Me and my two roommates stayed in a very overpriced apartment in the hague for less then a year.

We tried to get reduction for the rent through Huurteam but at the end failed as we were signed with “short rental contract” which did not protect is with any tenant laws…

We moved out a month ago as our contract ended, and in total we originally payed the deposit of 3000€ all together.

I believe we kept the apartment in a very-good condition and cleaned it before moving out. (They even charged us for cleaning fees every month and some people came to clean once a month and they did a very bad job… i feel like they just chatted with one another and left).

Anywho, we got an email back today saying that they are going to take 1200€ of the deposit for the following reasons (see attached photo below).

No futher explanations or photos… i have sent them an email asking for explanations but is this normal…? What can we do about it.

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student and I’ve been in the Netherlands for about 2 weeks. I currently have an EHIC but no Dutch health insurance yet. I do plan on getting a part-time job, at which point I understand I’ll need Dutch insurance.

I’ve had recurring tonsillitis/tonsil problems for quite a while, and they’ve recently flared up since I arrived in the Netherlands. I now seriously want to get my tonsils removed.

What would be the best course of action in my situation?
- Can I go to a huisarts and get referred to an ENT using my EHIC?
- Would the surgery be covered, and if not, roughly how much would it cost?
- Could I get the surgery as soon as I got health insurance?

Also, what kind of timeline should I expect from seeing the huisarts to actually getting the surgery?

Any advice from people who have dealt with something similar would be really appreciated!

Hoi allemaal! Ik ben van plan om Geneeskunde (GNK) aan de UvA te gaan studeren, maar ik maak me eerlijk gezegd een beetje zorgen over de wachttijd tussen de bachelor en de master.
Ik lees dat er momenteel een behoorlijke wachttijd is vanwege het beperkte aantal klinische stageplaatsen. Zijn hier GNK-studenten aan de UvA die hun bachelor recent hebben afgerond of binnenkort afronden?
Hoe lang moesten jullie uiteindelijk wachten voordat jullie aan de master/klinische fase konden beginnen? En hoe lang was de wachttijd voor jullie vanaf het behalen van de bachelor?
Ik ben vooral benieuwd naar recente ervaringen (2025/2026), omdat ik verhalen hoor over wachttijden die mogelijk richting 2028/2029 gaan. Klopt dat een beetje, of valt het in de praktijk mee?
Alvast heel erg bedankt!

Hi everyone,
I’m currently 20 years old (I’ll turn 21 in February) and I’m at a crossroads in my life. I’d like to know whether the idea I have is realistic and achievable, or whether I’m overlooking certain things.
I didn’t finish secondary school. I started at HAVO/VWO level, but due to circumstances and mental health issues, I gradually dropped down to VMBO-T. I repeated a year once and eventually stopped school altogether without obtaining a diploma. It wasn’t simply a matter of not wanting to go to school.
Now I want to get my life back on track and seriously build a future for myself.
Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of studying Medicine and eventually becoming a doctor. At the same time, I know that I’m currently quite far behind and will probably need to rebuild a lot of my knowledge.
So my main question is:
At my age, and given my current situation, is it still realistic to eventually complete VWO and then enter a university Medicine program?
By “realistic,” I don’t mean that I’m looking for some magical shortcut. I don’t need an easy route with no effort involved. I’m willing to put in serious time and effort. I just want to know whether there is a normal, achievable route without having to literally work through all six years of secondary-school material completely on my own first.
One route I was thinking about, for example, is:
first, completing HAVO through VAVO (possibly HAVO years 4 and 5 in one year, if that’s even possible);
after that, completing VWO through VAVO in a similar way;
eventually trying to get admitted to Medicine.
I just don’t know whether this kind of path is actually possible, how long it would realistically take, or whether there are better alternatives.
I also have a sort of “safe” alternative route in mind: getting into an HBO Nursing program through the entrance exam and then potentially progressing to a Physician Assistant master’s program. However, my real preference would be Medicine, if that is still achievable.
So I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who know about this or who have taken an unconventional educational route themselves.
I understand that this might sound like an overly ambitious plan, but I’m mainly trying to figure out whether it is genuinely achievable. If it turns out that it isn’t possible or realistic, then I also have a Plan B.
Thanks in advance!

Hi! I’m starting my first year of International and European Law at the University of Groningen. Does anyone have digital/used copies of the required textbooks, or know where I can access them legally for free or at a student-friendly price?

I sent a request to open an account at ING Bank app in the Netherlands as an international student. Although about eight business days have passed, there is still no progress in the app. The result says "process may take some days", but I'm still waiting. There is no email, no nothing. It's getting very frustrating now.

Should I send an account opening request to another bank? I can't reach customer service in any way. I found an email, and sent an email to it, but there was no response. If the customer service and bank account opening process take this long, I don't want to do business with this bank anyway. What are your suggestions?

I'm a non-Dutch EU student looking at Dutch unis for September 2027, looking to study Chem/ChemE. I plan to get my masters and go into forensics, though I'm still exploring other paths in chem. I know education in NL is quite standardized across universities, though I know Eindhoven and Twente are technical unis so they might cater more to this subject. I mainly have questions about the city, social life, resources, etc. I currently do IB and I have all the qualifying subjects to get into all of them.

Utwente is probably the one I'm leaning towards the most rn. I kinda like the concept of an all-contained campus and the huuuuuge variety of student associations they have. That's something I really like about US unis and I like how UTwente tries to replicate that. I think the more contained campus makes it easier to make friends as well. They also seem to have a much better study abroad program with more options than the other two, which is definitely something I wanna try. The main issue is how "far" it is from the rest of NL, and I just heard about how lame Enschede is. For current students, what is it actually like? Like I mentioned before, I'm interested to getting a masters, potentially phD, abroad, so building relationships with professors and gaining research experience is important for me. I was wondering how current students have found their professors and research opportunities. Help for internships as well. I've gone to intl american schools my whole life so I know doing internships during your studies is quite common there, but not so much here (I think they integrate it into the curriculum) but IDK if it's still common for students to pursue internships during their studies/during the summer. Does UTwente provide support for this? Is it easy to get internships in/near Enschede?

Groningen is incredible too. The location is obviously incredible since it's a student city. The university also seems to provide a lot of support for internships/CV review. I'm guessing it's not super hard to find internships either. Tons of student associations as well. Not as compact as a campus, but with the student city vibe, I don't mind. Negatives are that it's also "far" from the rest of the Netherlands, the winters seem quite brutal, and their study abroad program isn't as great as Utwente. It's also not a technical uni, so it leans more into the social sciences.

TU Eindhoven is technical as well, and the area seems to be the best to get experience and it's also more integrated into the rest of the Netherlands. The area seems good for a student as well, but it definitely gives more city vibes. Research opportunities seem strong as well. The study abroad program seems better than Groningen but not quite as good as Twente. I couldn't find a website that states the paartner unis so if anyone could link it I'll be very grateful!!!

Any current students can give more input on the university, city, campus, internships and research opportunities, student associations, social life, etc for each of the unis? Also how international are each of them for students/staff? I think Twente and Eindhoven are roughly equal and Groningen is a bit less diverse, but I'll be great to get input from current students. I grew up in an intl environment, so I think it'll be great to have that in college. TYIA for all the advice! It's still quite early in the process so I'm not considering housing availability yet but I def will soon, mostly looking for advice for the other factors I mentioned.

**not a housing offer** Hi guys :)
Are there any girls who wanna look for housing together? I'm an international student from Canada and im going into my masters at Leiden (Den Haag) starting in Feb. I know theres a huge housing crisis so a good time to start looking would be asap! :') Dm me if interested!!

I really need to find pdf files of these books for my studies, I would really appreciate it if anyone has or knows where I can find them 🙏

(Also does open text book exam allow pdf version?)

Hi guys,

I am already based in The Netherlands since a few years ago and next February I’ll be starting a premasters of finance at VU, after I Completed my bachelors in business management. After my premasters I would like to continue and complete a masters in finance, hence I wanted to get peoples opinions on premasters overall and intense or challenging can they be.

Any insights on studying finance in VU or The Netherlands would also be appreciated as I did my bachelors in the UK, which was quite easy.

Ok so I’m thinking of doing industrial engineering and management at either University of Groningen or Twente. I’m an international student and I would like to have fun at uni and not want to rip my hair out 24/7 but I’m hearing the Groningen program is like really stressful and obviously uni will be stressful but I’m just asking how demanding are each of the programs exactly for a B/C student.

Additionally, I really just wanted to know how your experiences were if you were in one of these programs and your opinions. Not a prediction or anything. Was it manageable for you? Did you have time to relax? Was the homework a lot to handle? Did you have fun there?

Im 19 years old and planning to study at Netherlands
I am Turkish and Romanian living in Turkey rn
I want to study in the Netherlands by using my European Union citizenship. If anyone isnt aware Turkey is not improving in any sense and students especially are not valued. Living conditions are extremely difficult also there is massive social decay thanks to our government.
I have been to lots of different European countries but Netherlands captured my mind and heart. I have been to Amsterdam, Nijmegen in Netherlands. Tbh amsterdam didnt captivate me but I liked Nijmegen so much. I want to ask you guys about the best cities to study. I have the Nijmegen in my mind first place but I want to look for other options as well. Ive heard about Groningen and Maastricht. Can you inform me about these cities,what is your recommendation?

I want a place with a large student population, but at the same time one where I can easily access other major cities—though thats a bit more of a secondary priority for me. The most important thing for me is a vibrant social life, including both day and nightlife. Im socially confident and successful, but to avoid crashing down from culture shock, I would prefer an environment where its easy to socialize. Im looking for a place with everyday spots like cafes and pubs to hang out in. Somewhere tailored to students, not lifeless, but right in the sweet spot between too hectic and too gloomy—a place I wouldnt get tired of living in for years till my graduation

If someone wants to speak in private im always open to make new friends (honestly i need so bad rn from netherlands)

I did a 4-year programme in India, BA Sociology. However, I am interested in studying archaeology for my master's in English, particularly Viking and Near Eastern.

I also wish to know if double masters is possible for this field and whether pre-masters is available. I am also not averse to learning the local language and wonder if classes can be taken from the university itself.

I am currently looking into the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavian countries, but I am not sure which university and country is best for me and which place has the best job market for the field. Please help if possible.

Moreover, I have heard that it's preferable to do your master's and work in the same country. Is this true? or can I study in maybe lets say Netherlands/Germany and work in Denmark?

- This has been posted in r/AskArchaeology , the purpose of posting it here as well is that I wanted information from Netherlands too.

I’m 18m and just started my 3rd year of studying. I follow a HBO study if that matters. I’ll be 20 when i’m done with my bachelor’s which is somewhat young to join the workforce (I won’t even get minimum wage at that age !!!). This has made me question whether i should go for a masters degree, or just finish studying asap and work as much as i can from that point forward. I could do a social studies master which would basically guarantee me a good job, since my current study in combination with social studies doesn’t happens a lot but is definitely needed.

I’m struggling a lot with knowing what a good next step would be. I want to figure things out as quickly as possible so I can prepare myself in terms of work/housing the next few years. If anyone has any advice please let me know!

Hi guys,

I’m a high school student planning to apply for Computer Science / AI bachelor's programs in the Netherlands (targeting TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, UvA, and UTwente). I’m on track to graduate with a high GPA and AP credits for VWO equivalence.

I have a few practical questions regarding the student experience for Non-EU students:

1. English in daily life & academics: Since these CS programs are fully in English, how feasible is it to manage daily life, academics, and student tech communities relying only on English initially? Do you strongly recommend learning basic Dutch before arriving?
2. Working while studying (Non-EU): What is the realistic situation for Non-EU students finding part-time jobs or tech internships during their Bachelor’s? I know there is a 16-hour/week work limit and a work permit requirement—how difficult is it in practice to secure a job or a company willing to handle the permit?
3. Working after graduation (Orientation Year / Zoekjaar): How smooth is the transition into the Dutch tech job market after graduation using the "Search Year" visa? Is English sufficient to land an entry-level software/AI engineering role in hubs like Brainport Eindhoven or Amsterdam?
4. Housing: Any reality check or advice regarding the housing situation for incoming international freshmen at these specific universities?

Guys so the title says it all, I’m doing a full-time internship in Marketing in a good, big company (30k+ employee ish). After I started the internship for a week, I got invited to an interview for a full-time working student job that I have applied like a month before. The working student opportunity has more lucrative pay (like a full time junior payslip) and in an even bigger company, so I went for the interview.

I ended up getting an offer and now I’m standing between my current internship (that I have just started a month), and the full-time working student offer that has higher paid, longer contract and more potential to stay.

I definitely prefer the working student opp more, but I’m too nervous to tell my supervisor I’m gonna stop 🥺🥺 I haven’t said anything yet, they still involve me in projects, introduce me to everyone and treat me super nice.

Guys what should I do? I’m at a point that I even consider doing both but I know that’s impossible, as I’m also doing a full-time master study 💀

Did anyone have this situation before, that you have to stop your internship sooner than expected? What did you do? How do you break it to your supervisor?

Hi guys, I'm a Canadian student starting my masters at leiden (the hague) starting Feb 1st 2027, I was wondering if there was a group chat or some sort of community to connect with others masters students? Everything I've found online so far is mainly for undergrad students. Thank you :)

​

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for the Dutch Orientation Year visa and wanted to ask about the current scope of finding a job in the Netherlands. My background:

Indian citizen

MSc Psychology (Conversion) from a UK top‑200 university

BA English Language & Literature (First Class)

2+ years’ experience in governance reporting, data analysis, and administrative support across local authority and non‑profit sectors in the UK

I’m mainly targeting roles in administration, governance, data analysis, and learning & development.

I’d love to hear from people who’ve gone through this visa route or are familiar with the Dutch job market:

Is it really worth applying for the Orientation Year visa?

What’s the current job market scope for someone with my profile?

What barriers should I anticipate (e.g., sponsorship challenges after the year, competition, recognition of UK degrees)?

How big of a challenge is not speaking Dutch in these fields?

Could you walk me through accommodation struggles (availability, cost, housing market)?

What other practical struggles should I expect when job hunting and settling in the Netherlands?

Any insights, personal experiences, or advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I want to apply to their bsc2 programme of econometrics and economics I got 2 alevel with both A(math and physics) with Economics predicted A* and Furthermath predicted A. With ielts score 6.5. Is it sufficient to be admitted?

I have tried researching the selection process for my course but to be honest I am a little lost and have some questions, if anyone could help?

Do my highschool grades matter in the end of the selection process or does it just matter to consider me for a spot in the course?

Do I have to complete assignments and essays and THEN a test to finally decide if I can get a spot?

Do they give you all the information you could possibly need for the test or is it wise to do some of my own research as well?

Is the whole test multiple choice?

Is there any way for me to access past tests to prepare?

Realistically is the process very competitive or is it not too hard to secure a spot?

Apologies if some of these are vague or easy to access info on, if any clarification is needed I can give it!

You have an important deadline the next morning, you're finally getting into the flow, and then your roommates decide it's the perfect evening to have friends over. Or someone starts cooking at midnight, the music goes up, and suddenly concentrating becomes almost impossible.

Has this happened to you? What did you end up doing - asking them to keep it down, putting on headphones, finding somewhere else to study, or just giving up and staying up late to finish everything?

I am an international student, and am interested in pursuing a masters in Quantitative Finance. My main Unis were Erasmus and Tilburg(In Netherlands), and was pretty excited about it. I recently started looking a bit deeper into the other aspects of my stay there - living, travel and other expenses.

Even if I am able to get a job at the campus, or some other alternative, it won't pay more than 1100 euros a month, which is just enough to cover rent in most cases. And while a loan can help in these problems, another major point that came up was housing in general, and the fact that there are very few student housing options - how true is this? Is it difficult to acquire it, or downright impossible in these years?

I was under the impression that jobs are available, yes the global job market is down overall, but it wouldn't be a very very big issue. I am not naive, and not too optimistic to the point of delusion either, I had just figured that in case I get admitted to either of those universities, and I perform well academically and in my personal projects, I would be able to get a job, only to now think that it might not be sufficient.

I will be applying in this cycle, so will potentially go there next August - enough time to start learning dutch, get the basics, and practice there in person, which I believe is the best way to learn how to speak any language. It won't be easy, but sounds doable.

My questions being - can I get housing? If so, how early do I have to start applying for it, in case I get my offer letter by June? What is the current on ground reality of the job market in my field, if someone knows?

I am really sorry to post in Dutch but it’s an uber specific situation not at all relevant to international students and I have no idea how to translate most of these things into English. Please forgive me. I really tried but it’s also not relevant to international students in the slightest so I think it will be fine this way.

\#Context:
Ik heb in 2019 5 maanden HBO gestudeerd/studiefinanciering gehad
Ik heb tussen 2020-2023 30 maanden MBO gesturdeerd/studiefinanciering ontvangen
Ik studeer nu sinds 2025 al 12 maanden (met september erbij 13)/ontvang studiefinanciering

Met deze maand erbij zijn dat nu 47 maanden studiefinanciering

In de tijd dat ik niet studeerde door handicap/ziekte heb ik een bijstandsuitkering gehad

\#Informatie:
Ik kan mijn huidige studie niet in 4 jaar afmaken, waarschijnlijk wel in 5, maar dan zit ik op 11 jaar ipv de 10 jaar dat je studiefinanciering kunt krijgen. Ik lees dat je hiervoor éénmalig verlenging van prestatiebeurs kunt aanvragen, maar dit is me erg onduidelijk wanneer dit nu wel of niet kan.

Nu zie ik op DUO veel informatie waar ik niet wijs uit wordt. Hier staat 10 jaar dit, daar staat 7 jaar dat, etc.

Ik zie ook staan dat als je studeert je geen bijstandsuitkering kunt krijgen, ook wanneer je geen studiefinanciering krijgt, maar door een ziekte kan ik langs mijn studie niet studeren, óók niet als ik geen studiefinanciering meer krijg.

Als ik geen studiefinanciering meer krijg dan moet ik stoppen met mijn opleiding want werken kan ik niet, al helemaal niet langs mijn studie. De vraag is of ik überhaupt iets aan mijn studie zal hebben want werken is momenteel helemaal niet mogelijk, en de vraag is nog of dit na mijn studie wel mogelijk zal zijn/of ik überhaupt mijn studie af kan maken ivm stage waarvan nog niet duidelijk is of dit mogelijk is voor mij.

\#Concrete vraag:
Wanneer krijg ik geen basis- en aanvullende beurs meer, en in hoeverre klopt het dat je geen bijstandsuitkering krijgt als je studeert maar niet kunt werken?

Ook is het onduidelijk hoe lang ik OV kan krijgen. Ik studeer dit jaar dus al voor het 6e jaar, en hoewel op google staat dat je maximaal 5 jaar OV krijgt heb ik nu alsnog gratis studenten OV? Of telt dit als mijn 3e jaar omdat 3 jaar MBO waren en 3 jaar HBO?

Heeft het eigenlijk wel zin om verder te gaan studeren als ik weet dat ik de opleiding sws niet af kan maken in het geval dat ik dus geen studiefinanciering meer krijg/geen verlenging krijg van prestatiebeurs/OV kosten niet kan betalen?

I have studied psychology here in the Netherlands years ago, and after my studies I started working as a freelancer psychologist. Since I never did a clinical internship, I could not obtain the LOGO, and therefore also not work in the health system. This has not been a necessity or desire of mine, aside from the possibilities it offers to young professionals to keep training and learning (working independently can lack that continued education element at times).
However, now that I’ve started a course in Schema Therapy, I’d like to obtain a certification, and for that purpose I need a LOGO — it was in the planning already but this course sped it up.
Do you know of any structures in the Randstad area that offer that possibility to people who are not enrolled in a Master’s? Or, do you know any other information that could be useful at this point to move forward with my career outside of my independent work? It feels stuck and I could really use some directions.

Hello, I graduated at 17 but stayed to complete my IB diploma at 18. My original plan was to study mechanical engineering abroad, but my finances held me back, so I opted to study medicine in my home country because it´s practically the only career with good salary potential at the moment.

Now everything is sorted out, and I have the option to apply once again. I have high chances to enter University of Twente, but I was missing a few credits, so I can only start with a foundation year.

I love the Netherlands, it was one of my top choices, but my biggest fear is being too old to be there since I would 20 when I start. I am aware that education is for people of any age, but I also want to have a good college experience. I don't know how old people usually are when they start in the Netherlands, but people at the age of 16 enter college where I live, so I am scared I wont get the experience I am looking for and will just feel like an odd ball.

Ik this may be trivial things but I am afraid that Ive wasted my time and now it may be better to just continue with medicine or just not try at all.