your roadmap
The whole journey from Nepal to the Netherlands. Shorter than most, because the hardest part — the immigration file — is handled by your university rather than by you.
Seven stages, and your effort is concentrated almost entirely in the first three. Once you are admitted and have paid, the institution takes over.
Check the programme is still English-taught
Policy is trimming English provision, especially bachelor's. Verify before building a plan around it.
English test
To your programme's published level.
Apply via Studielink
Plus the institution's portal. Numerus fixus programmes have earlier, firmer deadlines — commonly 15 January.
Admission
The substantive decision. From here your university carries the immigration file.
NOC, then pay
MoEST approval, then tuition or the guarantee fee. The university cannot file with the IND until this clears.
The university files; you collect the MVV
Which may require travelling abroad, since there is no Dutch embassy in Nepal.
Arrive, register, collect your permit
Municipal registration for your BSN, then your residence card, bank account and enrolment.
The Netherlands has a genuine national housing shortage — severe enough that it is one of the stated reasons international intake policy is tightening.
The Netherlands has a national housing shortage. Secure accommodation before you arrive — this is an availability problem, not only a cost one.
Your options, in the order to try them:
University-arranged housing
Some institutions reserve rooms for international students. Limited, allocated early — ask admissions directly.
Student housing corporations
Organisations like DUWO and SSH. Register as soon as you have an offer.
Private rental
Expensive and competitive, and beware of deposit scams targeting arriving students.
Outside the Randstad
Groningen, Enschede, Maastricht — cheaper and considerably easier than Amsterdam or Utrecht.
First priority: register with your municipality for a BSN — it gates your bank account, insurance and employment
Your permit: your VVR residence card is issued after you arrive
Health insurance: check whether you need Dutch public health insurance — the answer depends on whether you work while studying
The BSN gates almost everything else — bank account, insurance, employment. Book your municipal registration appointment as soon as you have an address, because appointment queues in the bigger cities can run to weeks.
While studying: 16 hours a week, and your employer must obtain a permit
On the zoekjaar: free labour-market access — no cap, no permit, no salary threshold
That contrast is worth internalising early. Dutch part-time work during study is genuinely restricted — plan your finances without leaning on it. The unrestricted access comes after you graduate, and it is one of the best post-study arrangements in this guide.