Arrangements after your arrival in the Netherlands
This site offers prospective students useful information on the arrangements they need to take after arriving in the Netherlands.
Introduction programme at Vrije Universiteit and the Mentor system of ESN-VUniverse
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has a special introduction programme for new students. The schedule includes sports, theatre performances and many other exciting activities! Whenever possible, the ESN-VUniverse will assign you a mentor and if you wish, your mentor can pick you up from the airport or other arrival point and help you to get to your room. You can apply for a mentor through their website.
Links:
- More information about Vrije Universiteit’s international student organization, VUniverse
- Airport Pick-up service
Registration for classes, exams and re-sits
Registration for classes, exams and re-sits through TISVU is compulsory for all students of the Faculty of Sciences and for students attending courses at this faculty. Registration for exams and re-sits is possible until 1 week prior to the exam. Registration for classes is possible up to 2 weeks prior to the 1st day of the period in which the classes are held.
You can login to TISVU with your VU-Net ID, which you have received upon arrival in Amsterdam. If you do not have your VU-Net ID, you can request it at the IT-servicedesk, room OA-11, main building. Please take your ID with you to identify yourself.
TISVU can be reached with a web browser from any location.
Accommodation: keys, directions and payment If a room has been reserved for you, the housing corporation, i.e., either DUWO or De Key, will send you confirmation of your reservation, along with information on collecting your key, paying your rent, signing the rental agreement, etc. Your rent payment is due upon arrival. Please note that you will need to pay an administrative fee and a deposit. The deposit administrative fee will be either 75 (De Key) or 100 euros (DUWO), the deposit will be 600 euros (DUWO). Your deposit will be returned if you leave your room in a clean state and all of the items belonging in it are clean and present. Payment options include Maestro bank cards, Visa Cards and Eurocards/Mastercards. The housing corporations do not accept cash, cheques or other credit cards.
Address
DUWO (accommodation ‘Uilenstede’)
Uilenstede 108
1183 AM Amstelveen
Tel: +31 (0)20 543 1100
Fax: +31 (0)20 543 1103
E-mail: uilenstede@duwo.nl
Opening hours
Monday – Thursday between 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fridays between 8:30 am – 12:00 noon
The office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Directions
From Schiphol airport, take the train to Amsterdam Zuid / WTC. From there, take tram 51 (direction Poortwachter) or tram 5 (direction Binnenhof). Get off at the 'Uilenstede' stop and follow the signs to DUWO.
- Route directions
Woonstichting de Key (for accommodations at ‘Foyer’)
Hoogte Kadijk 179
1062 BK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 6214 651
Fax: +31 (0)20 6214 322
E-mail: shortstay@dekey.nl
Internet: www.shortstay.dekey.nl
Opening hours
Monday – Friday between 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
The office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Public transport in Amsterdam
Click here for information about public transport in Amsterdam (timetables, travel information, etc.).
Bank account
To open a bank account at ABN-AMRO Bank, please make sure to take the following:
- Your passport
- An enrolment letter of VU University Amsterdam, signed and stamped.
- Birth certificate or an official letter sent to the address in your home country by VU University Amsterdam.
On your bank card, you will find a “chip knip” payment feature. The chip knip will come in handy at the university for paying at the “Mensa” (cafeteria), or for paying for print-outs at the library.
The ABN-AMRO Bank opens bank accounts for international students and is located at:
Gelderlandplein 1
Tel: 0900 - 00 24
Opening hours:
Mondays between 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday - Friday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
You also have the option to buy a so-called prepaid Chip Knip-card for payments in shops, supermarkets, etc. These cards can be bought in the main building of VU Amsterdam, in 'Papier enzo' (stationary).
Health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory. Health insurance is also required to obtain a residence permit. Click here for more information
Enrolment with the university (only applicable for master students, not for exchange students!)
During the welcome meeting, you will receive a VU student registration form. Please submit this form, together with the documents listed below, to your designated contact person. You will be informed during the faculty's introduction meeting who your contact person is.
Documents to be submitted together with the VU registration form:
- a copy of your (application for a) residence permit;
- an extract from the Municipal Records Database. (The student administration office will already have a copy of this extract on file);
- a certified copy of your diploma;
- letter of admission;
- a copy of your TOEFL or IELTS test.
Registration with the municipality
After arrival, EU/EEA residents and non-residents must register with the municipality (Gemeentelijke Basis Administratie, GBA) if you are staying longer than 4 months.
You cannot enrol with the university without an extract of your registration.
Appendixes:
- Legalised birth certificate (if applicable);
- Passport;
- House rental agreement (If you are sub-letting accommodations, you must submit a statement from the main occupant, saying that you are allowed to live there);
- Marriage certificate (if applicable).
Where to go
Students living in Amstelveen (Guesthouse, Uilenstede) should go to the Amstelveen municipality. Students living in Amsterdam (Foyer) should go to Amsterdam’s town hall.
Address Amstelveen
Laan Nieuwer-Amstel 1, Amstelveen
Route directions to the municipality
Take bus 66 from the ‘Overijssel’ stop (direction Amstelveen Waardhuizen) at the corner of Der Boechorststraat and A.J. Ernststraat (see map). Get off at the ‘Raadhuis’ stop. The distance from the bus stop to the ‘Raadhuis’ (municipality) is a one-minute walk.
Application for a residence permit
You must apply for a residence permit if you are a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country. EU/EEA residents are also required to apply for a residence permit in order to enrol with the university.
To apply for a residence permit, you must pay a fee, present a number of documents and submit a (passport size) photo. Once all of these requirements are met, you will receive a residence permit within a few months proving that you are a legal resident of the Netherlands. Before your application has been approved, you will receive a sticker in your passport as proof that you have applied for a residence permit.
The International Relations Officer of the Faculty will arrange a meeting for all students who must apply for the residence permit in the last week of August. These group of students will receive an email invitation for the exact time, date and location of this meeting. During this meeting, students will be informed on the residence permit application procedure, and all other related matters.
Summary of steps to take after your arrival
Summary of steps to take in order to register and enrol:
- Registration with the municipality and apply for a residence permit (both at the same time and same location);
- Open a bank account;
- Enrolment with VU University Amsterdam.
Fees
Residence permit:
The costs for a residence permit are, but subject to changes:
€ 188 for non-EU residents with MVV
€ 433 for non-EU residents without MVV
€ 30 for EU residents (on voluntarily basis)
Tuition fees:
Loan Tuition fee for EU-students
If you are from an EU member state, are following an accredited course, pay tuition fees and do not receive another Dutch income on the basis of your study, you may be entitled to a loan. Please apply well in advance. For information please contact the Informatie Beheer Groep by telephone (+31 505 997755) or on the internet:
General practitioner (‘Huisarts’)
General practitioners play a key role in the Dutch health care system. If you fall ill, or need a prescription, you can visit your GP and he/she will decide whether to treat you or refer you to a specialist.
Useful websites
- Visa procedure
- Course schedules
- Courses
- Dutch language courses
- Advice and assistance
- Amsterdam
