Study in the Netherlands: Costs, Visa, Universities and Scholarships for Pakistani Students

A practical guide for Pakistani students on Dutch tuition, the NL Scholarship, 2026 IND proof of funds, the MVV student visa, living costs and the orientation year.

The Netherlands offers one of the largest selections of English-taught degrees in continental Europe. Universities such as Delft, Wageningen, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden, Groningen and Eindhoven are highly ranked, teaching is interactive and project based, and almost everyone speaks English. For Pakistani students the big advantages are a fast, university-led visa process and a one-year job search permit after graduation.

The challenges are high tuition for non-EU students, very expensive housing, and a recent government push to limit the number of international students in some English-taught programmes.

All rupee figures in this guide use €1 ≈ PKR 310 (October 2026). Recalculate before you transfer money.

Quick facts	Netherlands
Language of teaching	Most master's and many bachelor's programmes in English
Academic year and intakes	Main intake September; some programmes also start in February
Tuition, non-EU (public institutions)	Bachelor's approx. €9,000 to €20,000 per year (PKR 2.8 to 6.2 million); master's approx. €12,000 to €30,000 (PKR 3.7 to 9.3 million)
Universities	Research universities (WO) and universities of applied sciences (HBO), almost all public
Monthly living cost	Approx. €1,100 to €1,800 (PKR 341,000 to 558,000)
Part-time work	16 hours per week in term or full-time in June to August, with an employer work permit
Post-study work	Orientation year (zoekjaar): 12 months to find work

Budget options: what you can do on every budget

Budget	Route	What it looks like
Fully funded	Erasmus Mundus joint master's with a Dutch partner; university excellence scholarships that cover full tuition and living (for example Amsterdam Excellence, Leiden Excellence, Utrecht Excellence, TU Delft Justus and Louise van Effen); funded PhD positions	PhDs in the Netherlands are usually paid employee contracts (approx. €2,900 to €3,700 gross per month). Full master's scholarships exist but are very competitive.
Tuition discount plus part-time work	NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship): €5,000 one-off (approx. PKR 1.55 million) in your first year; university partial tuition waivers	Covers part of the first year's fees. You still need the full IND living amount and the rest of the tuition.
Self-funded mid	University of applied sciences (HBO) or a research university in a cheaper city such as Groningen, Enschede, Nijmegen or Maastricht	Tuition from approx. €9,000 per year, rooms approx. €550 to €700. Total approx. €22,000 to €28,000 per year (PKR 6.8 to 8.7 million).
Self-funded premium	Research university in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Delft, especially business, medicine-related or design master's	Tuition €18,000 to €30,000+ and rents near €900 to €1,000. Total can exceed €35,000 a year (PKR 10.9 million+).

Orange Tulip Scholarship: as of 2026, this programme is offered only for certain countries (for example India and Indonesia at participating institutions). Pakistan is not currently listed, so do not pay anyone who offers you an "Orange Tulip Pakistan" scholarship.

University costs

The Netherlands has two kinds of public higher education institution:

Research universities (WO) offer academic bachelor's (three years), master's (one or two years) and PhDs.
Universities of applied sciences (HBO) offer practical, career-focused bachelor's (usually four years) and some master's. Fees are often lower.

Non-EU students pay the institutional fee, set by each university. The national study portal gives averages of €9,000 to €20,000 per year for bachelor's and €12,000 to €30,000 for master's. Medicine-related, business and some technical programmes are at the top end. Fees change every year.

Applications go through Studielink (the national portal) plus the university's own system. Most universities charge an application fee for non-EU applicants, commonly approx. €50 to €100. Programmes with a fixed number of places (numerus fixus) close on 15 January. Many master's programmes have non-EU deadlines between 1 February and 1 May.

Entry requirements. For research university bachelor's, an FSc or HSSC alone is often not enough; many universities ask for an additional year of university study in Pakistan or an international foundation year. HBO institutions are sometimes more flexible. For master's, you need a relevant bachelor's and usually IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

Living costs

City	Room rent	Food	Transport	Total per month
Amsterdam	€850 to €1,050	€250 to €320	€50 to €100 (bike plus public transport)	€1,500 to €1,800 (PKR 465,000 to 558,000)
Rotterdam	€650 to €800	€250 to €300	€40 to €80	€1,200 to €1,450 (PKR 372,000 to 450,000)
Eindhoven	€600 to €750	€230 to €280	€30 to €60	€1,100 to €1,350 (PKR 341,000 to 419,000)
Groningen	€520 to €650	€230 to €280	€20 to €40 (mostly cycling)	€1,050 to €1,250 (PKR 326,000 to 388,000)

Approx. figures. Kamernet's Q1 2026 data gave median room rents of about €710 in Rotterdam and €580 in Groningen, with a national average of €660. Amsterdam rooms are approaching €1,000. Housing is the hardest part of moving to the Netherlands: start searching the day you are admitted and never pay a deposit before seeing a contract.

Health insurance: if you only study, private international student insurance is usually enough (approx. €40 to €60 per month). If you take a job, Dutch basic health insurance becomes compulsory (approx. €150 per month), but you may then qualify for a government healthcare allowance.

Scholarships and need-based funding

NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship). €5,000 in the first year for non-EEA students starting a full-time bachelor's or master's at a participating institution. In 2026/27, 11 research universities and 23 universities of applied sciences took part. Applications open around 1 November; deadlines are set by each institution, commonly 1 February or 1 May. The list of institutions changes every year.
University excellence scholarships. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (UvA), Leiden Excellence Scholarship, Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, TU Delft Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship, University of Twente Scholarship, Radboud Scholarship Programme, TU Eindhoven Talent Scholarship and others. Amounts range from partial tuition waivers to full tuition plus living costs. Deadlines are early, often 1 December to 1 February.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's. Many programmes include Dutch universities, for example in water management, data science and urban studies. Full scholarships include tuition, travel and a monthly allowance. Deadlines usually October to January.
Funded PhDs. Dutch PhD candidates are usually employees with salary, pension and holidays. Positions are advertised on university job sites and academictransfer.com.
Need-based help. Non-EU students are generally not eligible for Dutch student finance (DUO). Some universities have hardship funds for unexpected emergencies.

See current opportunities on our Netherlands scholarships page.

Student visa: steps, documents and fees

Pakistanis need an MVV (entry visa) plus a residence permit for study. The good news: your university, as a recognised sponsor, applies to the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) for you through the combined TEV procedure.

Steps

Accept your offer and pay the deposit or tuition the university asks for.
Send the university your documents and proof of funds. The university submits the application to the IND.
The IND decides, officially within 90 days, often within two to four weeks for recognised sponsors.
Book an appointment at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Islamabad to give biometrics and collect your MVV sticker. You have three months from the approval to do this. Check the embassy website for whether any part of the process runs through an external service provider.
Travel, register with your municipality, and collect your residence permit card.

Proof of funds: the IND study norm for 2026 is €1,130.77 per month for university and HBO students (approx. PKR 350,500), or about €13,569 for 12 months (approx. PKR 4.21 million), on top of tuition. This changes every 1 January. Many universities ask you to transfer this amount to them before they apply.

Fee: €254 for the MVV and residence permit (approx. PKR 78,700). Changes every January. Often paid via the university.

TB test: Pakistani nationals must sign a tuberculosis declaration and take a TB test at the municipal health service (GGD) within three months of arrival.

Documents: passport, signed antecedents certificate (declaration of no criminal record), proof of funds, and the academic documents the university requests, usually HEC-attested degrees and IBCC-attested school certificates. Some institutions also ask for an Apostille from MOFA. See our HEC attestation guide, document checklist and visa and pre-departure checklist.

Working while studying and after graduating

During studies: non-EU students may work up to 16 hours per week during the academic year, or full-time in June, July and August, but not both. Your employer must get a work permit (TWV) for you; it is free and the employer applies. Required internships need only an internship agreement.
Pay: the Dutch minimum wage is set per hour and adjusted twice a year; for adults it is above €14 per hour in 2026 (approx.). Students typically earn €400 to €900 a month part-time.
Remember: a job means compulsory Dutch health insurance, which costs more than student insurance.
After graduating: the orientation year (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden) gives bachelor's, master's and PhD graduates of Dutch institutions 12 months to look for work or start a business, with unrestricted access to the labour market. During that year you can switch to a highly skilled migrant permit at a lower salary threshold than usual.

Month-by-month timeline (September 2027 intake)

When	What to do
October to November 2026	Shortlist programmes on studyinnl.org. Take IELTS/TOEFL. Start HEC/IBCC attestation. Apply for Erasmus Mundus.
December 2026 to February 2027	Apply via Studielink. Apply early for excellence scholarships (many close 1 December to 1 February). Numerus fixus deadline 15 January.
February to May 2027	NL Scholarship deadlines (commonly 1 February or 1 May). Receive offers. Start searching for housing.
May to July 2027	Pay deposit and transfer proof of funds. University applies to the IND.
July to August 2027	Collect MVV at the embassy in Islamabad. Book flights.
August to September 2027	Arrive, register at the municipality, collect residence permit, take TB test.

Common mistakes Pakistani applicants make

Starting the housing search too late. Some students arrive with no room at all. Use university housing offers as soon as they open.
Missing early scholarship deadlines. Most excellence scholarships close months before the programme's own deadline.
Believing agents who sell "Orange Tulip Pakistan" or "guaranteed" scholarships. Read our guide on avoiding scholarship scams.
Assuming the €5,000 NL Scholarship covers everything. It covers only part of one year's tuition.
Planning to fund living costs with part-time work. 16 hours a week rarely covers Dutch rent.
Not checking whether a bachelor's programme accepts FSc directly or needs a foundation year.