Study in Holland FAQ

16 Apr 2009

This section will answer many of your questions about studying in Holland.

If you have any other question or doubt, please do not hesitate to contact Nuffic Neso Mexico!

  1. Where can I find out information about study in Holland?
  2. Do I need to speak Dutch to study in Holland?
  3. What English level do I need to study in The Netherlands?
  4. Can I study an English Preparation program before the main course?
  5. Can I use English in daily life?
  6. I want to learn Dutch. Is this possible during my stay in Holland?
  7. How do I apply to an institution in Holland?
  8. Which documents are usually required for admission?
  9. Can I enter a Bachelor’s programme with any “preparatoria”-diploma?
  10. Can I enter a Master’s programme with any Bachelor’s title?
  11. How do I legalize my documents for use in Holland?
  12. Do I need a visa to study in Holland?
  13. Where can I find scholarships?
  14. How much does it cost to study in The Netherlands?
  15. Can I work while I am studying?
  16. Can I stay in Holland after my studies?
  17. Are there public and private universities in Holland?
  18. Are there many Mexicans studying in Holland?
  19. What is the weather like in Holland?

 

Where can I find out information about study in Holland?

  • You can visit the websites:
  • You can visit our office at
    Homero 407, piso 11
    Col. Chapultepec Morales (Polanco)
    México D.F. 11570
    T (55) 5254-4013
    Lada sin costo: 01-800-HOLANDA (01-800-4652632)
    E info@nesomexico.org

    Office hours:
    Monday to Friday,
    - from 9am to 2pm without appointment
    - from 3pm to 5pm with appointment
  • Chat sessions:
    Every Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm (Mexico City time) via MSN Messenger. In order to use this service you must add “nesomexico@hotmail.com” to your contact list.
  • Social Network sites:
    Nuffic Neso Mexico has profiles in the following social networking site:

Do I need to speak Dutch to study in Holland?

No. There are almost 1,500 programmes taught entirely in English. Furthermore, in daily life you can manage with English as well without any problems, since almost all Dutch people speak English.

What English level do I need to study in The Netherlands?

This depends on the institution and/or study programme. The two English tests that are accepted in all institutions are:

  • IELTS
    for this test you will need at least a result of 6.0. Some programmes may require a result of 6.5 or 7.0.
  • TOEFL
    the minimum score for the Internet Based Test (IBT) is 80 (equivalent to 550 Paper Based Test (PBT)). Some programmes may require a higher score.

    PLEASE NOTE: make sure you take the OFICIAL TOEFL, and not the institutional TOEFL, since the latter is not accepted by Dutch higher education institutions. Also make sure your TOEFL diploma is still valid, since it expires after two years.

Can I study an English Preparation program before the main course?

Yes, some institutions have the preparatory courses for international students. If you want to study English preparation program, please check the institution website to make sure that institution provides this course. The preparatory is usually designed for students who need to upgrade their English level with 0.5 or 1.0 point IELTS to be admitted to bachelor or master courses. It means that you also have at least IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL 500 to apply for the preparatory course. Therefore we highly recommend that you should get a sufficient English level in Mexico before going to the Netherlands to study to save your cost and time.

Can I use English in daily life?

Yes, almost all Dutch people can speak English well, so you will not encounter any problems in daily activities.

I want to learn Dutch. Is this possible during my stay in Holland?

Many universities offer Dutch courses for their foreign students. This means that besides the regular study programme you can take an additional course to learn the basics of the language and a little more about the Dutch culture. This is not obligatory, but optional.

If you want to take Dutch courses in Mexico, on the webpage of Neso Mexico you can find a list of different teachers in Mexico. This list is provided by the Dutch Embassy, however, Neso cannot guarantee the quality of these classes.

Several Dutch universities have language centres where you can take Dutch courses as well. Although this is mainly for students that want to start a programme taught in Dutch, some also offer the option of short courses or summer-courses. It is recommendable taking a course at a university because of the guaranteed quality.

How do I apply to an institution in Holland?

Every institution has its own procedures; therefore it is very important to contact the university by e-mail to ask the entry requirements for the programme you are interested in. In general you need to take the following steps:

  1. search the programme you are interested in
    for this you can use the Study in Holland database for a general overview and the institutions’ website for more detailed information. Of course you can also contact Neso Mexico for more information or visit the office to obtain a brochure of the institution.
  2. contact the institution
    send an e-mail to the contact address in the database to ask them all your questions and doubts about the programme; and ask them for a list of documents required for your admission.
  3. join all required documents
    you will need to gather all documents required by the university. Some of these must be written by yourself (like a motivation letter or curriculum vitae) and some you must obtain from your high school or university (diplomas, transcripts).
  4. send all documents to the institution by courier
    always use a reliable courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) to make sure your documents arrive sound and safe within a few days.
  5. wait for the acceptance letter
    Dutch higher education institutes usually need 4-8 weeks to review your documents and send you the letter of acceptance. This letter is necessary if you want to apply for a scholarship.

Which documents are usually required for admission?

  • For Bachelor programmes:
    - high school diploma (“prepa”)
    - list of subjects with grades from your high school
    - diploma of your English knowledge (TOEFL IBT or IELTS)
  • For Master programmes:
    - Bachelor’s degree (“título”) in the same study field as your Master programme
    - list of subjects with grades
    - diploma of your English knowledge (TOEFL IBT or IELTS)
  • For PhD programmes:
    - Master’s degree in the same study field as your research proposal
    - list of subjects with grades
    - diploma of your English knowledge (TOEFL IBT or IELTS)

Each institution can require additional documents, such as a motivation statement, a curriculum vitae (c.v.), recommendation letter(s), copy of your passport, copy of your birth certificate, GMAT-results, portfolio, etc. depending on the programme you are interested in.

Can I enter a Bachelor’s programme with any “preparatoria”-diploma?

It is always up to the university to decide whether you may enter their study programme with any preparatoria diploma. Many times it is no problem when applying for a programme in a university of applied science. For research universities it may be necessary to complete at least one year of studies at Bachelor’s level (either in Mexico or in Holland), before you are allowed to enter the Bachelor’s programme. This is due to the difference in study level between Mexico and Holland.

If you have an “International Baccalaureate” (IB) diploma, it is more likely that a university will accept you without any problem.

Can I enter a Master’s programme with any Bachelor’s title?

Again this depends on the institution; both the Mexican institution where you studied as the Dutch institution where you will do your Master’s programme. If you studied at a widely recognized university, such as UNAM, IPN, TEC de Monterrey, ITAM, La Salle, etc. generally there are no problems.

If your current institute is not very well-known, possibly the admissions office of the Dutch institute will send your papers to Nuffic where your diploma will be compared with Dutch standards. Nufic can only give a recommendation to the university; the admissions office takes the final decision.

It is always important that your Bachelor’s degree has affinity with the Master’s degree you want to do, since otherwise you might not have sufficient basic knowledge of the theory.

How do I legalize my documents for use in Holland?

In order to use your documents in Holland you need to take a few steps:

  1. “Apostille de La Haya” (International legalization)
    For official documents it is necessary to have the “apostille” stamp in order to be recognized internationally. You can obtain this stamp on the original document at the offices of the state government (“Secretaría de Gobernación”) of the state where you obtained your diploma. For more information about legalizing documents in Mexico D.F., please visit the webpage of DICOPPU. For the addresses of offices in other states, please visit the Apostille Info webpage.

    PLEASE NOTE: the apostille stamp only applies to your “título” and certificates like a birth certificate, certificate of marriage, etc. It is not possible to obtain the stamp on other documents.
  2. Certified copies
    You should never send original diplomas to the Dutch institutions as they will not return them to you after your application. Therefore it is necessary to obtain certified copies of all documents. These can be obtained either at your university or with a public notary. It is recommendable to request five or six sets of copies at once, since you might need them for other universities or scholarship programmes.

    PLEASE NOTE: these copies are necessary for all official documents that you send to The Netherlands: your “título”, grade list, other diplomas, etc.
  3. Official translation to English
    Dutch institutions generally do not accept documents in Spanish. Therefore it is necessary to have an official translator make the translation of all documents in English. On the Nuffic Neso website you can find a list of various official translators in Mexico. You can also ask your university if they know an official translator near your home.

Do I need a visa to study in Holland?

Yes, if you are going to The Netherlands for more than three months, you need a visa called MVV. The university will apply for your MVV once you have been accepted in a programme and will require some additional documents from you. The visa will be issued by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Mexico City or one of the Consulates in Mexico.

Generally the university will apply for your MVV two or three months before your studies begin, since the procedure at the Dutch Migration Service (IND) usually takes about 2 - 6 weeks (in some cases this may be longer). The requirements are:

  • Acceptance in a programme in a higher education institute that has signed the Code of Conduct;
  • Proof of sufficient funds. The IND requieres that you have about 775,38 euros per month (January 2009) available for the duration of your studies. If your programme is more than one year, you only need to prove sufficient funds for the first year. This requirement is very strict. Sufficient funds may be proven in three ways:
    • a bank statement of an account on your name with sufficient funds in local currency.
      Take into account that the statement must mention "pesos mexicanos" (not M.N.) and that it must be translated into English by an official translater. Also, bear in mind that the exchange rate may differ from the moment you obtain the statement to the moment the IND receives it for revision.
    • a bank transfer to the host universities' account.
      Most Dutch higher education institutions offer the possibility to make a transfer to their account of the whole amount for one year of living expenses. They will apply for your MVV with their bank statement where your transfer appears (with the total amount in euros). Upon your arrival in The Netherlands, the university will return the money on your Dutch bank account, so you can use it for your personal expenses.
    • a letter stating that you will receive a scholarship or student loan for the duration of your studies.
      This letter must be in English and mention your full name, birth date, the name of the institution where you will study, the name of the programme you are going to study, the exact period in which the scholarship or loan will be granted, the total amount of the scholarship or loan and the monthly amount that you will receive.
  • A valid passport.

For programmes with duration of less than three months you only need a valid passport.

Where can I find scholarships?

On the Neso webpage you can find a short overview of scholarships available to Mexican students (in Spanish and English). Please note that many Dutch higher education institutes also offer their own scholarships to excellent students, so it is recommendable to enquire at the university as well whether you are eligible for such a scholarship.

On the Grantfinder webpage you may find additional scholarship options.

How much does it cost to study in The Netherlands?

Tuition fees will vary depending on the courses or institutions. We just provide average costs as a guide. Annual tuition fees for a bachelor program range from € 4,500 to € 9,000; most master courses range from € 7,000 to € 12,000.

Although living costs may vary a little per city, generally students spend about € 800 per month.

In comparison with other countries, tuition fees and living costs in The Netherlands are very reasonable.

Can I work while I am studying?

Yes, you can apply for a work permit to work up to 10 hours a week all year round or you may work full-time during vacation periods (June, July and August). Please note that it may be difficult to find a job because of the language. Furthermore, studying requires at least 40 hours per week, which sometimes makes it very difficult to combine work and study. For further information on working while studying in the Netherlands go to the Nuffic website.

Can I stay in Holland after my studies?

After graduation at a university or university of applied sciences in the Netherlands, foreign students do have the possibility to extend their stay for a period of one year to search for a job as a highly skilled migrant. For more information please visit the Nuffic webpage about working after your studies.

Are there public and private universities in Holland?

Most higher education institutions receive funding from the Dutch government, but Dutch citizens always have to pay a tuition fee as well. Therefore the separation between public and private institutes is not as clear as with Mexican institutions.

There are some institutions that are completely private though. These institutes generally offer very specific programmes, such as MBA’s and non-degree courses.

Are there many Mexicans studying in Holland?

Each year a little less than 200 students go to Holland with the purpose of studying at a higher education institute. At the moment an estimated 350-400 students are registered at Dutch higher education institutes.

What is the weather like in Holland?

The climate in Holland is a moderate sea climate; therefore it does not have extreme cold or extreme heath. In the winter (from December to February), the temperature is about 1- 4°C. In the summer (from June to August), it is usually warm and dry with the spells of cool and wet weather.

The yearly average temperature ranges from 9.0 °C to 10.4 °C (January: 2.0°C - 3.8°C; July 16.5°C - 17.7°C).