International Student Support

Last updated on 2 March 2023

Everything you need to know as an international student arriving at VU Amsterdam, from insurance to application to residence permits.

Why study at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam?

Application procedure

Before you arrive

After you arrive

Advice and counselling

Student general counselling service
Studying with a disability
Psychological counsellors
Academic Advisors
Academic culture
Changing your study programme
Working while studying: cost of living and working
Working after graduation: career development

Before you go back home

Alumni
Hand in your residence permit: The residence permit card you received remains property of the Dutch state. Therefore, you need to hand it in on your final departure. If you leave the Netherlands by plane, you can hand in the card at your final customs check. Or you can hand it in at the IND office in Amsterdam.
Deregister from the municipality: Deregistering from the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) is necessary. The municipality will remove your personal details from the database and inform other government authorities of your departure. Read more about the deregistration process in Amsterdam. Read more about the deregistration process in Amstelveen.
Close your Dutch bank account: It is very important to close your Dutch bank account before you leave. You should visit the nearest bank office and they will help you close the bank account. If you do not close your bank account, you will continue to be charged for the use of it, which could result in an unexpected bill when visiting the Netherlands in the future.
Ask your faculty for a transcript: You should go to your faculty contact person and ask for an official transcript at the end of your studies. An official transcript only includes courses you have passed.
Hand in your accommodation keys: Towards the end of your tenancy, a caretaker will contact you and give you more information regarding the departure procedures. Please make sure to leave your room clean and tidy. You will be charged for any damage to the room or necessary cleaning after you leave. If you rented from DUWO and you depart outside of office hours, for instance in the evening or weekend, you can put your keys in an envelope (with name, address and room number) and leave this in the mailbox outside of the DUWO office.
Ending your studies earlier: If you discontinue your studies, your registration as a student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will be terminated. If you plan to go back to your home country immediately, this will not cause any problems. However, if you wish to stay in the Netherlands for a while longer, you should take note of the following. VU Amsterdam is obliged to inform the immigration authorities (IND) about any foreign students who discontinue their studies at our university. Since the declared purpose of your stay (studying at VU Amsterdam) no longer applies, your residence permit will be invalidated. You will therefore need to contact the IND to change the purpose of your stay in order to remain in the Netherlands legally. Please make sure that you apply to change the purpose of your stay first, before deregistering at VU Amsterdam. The IND needs to receive your application while your original residence permit (with the old purpose of stay) is still valid. Once they have received your application, you can await their decision in the Netherlands. For more specific information, please check www.ind.nl or call 0900-1234561. If you have already paid the tuition fees for the whole year, you can get a refund for the months that you will not be registered, if you submit a deregistration request via studielink.

Make an appointment

Would you like to talk with one of our advisors regarding your admission, visa/ residence permit or student accommodation? Please feel free to schedule a phone call or a face to face meeting: please schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.