Your arrival as a degree student

Practical arrangements

• Step 1: Collect your room key

  • If you rent accommodation through VU Amsterdam, you will receive additional details via email regarding the key pick-up.
    • DUWO will be present at the VU Sport’s centre during Arrival Day on Friday 30 January for key collection. Further information will follow.
  • If you rent accommodation on the private market, you will need to coordinate the key pick-up directly with your landlord.

• Step 2: Register with the municipality

  If you will stay in the Netherlands for more than four months, then you need to register with the local authorities, also called the municipality. If you are going to live at student campus Uilenstede, you need to register at the municipality of Amstelveen.
  
  More information about registering with the municipality can be found here. During the Arrival Day, it will also be possible to register at the municipality of Amstelveen directly.

• Step 3: Set up a bank account (if necessary)

  You will need to have an IBAN bank account in order to arrange your day-to-day activities in the Netherlands.
  
  As an EU/EEA student, you do not need to open an extra Dutch bank account. If you are a non-EU/EEA student, you need to make an appointment at a bank office in order to get a student account (and thus an IBAN bank account).
  
  More information about opening a bank account can be found here.

• Step 4: Pick the right insurance

  It is important that you are properly insured during your time in the Netherlands. To simplify the business of arranging suitable insurance during your time in the Netherlands, it is advisable to consult your current insurance company and explain that you will be studying abroad.
  
  More information about possible insurances can be found here. During the Arrival Day, our partner Aon will also be present. You can arrange your insurance then and there. However, we advise you to arrange this before coming to the Netherlands.

  AON Student Insurance will organise webinars for new international students:

  What	Aon Student Insurance Webinar for EEA Students	Aon Student Insurance Webinar Non-EEA Students | 9 December 2025
  When	Tuesday 9 December 2025	Tuesday 9 December 2025
  Time	11.00 AM until 12.00 PM CET	2.00 PM until 3.00 PM CET
  Registration	You can register here	You can register here

• Step 5: Register with a General Practitioner (GP)

  As a student at VU Amsterdam living in Amsterdam or in the surrounding areas such as Amstelveen/Uilenstede, you will be able to register with the General Practitioner (GP) at the University General Practice (located in the VU Medical Centre on our campus) once you have a valid health insurance. More information can be found in this document.
  
  You can only register online. However, during the Arrival Day there will be someone present from the GP Practice to answer your questions.
  
  If you live outside of Amsterdam, you can look for a GP close to your home. More information about health care in the Netherlands can be found here.

• Step 6: find out your options for cycling and public transport

  Find all relevant information on cycling in Amsterdam and using the public transport system.

Other useful information

• International Onboarding Guide

  In our International Onboarding Guide for Bachelor's and Master's students you can find contact details and general information about studying at VU Amsterdam. We invite you to take a look at it! Please note that this guide is not applicable for exchange and Semester in Amsterdam students.

  International Onboarding Guide

• Cost of living and working

  Experience shows that living and studying in the Netherlands for one year costs a student between €1,000 and €2,000 per month (not including tuition fees). Some students manage to spend less, but this of course depends on your own lifestyle.
  
  Some rules apply when you work in the Netherlands during your studies. More information about the average costs per month, rules and regulations and tax can be found here.

• Your personal dashboard & Canvas

  Your personal dashboard

  During your stay you will have access to your personal dashboard on vu.nl. You were sent your login details when you first applied to VU Amsterdam. It is important that you familiarise yourself with this dashboard, as a great deal of important information is only available via this network. Registration for courses etc is also carried out via your dashboard.

  Canvas

  Canvas is the digital learning environment from VU Amsterdam. It is a tool that supports our education and is used by both students and teachers. You can log into Canvas with your VUnet-ID, or through your personal dashboard on vu.nl. For students, there is a VU Canvas Student Guide available that shows you how to work with Canvas. You can also watch a short video about the system.

• Study books

  For your studies, you will need books. Click here to order them at the VU Bookstore.
  
  Which textbooks you need is published in this booklist. Textbooks are sold in our main building at the VU Bookstore or at the Students' Unions.

• Learning Dutch

  Would you like to learn Dutch to help you feel more at home on campus? Of course you do! Luckily, VU-NT2 offers two course modules (8 weeks per level) of the Basic Dutch on Campus course at a greatly reduced rate for international students. You will learn to introduce yourself, do some shopping, order a meal and chat with local students and teachers. Finished the course? Then you receive a ‘Basic Dutch on Campus’ certificate. Check out the website of VU-NT2 for more information.

• Student card

  First-year students will receive a student card after completing their enrolment and uploading a photo. 

  When & where can I pick up my student card?

  If your card is ready on time, you can pick it up during the Arrival Day in January. Further information on where to collect your card if it is not ready by then will follow later.

  What do I need to bring when picking up the student card?

  To collect your student card, you will need to show the notification and a valid ID. Your student card is not required to attend your classes. Therefore, you do not need to collect it right away. The Student Desk will hold onto your card until you collect it.

  What if my card is not there?

  If you haven’t uploaded a photo that meets the requirements, please do so as soon as possible (see Upload your photo). 
  
  If you are not yet fully enrolled, your card will not be issued. Once you are fully enrolled and your picture meets the criteria, the Student Desk will request your card. You will receive an email when your student card is ready to be picked up.
  
  If you have any questions, please contact the Student Desk.

Route descriptions from Schiphol to housing providers

• Amsterdam-North

  • BOLD
  • Student Experience Minervahaven

• Amsterdam-South and Amsterdam-Buitenveldert

  • De Boelelaan
  • Student Experience Zuidas

• Amsterdam-New-West

  • Cornelis Lelylaan
  • Krelis Louwenstraat
  • Mosaic World
  • StuNest
  • The Social Hub West (formerly called The Student Hotel)

• Amsterdam-East

  • Eerste Ringdijkstraat
  • Pierre Lallementstraat

• Amsterdam-Bijlmermeer and Diemen

  • OurCampus
  • OurDomain
  • Student Experience Amsterdam Amstel

• Amstelveen (including Uilenstede)

  • EuroParcs Amsterdamse Bos
  • Uilenstede

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