r/StudyInTheNetherlands

everyone,
I’m an international non-EU student planning to study at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden. I may first take the English Preparatory Course before starting International Business.
I already have a blocked account with around €13,000, so my living costs and visa requirements are covered. My goal is more about whether it’s realistically possible to work and save additional money during my first months in the Netherlands.
I wanted to ask people who live in the Netherlands or studied there as non-EU students:
How difficult is it to find part-time jobs in Leeuwarden?
Are there enough English-speaking jobs for international students?
What kind of jobs do students usually get (restaurants, warehouses, delivery, supermarkets, etc.)?
Roughly how much can a student realistically earn per month after taxes?
Is housing in Leeuwarden manageable compared to bigger Dutch cities?
Do employers usually help with work permits for non-EU students?
My main question is:
Do you think it’s realistically possible for a non-EU student to save around €5000 within 6 months while studying and taking the English course / later International Business?
I know the Netherlands is expensive, so I’d really appreciate honest experiences from students, especially people in Leeuwarden or at NHL Stenden.

I've been looking for flats and noticed that many of them seem to be lacking an oven, so I was wondering if it's common for flats to come without an oven or if you guys possibly usually hide it to make the kitchen look more uniform? The lack of fridnges is pretty standard, but I haven't come across the oven mystery in my country

Hello doctors and medical students,

I’m curious how you prepare or prepared for these exams. I find some parts quite challenging, especially because certain topics have not yet been covered in my studies. For example, is there a syllabus, topic list, or another resource that clearly outlines what knowledge is expected?

Particularly with the VTG, I notice that some questions concern subjects for which I have little to no foundational knowledge yet. Because of this, I sometimes find it difficult to assess what exactly is expected of you, and at times it feels like I have to rely more on reasoning than on actual knowledge.

Fortunately, my results for the VGT are going well, but I would like to make my preparation more focused and efficient. Therefore, I would really appreciate hearing how others approached this and which resources, strategies, or study methods they found helpful.

Thank you in advance!

Hi all!

I made the leap to WO University after a year of HBO and after weighing pros and cons, I decided that commuting to EUR from Breda would be worth it for at least the first year to put off finding housing ( I really dont want to find a room again ). I have tried to keep a realistic mindset that the door-to-door commute of 1 hour - 1.25 hour will definitely suck some days but I think its doable. I have friends / a job in Breda so I'm hoping the social strain of not living in my study city does not bother me much.

Main question: Obviously 9292/NS/Google maps simply suggests traveling to Rotterdam Centraal and then biking or taking the tram to campus. However, I can't help but think there are some alternative routes. Rotterdam Alexander has the metro station as well, and the biking path to campus seems more straightforward / enjoyable. It is irritating that from Breda I cannot get to any of the smaller city stations without going through Centraal. Maybe I already know the answer, but does anyone here commute to EUR and have a different, more enjoyable, way to get to campus?

Hey lads, I have a question for anyone who has moved to Netherlands recently or people alr living there, i’m gonna be studying soon in one of the best universities in the country, but I’m trying to see if I can get a position somewhere so that I can kinda make my personal expense not rent n all. So what does the job market value right now if you had to give an overview for an early 20s guy. I already have high ticket sales experience but I’m probably also gonna intern at an electronics chain but I don’t know if that’s worth it as I am just trying to do it so that I can get a retail or sales position as soon as I land.
preciate your help

Hi! I’m an international incoming TU Delft Master’s student and I recently secured a place in The Hague with two other girls. Since Delft housing is honestly brutal right now, we ended up going for a fully furnished apartment in Den Haag instead.

The setup is:
• ~6 mins bike to Den Haag HS
• ~10–15 mins train to Delft
• Fully furnished apartment
• Internet included
• Washing machine included
• Cleaning service once every 2 months
• Shared apartment with other TU Delft students

The rooms are around €720–740/month rent + ~€100 utilities, so overall roughly ~€820–840/month including utilities/internet.

I’ve done all the budgeting, commute calculations, etc., and realistically the setup seems manageable, but I wanted some honest opinions from people already studying/living in NL:

Is living in The Hague and commuting to TU Delft actually sustainable long-term? Does it start feeling exhausting over time or does it become normal pretty quickly? Also realistically, how much does it affect student/social life?

Would especially love input from people currently commuting from The Hague/Rotterdam to Delft! Moreover, the commute expense if using Tram or Train.

Hey everyone. Did you guys manage to pay your tuition fees for next year via studielink?

I have completed my application requirements and have been accepted for my master's at the VU, but studielink hasn't yet asked me for any payment details.

Is this normal? Does anyone know when I can expect to pay for the fees?

I’m a German student and will be moving in with my Dutch boyfriend. Him and I will be officially registered as partners & he will be working. Can I get duo ? I won’t have time to work and from the requirements I saw it said you are eligible if your partner is a “migrant worker”? I’m a bit confused and would love some help :)

Hi everyone,
I’m currently working alongside my studies and receiving DUO student finance based on my job.
I’m trying to understand how strict the “32 hours per month” requirement is.
My situation so far:
April: 65.25 hours

May: 40 hours

June: 45 hours (expected)

So I’m well above the requirement overall, but my question is:
👉 Does DUO check the 32 hours strictly every single month,
or do they look at an average / overall pattern over several months?
For example:
If I work 45 hours one month but maybe only ~20–25 hours another month (like taking time off in July),
would that cause issues?

Or is it okay as long as I have a stable job and it balances out over time?
Would really appreciate experiences or official info from anyone who has dealt with this.
Thanks!

I would like to inquire about computer science majors at universities in the Netherlands.

Hii, I successfully booked a room from SSH (thank God, lol) and I'd like to figure out who my roommate is. I booked a short stay (1 year) from Erasmus University. There's no place on the website to find my roommate's contact information. How would I be able to contact them? Thanks!

hi guys, so we need to make a choice about either doing the minor track or the exchange track. I wanna go on exchange. my GPA is 7.0 and I’m planning to do my exchange outside Europe, plus my top 3 choices are all pretty expensive countries with visas, health insurance, and expensive housing, so I’ve been thinking about how students actually do this when they’re already renting a place in the Netherlands?

I would have an indefinite rental agreement, and I was thinking maybe I could sublet it, but would that get me into serious trouble? it’s not student accommodation, just a normal apartment complex. Also, what do dutch/international students usually do with all their clothes and stuff when they go on exchange? if you sublet your place, where do you store everything?

might sound dumb but I genuinely don’t know 😭

Okay, so these might sound silly, but it's the first time I'm moving out of my country to come do my master's in NL, so I have to ask. I have rented a room, which comes unfurnished. Is there any way to make sure I don't sleep on the floor on the first night? The room is in Amsterdam, so I thought I could purchase some furniture online to have them delivered before I arrive. Where do you guys buy furniture cheap? Can't afford 700€ for a bed. Also, for the tech geeks. Has anyone ever shipped their PC to another country? I'm talking about a PC, not a laptop. With screen, mouse, keyboard, etc. I'm a gamer and I'm not sure if I should take my PC with me or buy a new one there (everyone knows how the RAM prices are, so you understand me). Hoping for any thoughtful comments, thank you in advance!

Hey everyone,

So I'm in a bit of a stressful situation and looking for advice from people who've been through something similar.

I'm 17 and will turn 18 this september, grew up and studied in Dubai, did CBSE cirriculum in highschool and got a 75.2% overall average in 5 core subjects including Math and Physics. I have a 110/120 TOEFL iBT score. I applied to Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) for Electrical Engineering yesterday and found out I completely missed the international application deadline. The international office said no exceptions to the deadline after I emailed them.

I really want to study abroad — Netherlands is the dream honestly, but I'm also
open to Canada or other european places. I don't want to do a gap year doing nothing but I also don't want to just settle for something local. It's in my interest to go abroad (particularly some place that experiences snow regularly or has mountain culture).

Here's where I'm at right now:

- I got into RIT Dubai (similar fees to TU/e) but I really want to go abroad.
- I'm considering a foundation year in Netherlands to then apply to TU/e for Fall 2027. (I don't want to take a gap year and waste it.)
- Canada is also on my mind but costs are intimidating.

My questions:

1. Has anyone done a foundation year in Netherlands as a non-EU international student? Was it worth it?
2. Is there a foundation year actually recognized well enough to strengthen a TU/e application? in eindhoven or places nearby?
3. What do I do about housing? and can someone explain the system to me. I really don't understand it at all. Spoon feed me the process of vise, housing and other things.
4. Is there any university (Netherlands, Canada) with EE programs that still have open applications for Fall 2026?
5. I'm not sure, but maybe I could study a year in RIT Dubai? and then drop out?

Any advice appreciated. Feeling pretty lost right now. I'm open to doing a job, but I don't know how that's going to tie into the visa and housing.

Thanks for your time and please help me out.

Everyone and their mothers are telling me I should just stay in my home country and study engineering here because Eng programs in the Netherlands have a very low pass rate in the first year. I’m going to be honest, hearing this has kind of shattered my confidence. I’ve already paid for housing. Idk what to do.

I have an H cup

Do people in the Netherlands care how you go to school, or does it not matter?

I’m trying to decide whether doing the Dutch orientation year (“zoekjaar”) would actually make sense in my situation, and I’d really appreciate any opinion.

I’m a non-EU citizen and finished a master’s in particle physics across multiple European countries last year. I’m currently working in an ITSM consultancy position in my home country while applying for jobs in Europe and trying to save money for any job search year I might take. Long term I’m probably aiming more for data-centered industry roles rather than academia.

The Netherlands seems attractive because of the orientation year and the lower salary requirement afterward, but I’m unsure how realistic it actually is to find sponsorship during that period without directly related industry experience already. I’m also considering France since I studied there before and speak some French, although the Netherlands seems much more international and English-friendly.

For people who’ve been in similar situations: do you think the orientation year is genuinely useful for someone with my background? One of my concerns is also whether spending a year in the Netherlands without finding a sponsored job could hurt my chances later if I decide to apply for something like a French job seeker visa or another residence pathway elsewhere. I would be spending a significant amount of money to move, so I want to make the best decision possible.

Hi everyone, I’m planning to study a BA International Relations at Webster Leiden University this fall (October).

I was hoping get more information from previous students of the university on their experience attending Webster Leiden. Specifically about student life, academics and student support. I also wanted to know if the university assist its students in finding jobs/internships once they’ve graduated.

Additionally, I wanted to inquire about their student accommodation and the facilities available . This is because on their website they do not provide any information about the accommodation besides the number of rooms available.

Thank you for your help!

Hello, I'm an international student at TU Delft starting this September and I recently got a rental contract from ISHR housing service for a room in Delft.

Since I’m currently abroad, I’m not sure whether this room and contract seem reasonable, so I would really appreciate any opinions or experiences.

The room is:

• €860/month all-inclusive
• 12m² with a balcony
• furnished
• registration possible
• no housing allowance
• fixed-term contract until July 2027

The contract looked professional, but I’m still unsure whether the room is worth the price, especially since the contract is compulsory for one year.

Has anyone had experience with ISHR or similar housing in Delft? Does this setup seem legitimate and reasonable for the current housing market?

Any advice please. Thanks!

Hi,

I am a non-EU student going on exchange for semester 1 from the University of Groningen. I want to sublet my room (and the owner of the flat is fine with this too) but it seems that if I give up my registration (which I don't have to do because I will return within 8 months) I'll also loose my residency permit. I can't find any alternative to this and I worry that it means I won't be able to let my room which not only means I'd have to pay double rent which I realistically don't want to/can't actually afford to do and it also means that in a city where so many people struggle to find a room, especially exchange students, there would be one empty for a full semester, which strikes me as silly since its really only for the sake of bureaucracy.

Is there anything that can be done in this instance?