Study in the Netherlands: Latest Fall 2021 Entry Guide

Global pandemic conditions have seriously disrupted everyone’s study, work, and daily life. For students planning to study abroad, it has become especially important to keep track of entry and exit policies and the COVID-19 situation in their destination country.

Here is the latest entry policy for the Netherlands.

New Dutch entry rules apply to people aged 12 and above

Starting August 8, 2021, travelers aged 12 and older arriving in the Netherlands from any country or region outside the EU/EEA must present either proof of a negative coronavirus test or a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, regardless of whether it is an electronic Covid certificate.

This rule applies to all EU/EEA countries, and it also applies to all countries on the EU safe list. It also applies to travelers who left on vacation before August 8 and return to the Netherlands on or after August 8.

Specific requirements:

1. This applies to people aged 12 and above.

2. The test result has a validity period: PCR test results must be no older than 48 hours, and antigen test results must be no older than 24 hours.

3. Language requirements for the certificate or vaccination record: it must be in English or Dutch. The certificate must show the vaccinated person’s personal information, vaccination details (whether fully vaccinated, vaccine name and manufacturer, date of vaccination, country of vaccination, etc.), and the name of the issuing authority, along with a signature or stamp.

4. Accepted vaccines: vaccines on the WHO Emergency Use List, including Sinopharm from China (inactivated vaccines only) and Sinovac.

5. Quarantine requirements upon entry: travelers entering the Netherlands from China do not need to quarantine after arrival. However, they are strongly advised to self-test after arriving in the Netherlands.

Netherlands visa process

The Netherlands has always had a relatively lenient policy for student visas. As long as applicants meet the relevant visa requirements, they are generally not made to go through too much trouble. So far, study visas for the Netherlands can still be applied for, processed, and issued as normal.

In general, applying for a Dutch student visa requires three things:

1. The applicant must have an admission offer from a school recognized by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service as eligible to enroll international students.

2. The applicant must have sufficient means to ensure they can complete their studies. When applying for a study visa, Dutch schools usually require applicants to pay one year of tuition in advance and transfer both tuition and living expenses to the school’s account at the same time. After receiving the payment, the school will issue a financial receipt confirmation for the student. Once the applicant arrives in the Netherlands and opens a Dutch bank account, the school will refund the tuition and living expenses to the applicant’s Dutch account.

3. After the visa is granted, the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service requires each student to earn at least 50% of the credits required by the school each year in order to continue staying in the Netherlands and complete their studies. Otherwise, the immigration authorities have the right to terminate the study visa.