How to apply to Semester in Amsterdam

How to Apply

• Requirements

  General Admission Requirements

  All applicants must have completed at least one year of university studies to be admissible to the programme. 

  We recommend that students complete at least two years of university-level coursework before arrival. If accepted, applicants who have only completed only one year of university-level studies will be limited to 100 and 200 level courses. 

  • Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) based on the 4.0 American scale (comparable to a 7.0 (C) average on the ECTS system). 
    • If your transcript of records contains an overall GPA that is not graded on the 4.0 American scale or the 1-10 ECTS system, please attach a document containing a table of conversion provided by your university along with your transcript.
  • All applicants should have a minimum C1 (CEFR) level of English. While English language test scores are only required of Master-level applicants, all applicants are expected to possess an adequate level of English before arrival.

  Applicants from Universities of Applied Sciences are generally not admissible; however, there are some exceptions. Please contact us if you have questions about this.

  Course Specific Requirements

  While students are admitted to the programme based on the general admission requirements outlined above, students are also expected to meet the background requirements for each of the courses they wish to take. Please pay special attention to any recommended or required background knowledge listed in the course descriptions for each of your chosen courses. While some courses are open to be taken as elective courses by students with all different kinds of academic backgrounds, other courses require you to have more specific background knowledge in a specific field. We will check to make sure you meet the requirements before we enroll you in courses.

  More information about the course specific requirements can be found on our Courses page.

  Language Requirements for Master-level Applicants

  English language test scores are not required from Bachelor-level applicants. We do require a demonstrable sufficient level of English language proficiency from Master’s applicants. However, the following are exempted from this requirement:  

  • Applicants who have completed their (English-taught) education in Canada, the USA, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, or Australia  
  • Applicants who have obtained an International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate diploma (English-taught programmes only), or Surinam VWO diploma.  
  • Applicants who have completed a full Bachelor's degree programme in English. 

  You can submit your application for Semester in Amsterdam before taking an English language test and/or submitting your results. 

  Deadline for English language test submissions:  

  • Students who require a visa or residence permit: 1 June for Fall applicants or 1 December for Spring applicants 
  • Students with the EU/EEA nationality and other students who do not need a visa or residence permit: 31 August for Fall applicants or 31 January for Spring applicants 

  Please find all information on the minimum language proficiency requirements as well as which language tests we accept on this page. 

• Applying via a Provider or Partner University

  If you will be participating in the Semester in Amsterdam Programme through a study abroad provider, please follow the application instructions given to you by your provider and only submit an application for the Semester in Amsterdam programme when/if you are specifically directed to do so by your provider or university.  

  If you are applying through a study abroad provider, please only fill out the application form when you are specifically directed to do so. Not sure? Please contact the international office at your home university to check what their policies regarding individual enrolment are.

• Applying as an Individual Student

  Application deadlines for individual students

  Spring 2026 Semester	Fall 2026 Semester
  1 November	1 May

  Transcript of Records Certification

  If you are applying as an independent free mover student (not through a study abroad provider or partner university), you are required to submit a certified transcript of records from your home university to finalize your enrolment.

  A certified transcript of records is a copy of your transcript that bears the original stamp and signature from the awarding institution (your home school or university) confirming it is an exact replica of the original document. It is not necessary to submit the original document itself. Please note that only certified copies will be accepted. We cannot accept scans of certified copies sent via email or photocopies of certified copies sent by post as their authenticity cannot be verified. 

  How can I submit my certified transcript of records?

  If your transcript of records includes either of the following, we will be able to verify your document directly during the application process:

  • a verified digital signature from the issuing university, or
  • a verification code or link used to authenticate the document on the university website

  If your transcript already contains a verified signature or verification code, it is not necessary to submit an additional transcript. If this is not the case, please choose one of the following options:

  • Your home university sends us a digital copy of your transcript of records to semesterinamsterdam@vu.nl or shares it via the issuing university’s secure electronic system
  • If your home university is not able to issue a physical or digital transcript of records, we can accept a ‘Statement of enrolment’ sent directly by your home university to semesterinamsterdam@vu.nl.
  • You or your home university sends us a physical copy with a stamp, signature, and date from the awarding institution to:

  Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 
  International Office
  De Boelelaan 1105 
  1081 HV Amsterdam 
  The Netherlands

  Attn. to: Semester in Amsterdam 

  Please do not send your original transcript. We cannot take responsibility for documents lost in transit, nor are we able to return documents once submitted.

  Once we receive your certified transcript of records, you are unconditionally admitted to the programme and your enrolment is complete.

• Submit your Application

  Applications for the Spring 2026 semester are now open! Please review our step-by-step Application Guide before submitting your application. You can find a link to the online application form here.

  Start your application at least 1 week before the application deadline
  During your application, you are required to complete several steps to gain access to the VU Amsterdam student portal, also known as your VU Dashboard. After submitting your basic details, it can take a day or two before the system creates your new account and sends you a VUnet ID. Keep in mind that if you don't verify your email address on time, your account will be deleted and you will have to start again.

  You should NOT fill out the Semester in Amsterdam application form below if any of the following situations apply to you:

  • You are a student of another Dutch university wishing to follow a minor programme. In this case, please follow the steps listed for non-VU students.
  • You have been nominated by your home university to participate in Exchange and your university is a partner university of VU Amsterdam. Please visit the Exchange programme website and contact the Incoming Exchange Team at incoming@vu.nl if you have questions about how to apply.
  • You are participating in Semester in Amsterdam through a study abroad organisation/provider such as IES Abroad, CIEE, CEA Capa, or WorldStrides/ISA and you have not yet been directed to submit a Semester in Amsterdam application. Only after you have been accepted by your provider should you complete the Semester in Amsterdam Programme Application. If you are not sure, please contact your study abroad organization before you submit an application.
  • You wish to apply to a degree programme. Semester in Amsterdam is not a degree programme. Please follow the application procedure listed on the degree programme page.

  Before You Apply:

  1. Review our step-by-step Application Guide before submitting an application. This is a detailed document with screenshots. Keep this open and use it as a reference throughout the application process.
  2. Start the application process on time! The link to our online application will be published one month before the application deadline. It takes a few days to complete the entire process because you must first create a VU Dashboard account. During the first 7 steps of the application process (see the guide above), you are simply creating an account in your VU Dashboard. After you receive your VUnet ID by email and create a password, you still have to log in to vu.nl/en/dashboard and upload the necessary documents to complete your application.
  3. Take care to select the correct registration period from the drop-down list on the programme application page. Semester One refers to the Fall semester taking place from August to January. Semester Two refers to the Spring semester taking place from February to June. Ac. Year (September) refers to the whole academic year, meaning you plan to study for two semesters beginning with Semester One in the Fall semester. If you have questions about the academic calendar, please carefully review the information found here before you apply.

  Once you have been accepted to the programme and are fully enrolled, you can download a Declaration of Registration which is an official document that proves that you are a student and registered at VU Amsterdam.