Studielink Application Process for Dutch Universities Explained

What Studielink is — and what it is not

Studielink is the single national portal through which almost all applications (enrolments) for government-funded Dutch higher education are submitted. Whether you apply to a research university (WO) or a university of applied sciences (HBO), you register your programme choice in Studielink first.

Studielink is the registration layer — it routes your enrolment request to the university you chose. It is not where you upload your full file. Most universities run their own online admissions system (often called an OAS or application portal) where you submit transcripts, English-test results, motivation letters and other documents after your Studielink request reaches them. Treat Studielink as the front door and the university's own portal as the room where the real assessment happens.

Creating your account: DigiD vs the non-EU/EEA route

How you create a Studielink account depends on your status. Applicants who already have a Dutch citizen service number (BSN) typically log in with DigiD, the Dutch government's digital identity. International applicants without a BSN create a Studielink account using their own email address and personal details instead.

When you register without a BSN, accuracy matters: your name and date of birth should match your passport exactly, because the university later links your Studielink record to the documents and (if admitted) to your enrolment and residence steps. If your details are wrong, fixing them downstream is slower than getting them right at the start.

• Have your passport ready so name and date of birth match exactly.
• Use one stable email address you check regularly — notifications go there.
• EU/EEA applicants and those with a BSN may log in with DigiD; others register directly.
• Keep your Studielink login details safe — you reuse the account each cycle.

Registering a programme choice

Inside Studielink you add a 'study programme' — selecting the institution, the specific programme and the intended start. You can usually hold more than one enrolment request at a time, which lets you apply to several programmes or universities, though capped (numerus fixus) programmes have their own limits on how many you may choose.

Once you submit a request in Studielink, the chosen university receives it and contacts you (often by email) about the next steps in its own admissions portal. From that point, follow the university's instructions for documents, deadlines and any admission test or interview.

Deadlines and how Studielink connects to the university

Deadlines in the Netherlands depend on the programme type. Standard (non-selective) bachelor's programmes commonly use a 1 May application deadline for the September intake, while capped numerus fixus programmes use an earlier, strict 15 January deadline. International applicants frequently face earlier institutional deadlines so there is time for document checks and the entry visa/residence process.

Because exact dates, intakes and any open second deadlines change each year and differ per university, always confirm the live deadline on the programme page and in your university's own portal. Studielink shows your request status, but the binding requirements and cut-off dates are set by the university and should be verified on its official site.

• Numerus fixus (capped) programmes: register in Studielink before the 15 January deadline (verify the live date).
• Non-selective bachelor's: often by 1 May — but check the programme's own date.
• International (non-EU) applicants: expect earlier institutional deadlines.
• Verify every date on the official programme page — they change yearly.

After you apply

Submitting in Studielink starts the process; it does not confirm a place. The university assesses your file in its own system, may ask for missing documents, and issues the admission decision. For numerus fixus programmes a selection procedure follows; for non-selective programmes you complete a 'matching' / study-choice-check step.

If you are admitted and non-EU, the university typically coordinates your entry visa (MVV) and residence permit with the Dutch immigration service (IND). This is general information, not immigration advice — verify the current steps and any fees on the official IND and university pages before acting.