You live in Belgium and are going to study in the Netherlands

If you have a non-Dutch diploma or certificate, you can have it evaluated. A diploma evaluation explains which Dutch diploma your non-Dutch diploma is equivalent to.

On the website studyinnl.org (in English), you will find information on a variety of scholarships you can apply for your studies in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, there are hundreds of courses to choose from at secondary vocational, higher professional or university level. 

On the website kiesmbo.nl, you can compare secondary vocational courses. 

If you are looking for a higher professional or university course, you can get help from the the Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze (LCR). For step-by-step help with finding a course, go to the website studiekeuze123.nl.

Enrolling for a secondary vocational course

You must enrol by no later than 1 April with the educational institution where you will be following your chosen course. To enrol on a course at an educational institution, go to inschrijvenmbo.nl (available in Dutch only). 

Enrolling for a higher professional or university course

If you want to enrol on a course at a university of applied sciences or research university, you must do so by no later than 1 May through studielink.nl (available in Dutch, English and German). For more information on the enrolment procedure and admission requirements, you should contact the educational institution concerned.

If you hold the nationality of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA ) or Switzerland, you do not need to apply for a residence permit in order to follow a course of study or training in the Netherlands. A valid passport or ID card is sufficient for you to travel to the Netherlands and stay there.

If you do not hold the nationality of an EEA country or Switzerland, different rules may apply in your case. For more information, go to the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND ).

After you have enrolled on a course, it is likely your university of applied sciences or research university will ask you to carry out a study-choice check. This is sometimes compulsory. A study-choice check allows you to verify whether the course you have chosen is actually suitable for you. 

If your university of applied sciences or research university does not offer you the opportunity to carry out a study-choice check, you can always ask for one. This is an entitlement, provided you enrolled on your course by no later than 1 May.

The educational institution may require a particular language skill level as an entry requirement for a course. Contact the educational institution to ask whether you need to take a language test, and what the requirements are.

You will probably want to live close to your educational institution. Due to the accommodation shortage in the Netherlands, you would be well advised to start looking for student accommodation as soon as possible. You can either register with a housing corporation that provides student accommodation or try to find accommodation in the private sector, through advertisements or an estate agent.

If you are enrolled at a Netherlands-based educational institution, you can get student finance from the Dutch Education Executive Agency (DUO), provided you meet the qualifying conditions. 

If you do not meet the qualifying conditions for student finance from DUO, you should check whether you can get a study allowance from the Belgian government.

If you are enrolled at a Netherlands-based educational institution you can get a student travel product from DUO, provided you meet the qualifying conditions. This is a public transport subscription that is valid in the Netherlands either during the week or at the weekend. 

The student travel product cannot be used on public transport in Belgium.

Pay school fees or course fees for a secondary vocational course

As a student in secondary vocational education aged 18 or over following a pre-vocational learning pathway (BOL), you will be required to pay school fees. 

If you are a student in secondary vocational education aged 18 or over, you will be required to pay course fees if you are following a part-time course or a block- or day-release programme (BBL).

Pay tuition fees for a higher professional or university course

If you study at a university of applied sciences or research university, you have to pay tuition fees. Each academic year, you pay a fixed amount to the educational institution you are studying at. 

To pay your tuition fees, you need to go to studielink.nl (available in Dutch, English and German) and enter your payment details. Once it is possible for you to make your payment, you will receive a notification from studielink.nl.

Visit the Civil Affairs Department of the Belgian municipality where you are currently living, inform them that you are going to study in the Netherlands and that you will be living in student accommodation there. 

If your parents live in Belgium, you are financially dependent on them and you visit Belgium on a regular basis, the municipality will not need to deregister you from the population register. All you need to do is inform them that you will be living outside Belgium temporarily for the duration of your studies. 

If you will be living in the Netherlands on a permanent basis and you will not be returning to Belgium, you will need to inform the municipality that you are leaving the country.

If you will be staying in the Netherlands for 4 months or longer for the purpose of your studies, you will need to have yourself entered in the Dutch Personal Records Database (BRP), which is the population register in the Netherlands. To do this, you need to visit the Civil Affairs Department of the municipality where you will be living. You must do this within 5 days of your arrival in the Netherlands. 

Once you have been entered in the BRP, you will be issued a Dutch Burgerservicenummer (BSN), which is similar to a Belgian identification number (Rijksregisternummer ). You will need your BSN whenever you have to arrange any affairs with the Dutch government , or if you are going to work or do an internship in the Netherlands. 

If you will be staying in the Netherlands for less than 4 months, you should register at a municipality with a Non-residents’ Records Database (RNI) desk. Once you have been entered in the RNI, you will be issued a Dutch BSN.

If you have a Burgerservicenummer (BSN), you can apply for a DigiD in the Netherlands. DigiD stands for Digital Identity and is a personal combination of a username and password. You use your DigiD to log in securely when using the internet. 

In Belgium, you may use a login key such as eID or itsme. These are EU-approved login keys. Many of the online services of government agencies in the Netherlands can also be accessed using eID or itsme. This is referred to as European login or eIDAS.

If you are living in Belgium, you will not qualify for rent benefit from the Netherlands because this applies only to rented accommodation in the Netherlands.

If you are renting accommodation in the Netherlands in addition to your accommodation in Belgium, you should enquire as to whether you can get rent benefit from Dienst Toeslagen. If you live in student accommodation with shared facilities, you will usually not qualify for rent benefit.

If you do not work in the Netherlands, you will remain insured in Belgium provided your Belgian health insurance fund regards you as a resident of Belgium. If you do not yet have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you should apply for one.

If you work in the Netherlands, even if only part-time, you must take out Dutch health insurance. If your Belgian health insurance fund regards you as a resident of Belgium, you will also remain registered with them.

If you are doing an internship in the Netherlands and you are covered by 1 or more of the Dutch employee insurance schemes , such as the sickness benefit scheme (ZW ) or the unemployment benefit scheme (WW ), you must take out Dutch health insurance for the duration of your internship. 

To find out whether you are insured under the employee insurance schemes, you should check one of your payslips or ask your internship company or the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV ). 

To be absolutely certain what the requirements are in your situation, you should contact your Belgian health insurance fund.

If you have Dutch health insurance, you can apply to Dienst Toeslagen for healthcare benefit. Healthcare benefit is a financial contribution towards the fixed monthly premium you pay to your health insurer. The amount of healthcare benefit you can get depends on your income.

If you receive any other income, it is important to check whether your entitlement to it will be affected. Checking this will give you a clear picture of your financial situation and avoid you having to make any repayments. Contact the organisations concerned to find out whether the payments can continue.

If you have a physical or social disability, or you suffer from a psychological condition or chronic illness, you should inform your educational institution so they can assess your needs in consultation with your supervisor.

If you are following a course of study or training at an institution for higher professional education or a university, the Expert Centre on Inclusive Education (ECIO) can help you. The ECIO provides practical information and answers to frequently asked questions, and draws on the experiences of other students who require support.

If you will be working or doing an internship in the Netherlands alongside your course of study or training, you will need to file an income tax return in the Netherlands in the next calendar year. If you are regarded as a resident of Belgium, you must also file an income tax return there.

There is a tax treaty in place between the Netherlands and Belgium to prevent double taxation, i.e. having to pay tax in 2 countries on the same income. If you have any questions about this, call the Dutch Tax Information Line for Non-resident Tax Issues or the Belgian Federal Public Service Finance (FPS Finance).

If you work part-time alongside your course of study or training, your employer can reduce the deductions they make for payroll tax . As a result, your net wage will be higher. To have these deductions reduced, fill in the Model Statement of Data for Payroll Taxes (scheme for students and school pupils) (available in Dutch only) and give it to your employer.

During your stay in the Netherlands, you may find yourself needing medical care from a general practitioner or dentist, or in a hospital, for example. How you should declare your medical expenses depends on where you are insured. 

If you have Dutch health insurance, you should contact your health insurer. 

If you do not have Dutch health insurance, you should contact your Belgian health insurance fund or Zilveren Kruis – Groep Buitenlands Recht.

Pension is of course something for later in life, but later always comes sooner than you think.

If you work in the Netherlands, you will normally build up rights to an AOW pension automatically. When you have finished your course of study or training in the Netherlands, you can apply to the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) for a Statement of AOW Pension Insurance Periods. 

If you originate from Belgium and you start working there after you have finished your course of study or training in the Netherlands, you will start building up rights to a Belgian state pension. If you would like to build up rights to a Belgian state pension during your periods of study or training in the Netherlands, you can have those periods regularised through the Federal Pensions Service (FPD).