Registration Bachelor's degree programme

In order to be eligible for admission, the general end level of your previous education must be equivalent to pre-university education (VWO) in the Netherlands.

Please consult our list with international and country-specific qualifications that are VWO equivalent. Should your qualification not be listed, please know that you can still apply, as all applications are assessed on an individual basis.

It is not a problem if you submit your application while you have not yet taken a language test or while your test scores are insufficient.

The above applies to both fixed-quota and regular programmes.

In addition to the general end level requirement, some faculties apply subject-specific requirements. In these cases, the Admissions Board also needs to determine whether you possess the required background knowledge in subjects relevant to the Bachelor's programme. Whether the programme of your choice applies subject-specific requirements can be found on our website with entry requirements per qualification/country and faculty.

Should you not meet the subject-specific requirements as specified on our website or as determined by the Admissions Board upon assessment of your application, you can lift this so-called deficiency by obtaining a subject certificate.

Please consult the overview of the accepted certificates (per faculty).

Studielink is the online application and registration service for universities in the Netherlands.

You can have up to 4 active applications in your Studielink account (including a maximum of 2 programmes with a fixed quota). Nationwide you can only apply for one Bachelor’s programme in Medicine or Dentistry (Dutch taught).

Create Studielink account (if you have not already done so)

Information about creating an account can be found on the Studielink account page on the UG website. In addition, you will find information about what to do if you experience problems.

Use existing Studielink account (if applicable)

If you already have a Studielink account, please use your existing account and do not create a new one. This means that you will have the same student number for all your applications.

The University of Groningen charges a non-refundable application fee of 100 euros for applicants with a non-Dutch diploma.

Fee for multiple applications

In case you apply for more than one programme in one academic year, know that you only need to pay the fee once.

What happened if I do not pay the application fee?

The Admissions Office can only start reviewing your application(s) after this fee has been received on time.

After you submit your application in Studielink, you will receive a message from Studielink stating that the University of Groningen (UG) has to verify your educational background through the Progress Portal (replacing the previous system, OAS, as per October 2023).

What must I do?

You must upload all requested documents, in the correct format and including all required information, before the deadline​​​ on the Progress Portal. If your application is not complete before the deadline, it will not be processed.

To do:

1. Log into the system.
2. Complete your application and upload the required application documents.
3. Submit your application.

What are the consequences for not submitting the documents?

If you do not submit your application through the Progress Portal, the Admissions Office (AO) will not be able to process your application and assess whether or not you meet the requirements for admission.

Progress Portal

• Login details Progress Portal
  You will receive a separate email with your login details (make sure to also check your spam folder). This email can also be found in your Studielink inbox.
• Frequently asked questions
  More information about the Progress Portal and the FAQ can be found on the UG website.

Initial review of application documents by the Admissions team

• If your application includes all required documents, your file will be complete.
• If any documents are missing, you will need to upload additional/amended documents via the system.

Application is assessed by the Admissions Board

The Admissions Board will assess your application to see if your educational qualification(s) meet our general entry level requirement, in other words if the level of your diploma is equivalent to the level of the Dutch pre-university diploma (VWO). Should your programme also have any subject-specific requirements, the Admissions Board will assess if you meet these. You can find an overview of the requirements here.

Once the Admissions Board has reached a decision, we will send you your decision letter by email. This letter will state whether you are admissible, and if so, any conditions you will need to meet and certified documents you will need to send us.

Your offer is based on the admission status that you currently hold. There are three types of offers:

1. Conditional offers
   These apply to applicants who still need to fulfil one or more of the admission requirements. In order to be fully admitted and receive an unconditional offer, an applicant will have to satisfy the conditions for admission to their selected programme. This will need to be done before the deadline stated in your offer letter.
   For example, an applicant has a conditional offer when they still need to prove their English proficiency. Once the applicant has successfully passed and achieved the required results for the test, they will need to provide proof of this to the Admissions Office, i.e. by sending a scan of their final results by email. The admissions officer in charge will change the applicant's admission status.
2. Provisional offers
   Once an applicant has fulfilled all the entry requirements for their selected programme, they can be provisionally admitted. A provisional offer will change into a full admission when the candidate has sent in all the required certified documents (hard copies).
3. Unconditional offers
   The applicant has fulfilled all the admission requirements as well as provided their admissions officer with all the required certified documents. They have received an unconditional offer as well as a Decree of Admission (final unconditional statement). This statement is required to complete your University enrolment.

Only in case of fixed-quota programmes will you need to officially accept your place (through Studielink).
We do not require an official signed confirmation of participation for regular (i.e. non-fixed quota) Bachelor's programmes. For all regular programmes you will simply need to meet your conditions and provide the required documents before the applicable deadlines to start your programme.

Deferring your offer

It is not possible to defer your application to the next academic year, as entry requirements may vary between academic years. You will have to submit a new application in both Studielink and the Progress Portal.

Note: The video below still refers to the requirement of sending a Confirmation of Participation slip. This been phased out since 2023.

If your educational background equals a Dutch pre-university education, you will receive a decision letter with an offer of admission. To enrol in the programme, you must meet the conditions in your letter before the deadline.

You will need to provide us with certified digital copies of your original diploma(s) and final transcript(s).

If you do not submit your documents in time, you may not be able to receive your student card when you start your programme. Please be aware that you need your student card to access most of the university services.

When you have met your conditions in time and have sent all your certified documents to us, we will issue your Decree of Admission, in other words: the official admissions document needed to complete your enrolment.

This document signifies that you have completed the Admissions part of your application.

In order to start your programme on time, you may need a visa and/or residence permit, depending on your nationality. If so, the university's Immigration Service Desk (ISD) will need to apply for such a document on your behalf. Applying for a visa can take several months and you will not be able to enter the Netherlands without a valid visa.

When do I need a visa and/or residence permit?

How can I apply for a visa and/or residence permit?

You cannot apply for a visa and/or residence permit yourself. The University of Groningen (UG) applies for it on your behalf with the Dutch Immigration Services (IND).

After you have received your letter of (conditional or provisional) admission, the UG's Imigration Service Desk (ISD) will contact you about your visa and/or residence permit application. The ISD will inform you about the procedure and the documents that are needed for the application.

What happens if I do not meet the visa deadline?

When you do not meet the visa and/or residence permit application deadline, your application can be withdrawn. The ISD needs to receive your application before the application deadline in order to make sure that your visa and/or residence permit is ready before the start of your programme. This is necessary to finalize your enrolment.

The University of Groningen (UG) is not a campus university and therefore does not offer accommodation for students. It is your own responsibility to find somewhere to live. Please do not underestimate the challenge of finding accommodation, as it can be a long and stressful process.

SSH Student housing

If you are coming to Groningen for the first time, and you apply on time, you can rent one of the rooms the UG has reserved for new international students with SSH Student Housing. SSH is a non-profit housing corporation specialised in student accommodation, with furnished rooms available for a maximum of one year. It is important to know you have to be (conditionally) admitted to the study programme of your choice before you can apply for SSH student housing.

Private housing

Accommodation in the city is in high demand, so be prepared to also look outside Groningen. There are several ways to find private accommodation in the city. We have worked with the Groningen Municipality and Hanze University of Applied Sciences to create a website called At Home In Groningen (AHIG), which offers student rooms with reliable landlords that have been screened by the municipality and provides additional information about living in Groningen.

Another option is to search for a room on Hospi Housing, which connects students with verified local hosts and guest families. The platform allows you to search for accommodation and contact hosts for free, but charges a one-time fee once you have found a room.

We urge you to be aware that there are untrustworthy landlords and unreliable room rental agencies out there. Click the link for tips on looking for accommodation.

Cannot find housing?

Make sure that you have found a room before 1 August if you will be starting your studies in Groningen in September. If you decide to come to Groningen without pre-arranged housing, then you are highly likely to find yourself in hotels or hostels, provided there is still space.

This will involve high costs, inconvenience, and stress. This will likely last for a long period of time, probably months after your arrival. If you find a house outside of the city, then make sure you consider the potential extra travel time and travel costs.

If you have not found accommodation before 1 August, we strongly advise you not to come to Groningen.

During the application process you can check the status of your application in the Student Portal. In order to be able to log into the Student Portal, you will first need to activate your student account.

UG Tools

In the Student Portal you can find the option Grades and Enrolment under the ‘UG Tools’ menu. If you click Grades and Enrolment (Progress) you can then go to your Enrolment applications and find an overview of your application(s) in our registration system.

Overview current status

This overview shows the current status for each step and what you need to do to complete the step. If you have submitted applications for more than one programme, the steps to be completed may vary per application.

• Is the box ticked? Then you have successfully completed this step.
• If the box is still empty, you will still need to finish that step, or we are still processing your information.

In order to start your degree programme on 1 September, the UG must have received your payment no later than 31 August*.

* For non-EU students, other deadlines may apply due to the immigration procedure.

Then you will not be enrolled.

Consequences

Not being enrolled will have consequences for

• Participation in education and exams.
• Access to the University Library.
• Your student grant from DUO.
• Your student travel product (DUO).

If the Bachelor’s programme of your choice does not have a selection procedure, you might need to participate in the matching procedure.

For some Bachelor’s programmes matching is compulsory, meaning that you will need to complete the matching activities before you are allowed to start the programme.

While your participation in this case is mandatory, the results of the matching procedure (whether or not you and the preferred programme are a suitable match) are not binding.

During the enrolment process you will be asked to upload a passport-style photograph. This photograph will be used on your university identity card, your student card.

What criteria must the photo meet?

The photograph must:

• be passport standard
• be in portrait orientation (i.e., higher than it is wide)
• be taken with your eyes open and clearly visible (no sunglasses or tinted glasses and no hair across your eyes)
• show your full head, without any head covering unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons
• show you on your own
• be in colour
• be taken within the last 12 months
• be clear and in sharp focus

When will I receive the student card?

After you have completed your registration and uploaded a photo on the Student Portal, your UG student card will be ready within a few weeks.

How will I receive the student card?

• If you have a Dutch address, the card will be sent to that address.
• If there is no Dutch address registered in our system, your will receive an email when and where you can pick up your card.

You will automatically receive your statement of enrolment by email within two working days after your registration is official.

You can also download your own statement of enrolment using the UG tools in the Student Portal.

When you are fully enrolled, you can request a statement of paid tuition fees.

Bachelor’s students at the UG need to obtain a minimum amount of credits during their first year in order to be allowed to continue their studies.

For more specific information about the Binding Study Advice (BSA) requirements applicable to your programme, click the link below.

When you move to the Netherlands for longer than four months, you are required to register your address with the municipality within 5 days after your arrival in the Netherlands.

Required documents

The municipality will ask you to submit documents such as a rental agreement. You can find an overview of all required documents on their website.

Citizen Service Number (Dutch: BSN)

By registering you will obtain a BSN. You will need the BSN to open a bank account, receive a salary, arrange medical health insurance and in contacts with the government.

In the Netherlands it is mandatory to have adequate health insurance. It's therefore essential that you know what to arrange when it comes to health insurance before you arrive in the Netherlands. To find out more, click the link below.

If you are not a member of an EU/EEA country that uses the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) system, we recommend opening a Dutch bank account to manage your day-to-day finances during your stay in the Netherlands.

With most Dutch banks you will need a Citizen Service Number (Dutch: BSN) in order to open a bank account. You can choose a bank of your preference.

If you have transferred proof of sufficient funds to the Immigration Service Desk (ISD) for your residence permit application, you will receive a personal link to start the refund procedure.

When will I receive the personal link?

Depending on the starting date of your programme, you will receive an email from the ISD in the first week of September or February.

How long will it take to refund my money?

It will take approximately two weeks for your money to be refunded to your Dutch bank account. Make sure that you have enough money with you for the first weeks/month in the Netherlands.

You will receive the student card (also known as University card) only once. The card remains valid throughout your entire study career. Your student card will expire when you deregister.

How will I receive the student card?

• If you have a Dutch address, the card will be sent to that address.
• If there is no Dutch address registered in our system, your will receive an email when and where you can pick up your card.

As soon as your residence permit is ready, the Immigration and Naturalisation Services (IND) will notify the ISD. The ISD will then inform you when you can collect your residence permit card.

Collect your residence permit card in Groningen (specific days)

The IND will come to Groningen a few times per semester to issue residence permits. If your residence permit card is ready, you will receive an invitation to collect it on that specific day. If you have not received a status update from us yet, please do not contact us, we will update you as soon as possible.

Collect your residence permit card in Groningen

If you are unable to attend that day or if your residence permit is not ready yet, you can pick up your residence permit card at the IND in Zwolle. You will have to make an appointment to do so.