The Netherlands punches far above its weight in global higher education. Despite being a small country of just 17 million people, it is home to 13 universities ranked among the world’s top 200 — including TU Delft, Wageningen University, the University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, and Utrecht University. Several of these are genuinely among the world’s elite institutions in their specific disciplines.

And here is the part most students do not realize: the Netherlands has a rich and accessible scholarship ecosystem for international students — ranging from the government’s Holland Scholarship to fully funded Erasmus Mundus programs, university-specific excellence grants, country-targeted Orange Tulip awards, and fully employed PhD positions with European employment contracts.

This guide covers every major funding option available to international students in the Netherlands in 2026-2027 — what each covers, who can apply, when to apply, and where to apply.

Why Study in the Netherlands?

Before the funding details, understand why the Netherlands is worth the effort:

Almost everything is in English. The Netherlands has the highest English proficiency of any non-native English-speaking country in the world (consistently #1 in the EF English Proficiency Index). Over 2,400 English-taught degree programs are available at Dutch universities — making it one of the most accessible non-English-speaking countries for international students.

World-class research across key disciplines. TU Delft is a global leader in engineering. Wageningen is the world’s #1 university for agricultural and food sciences. Leiden, Utrecht, and Amsterdam are consistently in the global top 100. For specific fields, Dutch universities compete directly with Oxford, MIT, and ETH Zurich.

Strong post-study work rights. The Netherlands offers a 12-month orientation year (zoekjaar) after graduation — allowing you to remain in the Netherlands and seek employment without a job offer. Dutch industry, particularly in semiconductors (ASML), high-tech systems, agriculture, and finance, actively recruits international graduates.

Affordable compared to the UK. While not cheap, Dutch tuition fees (approximately €12,000–€22,000/year for international students) are significantly lower than UK equivalent programs, and the scholarship ecosystem is generous.

Now let us go through every funding option.

1. NL Scholarship (Holland Scholarship)

Degree Level: Bachelor’s / Master’s Coverage: €5,000 one-time award Typical Deadline: February – May (varies by university)

The NL Scholarship — commonly known as the Holland Scholarship — is funded jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch universities. It is the most widely known Dutch government scholarship for international students and provides a one-time €5,000 award toward your first year of study costs.

What €5,000 actually means: Against Dutch international tuition fees of €12,000–€22,000/year, the Holland Scholarship covers approximately 25–40% of your first year tuition — a meaningful but partial contribution rather than full funding.

Who can apply:

  • Non-EEA international students (EU/EEA students are generally not eligible)
  • Students applying for a full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree at a participating Dutch university
  • Applicants who are not currently studying in the Netherlands

Participating universities: University of Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Utrecht University, Wageningen University, Groningen University, Maastricht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and many others — check the official list as participation varies by intake year.

How to apply: Applications are submitted through your target university’s scholarship portal — not through a central government system. Each university manages its own Holland Scholarship application process with its own specific deadline within the February–May window.

Strategy tip: Apply for the Holland Scholarship as early as possible within the window. Some universities have significantly earlier internal deadlines than the published government deadline.

👉 Official Website: studyinholland.nl/scholarships/holland-scholarship

2. University Excellence Grants

Degree Level: Master’s Coverage: Partial to Full Tuition + Stipend (varies by university) Typical Deadline: March – April

University Excellence Grants are the most financially significant scholarship opportunities available to international Master’s students in the Netherlands — but they are awarded by individual universities rather than the central government, meaning the specific amounts, eligibility criteria, and application processes vary considerably between institutions.

Here are the most important university-specific excellence scholarships in the Netherlands:

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship — University of Amsterdam

Coverage: Full tuition fees + €12,000 living cost contribution (approximately €30,000+ total value) Deadline: February – March

The Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS) is one of the Netherlands’ most prestigious and financially significant Master’s scholarships — awarded to outstanding non-EEA students admitted to English-taught Master’s programs at the University of Amsterdam.

Who can apply: Non-EEA students with exceptional academic records (typically 80%+ equivalent GPA) admitted to eligible UvA Master’s programs.

👉 Official Website: uva.nl/ams

Radboud Scholarship Programme — Radboud University

Coverage: Tuition reduction to approximately €2,530/year + €750/month living allowance Deadline: February – April (varies by program)

The Radboud Scholarship significantly reduces international tuition to approximately the EU student rate and provides a monthly living allowance — one of the most accessible comprehensive scholarship packages at a Dutch university.

Who can apply: Non-EEA students admitted to eligible Radboud English-taught Master’s programs with minimum 80% GPA equivalent.

👉 Official Website: ru.nl/radboudscholarship

TU Delft Excellence Scholarship

Coverage: Partial to full tuition reduction (program-specific) Deadline: February – April

TU Delft — ranked among the world’s top 15 universities for engineering — offers excellence scholarships for international Master’s students in its engineering, design, and science programs.

👉 Official Website: tudelft.nl/en/education/practical-matters/scholarships

Wageningen University Scholarships

Coverage: Partial to full tuition (varies by scholarship) Deadline: February – April

Wageningen — the world’s #1 ranked university for agricultural and food sciences — offers multiple scholarship programs for international Master’s students in life sciences, environmental sciences, food technology, and related fields.

👉 Official Website: wur.nl/en/education-programmes/master/scholarships-grants.htm

VU Fellowship Programme — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Coverage: Partial tuition reduction (varies by award tier) Deadline: March – April

The VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme provides merit-based partial tuition reductions across VU Amsterdam’s international Master’s programs in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

👉 Official Website: vu.nl/en/education/master/scholarships-and-grants

General strategy for University Excellence Grants:

Each Dutch university maintains its own scholarship database. Always visit the specific scholarship page of every university you are applying to and note their internal excellence scholarship deadlines — these frequently close before the general application deadline for the program itself. Missing the scholarship deadline while making the program deadline results in admission without funding consideration.

3. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

Degree Level: Master’s Coverage: Full — Tuition + Travel + Living (€1,400/month) Typical Deadline: October – January (program-specific)

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) is the European Commission’s flagship graduate scholarship — and it is the most financially generous funding option available to international Master’s students in the Netherlands (and Europe generally).

Several Erasmus Mundus programs are hosted by or include Dutch universities as consortium partners — meaning Dutch institutions participate in delivering some of the world’s most prestigious fully funded joint Master’s degrees.

What it covers:

  • Full tuition fees across all partner universities
  • €1,400 per month living allowance for the full program duration (up to 24 months)
  • Travel and installation costs (€1,000–€3,000)
  • Mandatory health insurance
  • Visa support documentation

Dutch universities participating in Erasmus Mundus programs (selected examples):

  • University of Amsterdam — various social science and humanities programs
  • TU Delft — engineering joint programs
  • Wageningen — sustainable food systems and environmental programs
  • Utrecht University — life sciences and sustainability programs
  • Leiden University — law and governance programs

Who can apply: Students from all countries worldwide with a completed bachelor’s degree. Priority for non-EU students who have not previously lived in a consortium country for more than 12 months in the past 5 years.

How to find programs: Go to the official Erasmus Mundus program catalogue and filter by Netherlands to find programs with Dutch university partners.

👉 Official EMJM Catalogue: eacea.ec.europa.eu/scholarships/emjm-catalogue_en

4. Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS)

Degree Level: Bachelor’s / Master’s Coverage: Partial to Full Tuition (country-specific) Typical Deadline: April (varies by country)

The Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) is a unique scholarship program that operates through bilateral agreements between the Netherlands and specific partner countries — meaning both the eligibility and the funding amount are country-specific rather than universal.

The OTS is funded by a combination of Dutch universities, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and private sponsors — and awards range from partial tuition reductions to full tuition coverage depending on the country-specific agreement and the awarding institution.

Eligible countries (selected — check current list as it changes): China, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, India, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Russia, and several others. Each country has a specific OTS program administered through the Netherlands Education Support Office (Neso) in that country.

How OTS works:

  1. Check whether your country has an active OTS program at the Netherlands Education Support Office (Neso) in your country
  2. Apply for the OTS through your country’s Neso office
  3. Simultaneously apply for admission to your target Dutch university
  4. OTS selection is made independently by the Netherlands/Neso and the participating Dutch universities

Participating Dutch institutions: Most major Dutch universities participate in OTS for eligible countries — Maastricht University, Rotterdam Business School, University of Groningen, and others have active OTS programs.

👉 Official OTS Website: orangetulipscholarship.com 👉 Neso Country Offices: nesoindia.org (India example — search “Neso [your country]” for your country’s office)

5. PhD Position (Employment)

Degree Level: PhD Coverage: Salary + Research Budget + Employment Benefits Deadline: Ongoing — year-round positions posted continuously

This is the most financially advantageous funding model available in the Netherlands — and it is fundamentally different from the other scholarships on this list.

In the Netherlands, most PhD positions are full-time employment contracts under the CAO-NU (Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Universities). You are not a scholarship recipient. You are not a student in the traditional sense. You are an employee of the university — with all the rights, benefits, and protections that entails.

What a Dutch PhD employment position includes:

Monthly salary: Gross €2,700/month (Year 1) rising to €3,500/month (Year 4) — net approximately €2,000–€2,600/month after Dutch income tax and social security.

Additional financial benefits:

  • 8% holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) paid each May — approximately 1 additional month’s salary per year
  • End-of-year bonus (approximately 8.3% of annual salary) — approximately 1 additional month’s salary paid in December
  • Pension contributions through ABP (the Dutch pension fund for government and education employees)
  • 29–30 vacation days per year — legally mandated
  • Parental leave rights — full statutory parental and maternity/paternity leave under Dutch law

Research budget: Most PhD positions include a project-specific research budget covering conference travel, research materials, equipment, and fieldwork — typically €5,000–€20,000 over the 4-year contract depending on the project.

Health insurance: As a Dutch employee, you enroll in Dutch statutory health insurance (zorgverzekering) at approximately €130–€160/month. Dutch PhD employees typically qualify for the healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) — a government subsidy reducing your effective health insurance cost significantly.

Duration: Standard 4-year full-time employment contract with a 12-month probationary assessment after Year 1.

Visa: Your university’s HR department sponsors your Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant) visa through the IND — making the visa process significantly more streamlined than standard student visa applications.

How to find PhD positions:

How to apply for a Dutch PhD position:

  1. Find a position on AcademicTransfer or your target university’s vacancy page that matches your research interests and academic background
  2. Contact the supervisor listed in the vacancy before applying — a brief professional email expressing genuine interest in the specific project demonstrates initiative and often determines whether you receive interview consideration
  3. Submit your application through the university’s online system — typically including CV, motivation letter, academic transcripts, degree certificates, and contact details of 2–3 referees
  4. Interview process — shortlisted candidates typically complete 1–2 online interviews with the supervisor and department head
  5. Receive offer — if selected, you receive an employment contract rather than an admission letter

Practical note: PhD positions in the Netherlands are highly competitive — particularly at top institutions like TU Delft, Wageningen, and UvA. Having published research, a strong thesis, or relevant research experience significantly strengthens your application.

Health Insurance in the Netherlands — What You Need to Know

Every international student and PhD employee in the Netherlands must have health insurance — but the system works differently from most other countries.

For PhD employees: You enroll in Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) through a private insurer (major options: Zilveren Kruis, CZ, ONVZ, VGZ, Menzis). Monthly premiums approximately €130–€165. As a low-income employee in your first years, you likely qualify for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) reducing your effective cost.

For scholarship students (non-employees): You need either Dutch basic insurance (if you have a resident permit) or private international student insurance. The Erasmus Mundus scholarship includes mandatory health insurance as part of its package — this is arranged by your consortium.

Best private international student insurance options:

Banking Setup for Netherlands Students and Scholars

Opening a Dutch bank account is essential for receiving stipend payments, paying rent, and managing daily expenses.

ING Bank — Most Popular for International Students ING offers straightforward student account opening with English-language support. 👉 ing.nl/en

ABN AMRO — Best for New Arrivals ABN AMRO has specific newcomer account services designed for international students and researchers arriving in the Netherlands. 👉 abnamro.nl/en

Wise — Best Pre-Arrival Option Open a Dutch IBAN (account number) from your home country before departure — no Dutch address required. Ideal for receiving your first stipend payment before your physical bank account is ready. 👉 wise.com

N26 — Best Digital Bank Full European banking license with a Dutch IBAN available across the Netherlands. 👉 n26.com/en-nl

Quick Reference — All 5 Funding Options

ScholarshipLevelCoverageDeadline
NL Scholarship (Holland)Bachelor’s / Master’s€5,000 one-timeFeb – May
University Excellence GrantsMaster’sPartial–Full Tuition + StipendMar – Apr
Erasmus Mundus EMJMMaster’sFull: Tuition + Travel + €1,400/monthOct – Jan
Orange Tulip ScholarshipBachelor’s / Master’sPartial–Full TuitionApril
PhD Position (Employment)PhDSalary + Research + BenefitsOngoing

5 Key Tips to Maximize Your Scholarship Chances in the Netherlands

Start early — especially for February–April deadlines. The Holland Scholarship and University Excellence Grants close in February–April for September intake. Preparing documents, IELTS scores, and transcripts in advance of these deadlines is essential.

Apply to multiple Dutch universities simultaneously. Each university has its own scholarship portfolio and its own selection criteria. Applying to 4–6 universities gives you 4–6 separate scholarship considerations.

Contact supervisors before applying for PhD positions. A warm supervisor relationship significantly improves your PhD application success rate. Email the supervisor listed in your target vacancy 2–3 weeks before the application deadline.

Check your country’s Neso office for Orange Tulip. OTS availability depends on your nationality — your country’s Netherlands Education Support Office (Neso) is the authoritative source for whether OTS is available to you and what it covers.

Erasmus Mundus is worth the extra effort. The €1,400/month fully funded package makes EMJM the most financially significant opportunity for Master’s students — worth applying to 3–5 programs simultaneously despite the separate application process for each.

Final Thoughts — The Netherlands Is Worth Every Application

The Netherlands in 2026 offers international students a genuinely extraordinary combination: world-class universities, almost universal English-language instruction, a welcoming international environment, and a diverse scholarship ecosystem covering every degree level from bachelor’s to PhD.

Whether you are targeting the accessible €5,000 Holland Scholarship as a first financial contribution, the fully funded Erasmus Mundus experience of studying across multiple European countries, the prestigious University Excellence Grants at Amsterdam, Radboud, or TU Delft, the country-specific Orange Tulip awards, or a fully employed PhD position with a European employment contract — the funding is real, the opportunities are open, and the applications are waiting.

The only variable is whether you apply before the deadline.

Start with the funding option that matches your degree level. Visit the official websites linked throughout this guide. Apply today.

👉 Study in Holland Official Portal: studyinholland.nl 👉 All Dutch Scholarships Database: studyinholland.nl/scholarships 👉 PhD Vacancies — Academic Transfer: academictransfer.com 👉 Erasmus Mundus Programme Catalogue: eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-mundus

International Student Scholarships