaded into admission; theirs comes after.
Check the programme is still in English
Policy is actively trimming English-taught provision, especially at bachelor's level. Verify before you plan around it.
English test
To the level your programme sets.
Apply via Studielink
Plus the institution's own portal. Watch numerus fixus deadlines, which are earlier and firmer.
Admission
Once admitted you become the university's responsibility for immigration purposes.
MoEST NOC, then pay
Nepal's approval, then tuition or the guarantee fee — the university cannot file with the IND until this is done.
The university files; you collect the MVV
Which may mean travelling, since there is no Dutch embassy in Nepal.
The national system: Studielink, often alongside your institution's own portal
A Dutch term worth knowing before it costs you a place.
What it means: capped-place programmes with earlier deadlines and their own selection procedure — commonly 15 January
These programmes have capped places, earlier deadlines and their own selection procedure — typically 15 January, well ahead of the ordinary cycle. Medicine, psychology and several popular programmes run this way. Missing the date means waiting a full year, regardless of how strong your application is.
Worth stating plainly, because it changes where you should put your effort.
Once a recognised-sponsor university admits you, it applies to the IND on your behalf. Your admission is effectively the substantive decision.
There is no separate intent exam, no Genuine Student statement, no consular interview. The IND leans on your institution's vetting as a recognised sponsor. So the whole weight of your case sits in the academic application — which is a far more comfortable place for a well-prepared student than a five-minute conversation at an embassy window.
English requirements: set per programme — IELTS, TOEFL and accepted equivalents, published clearly by each university
A single national academic threshold: does not exist
Dutch universities are generally clear and published about their requirements, which makes checking straightforward — but it also means there is little discretion to appeal to if you fall short. Meet the stated bar.
Academic transcripts
NEB/+2 and bachelor's records, with certified translations.
English test results
IELTS, TOEFL or an accepted equivalent.
Motivation letter
Standard for master's applications.
CV
For master's and research-track applications.
Passport
Valid for your intended stay.
Proof of funds
€13,600, or payment of the university's guarantee fee instead.
This sits squarely on the critical path here: your university cannot file with the IND until you have paid, and you cannot pay without the NOC. Start it the day your admission is confirmed.