costs & funding
The Netherlands has two tuition rates and you almost certainly pay the higher one. Getting that straight is the difference between a realistic budget and a fantasy.
This is the most common budgeting mistake made about the Netherlands, and it is made by guides as often as by students.
One genuine exception: a Dutch PhD is typically a salaried position, with no tuition at all
The statutory rate applies to EU, EEA, Swiss and Surinamese nationals and certain permit holders. If a source quotes €2,694 as the cost of studying in the Netherlands, it is not describing your situation.
Nibud, the Dutch budget institute, estimates around €1,000–1,400 per month, with Amsterdam higher
Amsterdam runs well above that. The bigger issue is not price but availability — the Netherlands has a national housing shortage severe enough that it is part of why international intake policy is tightening. Secure accommodation before you arrive, and treat cities outside the Randstad as genuinely worth considering.
IND proof of funds for 2026: €13,600/year, or about €1,133/month
Important scope note: that figure covers living costs only — tuition and visa fees are on top
So your total requirement is €13,600 plus your institutional tuition plus fees — for a €15,000 programme that is close to €29,000 to demonstrate. Budget from that number, not from the living figure alone.
Reference rate used here: €1 ≈ NPR 145–150
The €13,600 living requirement is roughly NPR 19.7–20.4 lakh
A €12,000 institutional fee is roughly NPR 17.4–18 lakh
The cap: 16 hours per week during study
The catch: your employer must obtain a work permit for you — some will not bother
That employer-permit requirement is a real friction, not a formality — some employers will not bother, which narrows your options further than the 16 hours alone suggests. Treat part-time work here as a modest contribution to living costs, not a funding strategy.
Note the contrast with after graduation: on the zoekjaar you have free labour-market access with no cap and no permit. The restrictive period is while you study, not after.
Nepali bank education loans are commonly used. Specific rates: not published