VU Amsterdam also offers 44 Bachelor's degree programmes in Dutch, but the application procedures are different.

Are you talented and motivated? Do you want to invest more in your own area of study? Then the Honours Programme is something for you!

A lot of reasons: high quality education, a diverse community and a modern campus university in the vibrant city of Amsterdam.

Every Bachelor's degree programme has its own admission rules and requirements. Please check the specific admission rules and requirements on the page of your Bachelor's degree programme.

General admission and language requirements
If you have followed your secondary education outside the Netherlands then it must be equivalent to the Dutch secondary educational standard (VWO diploma) which is required for entrance to all universities of the Netherlands.
Some foreign diplomas qualify for university entrance in their own country. However, these diplomas do not have the same academic level as the Dutch VWO diploma.
For this reason we must first assess if your previous education is sufficient for admission to a bachelor’s degree programme.
Even if you possess a diploma that is equivalent to the Dutch VWO, (for example a Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife ) you will still have to meet the language proficiency and specific entry requirements before you will be admitted to a Bachelor’s degree programme.

Proof of sufficient proficiency in English
VU Amsterdam requires all international applicants to take an English language proficiency test and to submit their scores before 31 August.

Applicants who have completed their education in Canada, the USA, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, or Australia are exempt from this requirement, as are those who have obtained an International Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate diploma (English-taught programs only).

We accept the following tests and minimum scores:

• IELTS: 6.5- please note that candidates must take the Academic test and not the general one!
• TOEFL paper- ·based test: 580
• TOEFL internet-based test: 92
• Cambridge Advanced English (CAE): A, B or C
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B, C
• VU-test English-language proficiency: TOEFL ITP

NB: for PPE the entry requirements towards English are higher!

Useful links:

• www.ielts.org
• www.toefl.org
• www.cambridgeenglish.org

For TOEFL and IELTS, the test must have been completed no more than two years before 1 September of the year in which your course starts.

Students living in the Netherlands can also register for a TOEFL-ITP exam offered by the VU Taalloket. The test costs €80 and is only valid for admission to VU Amsterdam.

Most Bachelor's programmes use VU Matching. One aspect of the registration process is to check whether the programme really suits you. You can do this through VU Matching. If you register after 1 May, VU Matching will be different. The programme will then decide whether you can be admitted.

Take part in the online VU Matching Activity if the programme organizes one. Visit the degree programme homepage for more information about the matching activity.
If you have registered for the university admissions test (colloquium doctum), you are not required to undergo matching. In this case, participation in the matching activity is optional.

What is the VU Matching Programme?
After registering in Studielink, the first step in the VU Matching Programme is to fill in a digital questionnaire. This can be done via the VUnet portal and is part of the enrolment process at VU Amsterdam. The questionnaire will help you to reflect on your chosen degree programme. Then you will take part in a programme-specific matching activity. This will involve an online activity that will give you a realistic picture of your chosen programme. The VU Matching Programme is compulsory, there are no costs involved. The results are not binding. 

VU Amsterdam believes it is very important during the first year of your studies to make sure that you have chosen the right study programme. We are convinced that this has a positive effect on your ability to successfully complete the programme within a reasonable time frame. This is why the university has decided to introduce a binding study advice (BSA) on continuation of studies for all Bachelor’s programmes*.

What does the binding study advice entail?

The BSA means that all Bachelor’s students will be given advice on their study progress on four occasions during their first year. The fourth recommendation, issued at the end of the first year, is binding in nature. In the course of your first year, you must attain a certain amount of credits. This amount varies depending on the study programme. In the second year you will also receive advice on a regular basis.

Within two years, you are required to pass all of your first-year subjects. If you do not manage to attain the minimum number of credits during your first year or to pass all of your first-year subjects within two years, you will not be permitted to continue your studies in that particular programme at VU Amsterdam.

Coaching and supervision

Of course, you do not have to face these challenges alone. VU Amsterdam has organized its study programmes in such a way that we can work together to achieve the best results. In your first year, you will receive intensive coaching and supervision from mentors and/or tutors. The study advisor also keeps a close watch on your progress. If your results do not meet the mandatory requirements, you will receive coaching and supervision in deciding whether to stop your studies or transfer to another programme. Naturally, we take account of special circumstances such as illness and other personal issues.

We provide high-quality teaching which sets high standards for our students and our teaching staff. For exceptional students, we have developed special resources such as programmes of excellence, honours tracks and a special scheme for top athletes. 

The exact regulations and the number of credits that have to be attained in the first Bachelor’s year vary according to the study programme. To find out more, go to the website of your own study programme (see top of page).

* With the exception of the Bachelor’s programmes in Liberal Arts and Sciences (AUC)

Tuition fees for International Bachelor’s programmes vary for EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students.

Be prepared before you arrive: find a place to live, get your visa/residence permit and find out how to register with the local authorities.

Your first days and weeks in Amsterdam will be filled with new experiences, new people and a few practical considerations too. Check what you need to do when you arrive at VU Amsterdam.

As a Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam student it is possible to study abroad for one semester during the third year of your Bachelor. You can apply for an exchange period via the university’s International Office and make use of the existing exchange contracts with universities worldwide. However, there are also alternative options for spending some time abroad: you can arrange it yourself in which case you will be called a ‘freemover’, you can do an internship abroad or you can even complete a full Bachelor or Master programme in a different country. More information about when to go on exchange, your study planning and more, can be found on VUnet. Check our exchange partners world map and find your perfect study abroad destination! 

Receive information on specific programmes of your interest by email in a brochure.

Would you like to know more about the international programmes or maybe even come along to find out for yourself what studying at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is like? You are very welcome to meet us! VU Amsterdam is organising various events and activities for prospective students.

Meet us at open days in Amsterdam

We regularly organise open days at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for students that are interested in studying in Amsterdam. The next Bachelor's day is on Saturday 4 November 2017. You are welcome to come and check out the various Bachelor Programmes that VU Amsterdam has to offer and find the programme you are looking for! For a personal meeting, you can contact your International Student Advisor for all the information you need.

Meet us in your own country

VU Amsterdam is frequently present at international education fairs around the world. It will be a pleasure to meet you at our stand! Please join one of our presentations, take a brochure or flyer and ask our colleagues and alumni about all that you need to know about studying at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Here is an overview with the education fairs where you can meet us soon.

We are represented abroad by a number of cultural institutions and education recruitment agents. We have contracted our agents to recruit and inform prospective students about the degree opportunities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. These organizations are reliable and will do their utmost to handle our student's application files with care.

Brazil, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam	Nuffic Netherlands Education Support Offices (Nuffic Nesos) Nuffic is the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education. Nuffic Nesos operate in locations around the world.
China	Egypt
Edvance Education International Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Bldg. E, 2/F 1, Wangjing Zhonghuan Nanlu Chaoyang District Beijing 100102 PR China T: (+86) 10 8417 7407 ext 205 Email: info@edvance-international.com	Netherlands-Flemish Institute for Archaeology and Arabic Studies in Cairo (NVIC) 1, Dr. Mahmoud Azmi Street P.O. Box 50, 11211 Zamalek Cairo Egypt T +20 2 7382520/22 F +20 2 7382523 Email: info@nvic.net.eg
Greece	Italy
Netherlands Insitute Athens (NIA) Makri 11 117 42 Athens Greece T +30 210 9210760/1 F +30 210 9210770 Email: nia@nia.gr	Dutch University Institute for Art History Florence Viale Torricelli 5, 50125 Firenze Italy T +39 055 221612 F +39 055 221106 Email: iuo@iuo.iris.firenze.it
Italy	Japan
Netherlands Institute in Rome Via Omero 10/12, 00197 Roma Italy T +39 06 3269621 F +39 06 3204971 Email: general@knir-roma.it	Dutch Institute Abroad Kyobashi Plaza Bldg 3F 25-3 Ginza 1-Chome Chuo-Ku Tokyo Japan 104-0061 T +3 3567 2123 F +3 3567 5658
Russia	India
Netherlands Institute in Saint Petersburg (NIP) Kaluzhsky Pereulok 3 193015 St. Petersburg Russia T +7 812 327 0887 F +7 812 118 1939 Email: info@nispb.ru	Join In Campus Education Pvt Ltd Avani Trivedi 74, Alexander Crescent, Otara, Auckland -2023 Email:avani@joinincampus.com T: +64 226973037
Russia	South Korea
Student International Olga Krivileva 115054, Russia, Moscow, Schipok Str 20, office 306-308 T: +7 495 956 1576/1575 ext.112 E-mail: europe@studinter.ru	TNS Worldwide co. Hojin Kang Ltd. Headquarters –Seoul, Korea 3F Samhaeng Bldg, 18 Gangnam-daero 94-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-932 South Korea T: 82-2-3288-1733~1735 E-mail: khj@tnsuhak.com
Indonesia
Atlas Education Services Ervina Savitri DBS Bank Tower, 28th fl. Ciputra World One kav. 3-5, Jakarta 12940; T:+62 21 29 888 258; E: ervina@atlas-edu.com

Every Bachelor's degree programme has its own International Student Advisor. 

If you have a specific question about applying with a non-Dutch diploma you can contact your programme ISA (International Student Advisor). The ISA will help you with practicalities about your bachelor admission and support you throughout the application process.

 

School of Business and Economics
- Econometrics and Operations Research: Econometrics and Data Science - Econometrics and Operations Research: Econometrics and Operations Research - Economics and Business Economics - International Business Administration	bachelors.sbe@vu.nl +31 20 5982508	Ester de Koning
Faculty of Science
- Biomedical Sciences - Business Analytics - Computer Science - Mathematics	bachelors.fs@vu.nl +31 20 5984212	Julia Tan
Faculty of Humanities
- Literature and Society: English - Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) - Communication and International Sciences - History: History and International Studies Philosophy - Philosophy	bachelors.hum@vu.nl +31 20 5986331	Eva Meijerink
Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
- Psychology	bachelors.fbms@vu.nl +31 20 5982883	Frieda Schaufeli
Faculty of Social Sciences
- Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology	bachelors.fss@vu.nl +31 20 5982883	Frieda Schaufeli
Amsterdam University College (AUC)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences	www.auc.nl

 

Have a question for a current student? Curious about everyday life in Amsterdam, from our campus to the food, music and events going on throughout the city? Want to know how much homework you will have each night, or how the Dutch educational system differs from your own? Ask one of our VU Ambassadors! They would love to answer your questions by sharing their personal experiences of living and studying at VU Amsterdam. Check below to find an ambassador from the programme you’re interested in or from your home country.

For specific questions related to VU programmes, deadlines, the application process, or diploma validity you can find information on our main website or contact your faculty's International Student Advisor (ISA).

Student Ambassadors from Europe

EUROPE
	BACHELORS		BACHELORS
	Eleni Tölle Germany Bachelor PPE e.tolle@student.vu.nl		Belinda Antal Germany Bachelor IBA b.e.antal@student.vu.nl
	Victoria Devik Sweden Bachelor IBA v.i.devik@student.vu.nl		Camilla Hansen Denmark Bachelor Literature & Society c.p.hansen@student.vu.nl
	BACHELORS		MEDICAL SCIENCES (MA)
	Christopher Minnet Denmark Bachelor Literature & Society c.minnet@student.vu.nl		Anquela Rocío Muñiz Spain Master Cardiovascular Research r.m.muniz@student.vu.nl
	EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES		MEDICAL SCIENCES
	Rosita Paleckyte Lithuania Master Biomolecular Sciences r.paleckyte@student.vu.nl		Miriam Guillen Navarro Spain Master Oncology m.guillennavarro@student.vu.nl
	PSYCHOLOGY		PSYCHOLOGY
	Eleni Smaragdi Greece Neurosciences e.smaragdi@student.vu.nl		Çağla Çınar Turkey RM Social Psychology c.cinar@student.vu.nl
	HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCES		SOCIAL SCIENCES
	Tim Hammersen Germany RM Human Movement Sciences t.d.hammersen@student.vu.nl		Anastasiia Kraiukhina Russia Master Culture, Organization & Management (Alumna) a.kraiukhina@gmail.com
	LAW		LAW
	Caitlin Dykes Great Britain Master International Crimes & Criminology c.j.dykes@student.vu.nl		Jamika Jorge-Petit Portugal Master Law and Politics of International Security j.jorgepetit@student.vu.nl
	ECONOMICS & BUSINESS		ECONOMICS & BUSINESS
	Anne Kühn Germany Master Business Administration Human Resource Management a.kuhn@student.vu.nl		Gabriella Rudolf Hungary Master Business Administration Human Resource Management g.rudolf@student.vu.nl
	Desislava Spirova Bulgaria Master Business Administratio Transport and Supply Chain - Management d.spirova@student.vu.nl		Maria Marimpi Greece Master Economics (alumna) mmarimpi@vu.student.nl
	Olga Lazunina Russia Master Finance o.s.lazunina@student.vu.nl		Marina Baskaric Croatia Master Marketing (alumna) marina.baskaric@gmail.com
	COMPUTER SCIENCES		COMPUTER SCIENCES
	Alex Custura Romania Master Computer Science a.custura@student.vu.nl		Andrei Tatar Romania Master Computer Science a.tatar@student.vu.nl
	Misra Turp Turkey Master Computer Science Joint Degree m.turp@student.vu.nl

Student Ambassadors from Africa

AFRICA	BACHELOR (IBA)		LAW
	Magda Michael Mose Eritrea / Netherlands Bachelor IBA j.y.michaelmose@student.vu.nl		Melissa Gerber South Africa Master International Migration & Refugee Law m.d.gerber@student.vu.nl

Student Ambassadors from the Americas

AMERICAS	BACHELOR IBA
	Ana Luiza Kooij Brazil Bachelor IBA a.l.kooij@student.vu.nl
	SOCIAL SCIENCES		SOCIAL SCIENCES
	Claudia Abello Castiblanco Colombia Master Culture, Organization & Management (alumna) claudiaj.abello@gmail.com		Patrick Cahill USA Master Culture, Organization & Management (alumnus) cahill1000@gmail.com
	EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES		EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES
	Annie Colarusso USA Master Environment and Resource Management (alumna) a.m.colarusso@student.vu.nl		Daiane Piva Brazil Master Environment and Resource Management d.d.f.piva@student.vu.nl
	Hila Rotbart USA Master Environment and Recourse Management hilarotbart@gmail.com
	ECONOMICS & BUSINESS		HUMANITIES
	Diego Cardoso Nitta Peru Master Finance d.s.cardosonitta@student.vu.nl		Jordan Elizabeth Lassonde USA Master Literary Studies j.e.lassonde@student.vu.nl
	MEDICAL SCIENCES		LAW
	Kari Brown Jamaica Master Oncology k.n.brown@student.vu.nl		Laila Damascena Antunes Brazil Law: Transnational Legal Studies (Alumna) laila.damascena@gmail.com
	SEMESTER in AMSTERDAM		SEMESTER in AMSTERDAM
	Erik Ohlrogge USA Semester Biology / Pre-med e.ohlrogge@student.vu.nl		Christina Peterson USA Semester Business-Marketing c.peterson@student.vu.nl
	Milena De Souza Lozano Monteiro Brazil Semester Law m.desouzalozanomonteiro@student.vu.nl		Katherine Jahnsen USA Semester Psychology k.a.jahnsen@student.vu.n

Student Ambassadors from Asia

ASIA	BACHELOR		HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCES
	Sarah Mohammad Pakistan / The Netherlands Bachelor IBA s2.mohammad@student.vu.nl		Ica Rizka Safitri Wartono Indonesia Master Human Movement Sciences (alumna) r.rizkasafitri@student.vu.nl
	SCIENCES		EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES
	Hung-Chien Lin Taiwan Master Chemistry (joint degree) h4.lin@student.vu.nl		Mandira Adhikari Nepal Research Master Global Health m.adhikari@student.vu.nl
	EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES		EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES
	Sienna Sanjaya Indonesia Master Health Sciences siennasanjaya@student.vu.nl		Nada Ristya Rahmani Indonesia Master Biomedical Sciences nadaristya@gmail.com
	ECONOMICS & BUSINESS		ECONOMICS & BUSINESS
	Muhammad Bin Iftikhar Pakistan Master Business Administration Human Resource Management m.b.iftikhar@student.vu.nl		Lea Leonita Indonesia Master Business Administration Information and Knowledge - Management (alumna) isleonita@gmail.com
	Maria Korohama Indonesia Master Economics mariayosefinabengan@student.vu.nl		Kate Boldkhuyag Mongolia Master Entrepreneurship (alumna) kate.boldkhuyag@student.uva.nl
	Tong Wan China Master Business Administration Human Resource Management (Alumna) wantong.rachel@gmail.com		Zhuoying Chao China Master STREEM z.chao@student.vu.nl
	Yin Yoo Korea Master Business Administration Human Resource Management evenalso@hotmail.com
	THEOLOGY		MEDICAL SCIENCES
	Michael Willy Patawala Indonesia Master Theology and Religious Studies willy.mickey22@gmail.com		Bingwen Wang China Master Cardiovascular Research b2.wang@student.vu.nl
	COMPUTER SCIENCES		COMPUTER SCIENCES
	Ivan Payawal Philippines Master Computer Sciences (joint degree) l.i.payawal@student.vu.nl		Reshmi Sarkar India Master Information Sciences r.sarkar@student.vu.nl
	PhD		PhD
	Yus Budiyono Indonesia PhD Water & Climate Risk yus.budiyono@vu.nl		N Nurmala Indonesia PhD Economics and Business n.nurmala@vu.nl
	PhD		PhD
	Gireesh Kedar India PhD Neuroscience girishkedar@gmail.com		Junhui Wu China PhD Social Psychology junhui.wu@vu.nl
	Zhaochun Liu China PhD Energy Storage zhaochunliu2009@163.com		Shan Gao China PhD Organisation Science shan.gao199009@gmail.com
	SEMESTER in AMSTERDAM
	Caroline Hu China Semester Law 416207099@qq.com

Applications to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam are done completely online. You start the application procedure through the Studielink.nl national application system. You will then receive an e-mail inviting you to complete your application in the VU student portal, where you will be asked to submit all documentation needed for the admission procedure. You do not have to complete your application in one session; you can save it and come back to it as often as you want before completing and submitting it. Please check the required application documents on the page of your Bachelor's degree programme.

Application fee

All students with an international degree, applying for an English-taught Bachelor’s programme are required to pay a non-refundable, €100 application fee. We can only process your application when we have received this fee.

If you are applying for more than one programme, you will only need to pay the application fee once. Your application fee payment is valid for two years. After applying for a programme in studielink, you will receive login details for our VUnet student portal. Before arranging payment of the application fee, you first need to confirm your programme application by answering some questions and submitting some documents in the VUnet portal. After completing the programme application the online payment tool will become available and you will be able to arrange the payment of the application fee with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or PayPal. After you have arranged your payment online you will receive a confirmation e-mail, and the payment status will change to ‘PAID’*.

If you do not wish to arrange your payment online you can also make a bank transfer using the following bank details:

Account name:	Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Name of bank:	Deutsche Bank
Address of bank:	De Entree 99-197, 1101 HE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
IBAN:	NL49DEUT0488004470
BIC:	DEUTNL2N

Please state your name and S+student number (e.g. s1234567) in the payment reference. Any banking costs are to be paid by the applicant. Please note that international transfers can take some time to be processed.

*Please note that the confirmation e-mail and status change apply only to the successful completion of the online payment module, not the actual payment.

Financial help is available to international Bachelor's degree students through DUO student finance.