What this page is. How studying in the Netherlands works, and what the Dutch authorities actually publish about the money. We take no commission from any institution and we link no university, agent or recruiter. See our editorial policy.
The one figure the Netherlands publishes, and it is a good one
Most countries make you guess. The Dutch immigration service publishes an exact monthly amount, revises it annually, and states the calendar year it applies to. Read at the source on 5 August 2026:
| Level of study | Required monthly amount | Period it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Higher professional education (hbo) or university | EUR 1,130.77 a month | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 |
| Secondary vocational education (mbo) | EUR 928.58 a month | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 |
Source: IND, required amounts, page last updated 13 July 2026, read 5 August 2026. The IND also sets higher income thresholds for a financier resident in the Netherlands who sponsors a student, which depend on that person’s family situation.
Note the precision. EUR 1,130.77 is not a rounded estimate somebody assembled: it is the published requirement, to the cent, for a stated calendar year. Any page telling you the Netherlands needs “around 1,250 a month” is repeating an old number. This page carried exactly that error until 4 August 2026, and it was 10 per cent high.
What that amount is and is not
- It is a monthly requirement, not an annual lump. The evidence you provide is judged against the months of your stay.
- It is set for a calendar year and changes on 1 January. An application prepared in December against the old figure is prepared against the wrong figure if it is decided in January.
- It excludes tuition. The amount is living costs. Tuition is separate and is set by the institution.
- Your institution usually applies for you. In the Dutch system the recognised sponsor, which is the institution, normally submits the residence permit application. That does not make the institution your adviser on money.
The structural things worth knowing before you choose
- Two kinds of higher education. Research universities and universities of applied sciences (hbo) are different tracks with different purposes, different entry routes and different progression rules. Choosing the wrong track is a more expensive mistake than choosing the wrong city.
- Numerus fixus. Some programmes cap places and select, with their own earlier deadline and their own selection procedure. If your programme is capped, your deadline is not the general one.
- A central application portal. Dutch applications route through a national student portal, and the institution’s own admission steps sit alongside it, not instead of it.
- English-taught provision is common but is under policy pressure. Treat the language of instruction of a specific programme in a specific year as something to confirm in writing, not to assume.
- Housing is the binding constraint, not tuition. In several Dutch cities the number of student rooms is the reason people defer, and institutions say so themselves. Start housing before you start celebrating.
Tuition: what is published and what is not
Dutch tuition splits into a statutory rate for students who qualify for it, and an institutional rate for those who do not. The statutory rate is set nationally; the institutional rate is set by each institution and published in its own fee regulations. Because the institutional rate is the one most international students pay, and because we link no university, there is no tuition table on this page. Read the institution’s fee regulations, and check which of the two rates applies to you, because that single classification changes the number more than any other factor.
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What we could not source
- The residence permit fee. The IND fee page we tried on 5 August 2026 returned an error, so no fee figure is stated here. Read it at the IND on the day you apply.
- Institutional tuition rates. Set per institution, published per institution. We link no university, so there is no table.
- A published student cost of living by city. No Dutch authority publishes one for international students. The IND figure is a permit requirement, not a cost survey.
- Room availability figures. Housing pressure is real and widely reported, but we found no authority publishing a number we would put on a page that has to stay true for a year.
FAQ
How much money do I need to study in the Netherlands?
EUR 1,130.77 a month for hbo or university study, and EUR 928.58 a month for mbo, for the calendar year 2026. Source: IND, read 5 August 2026. Tuition is separate.
Does the amount change?
Yes, annually, on 1 January. Check the figure for the year in which your application is decided, not the year you started planning.
Do I apply for the permit myself?
Usually not. The recognised sponsor, normally your institution, applies on your behalf. You still supply the financial evidence.
Next steps
- Germany compared with the Netherlands
- Proof of funds by country
- Proof of funds, explained
- Student visa requirements and costs by country
- Study abroad costs by country
- Student visa processing times
- How to choose a study destination
- The application document checklist
- The no-agent roadmap
- Arriving abroad: the first 30 days
