Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the questions listed beneath.

General information

Can you give me some more information about the Netherlands?

The Netherlands is located in the North of Europe. The official name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. With 16 million inhabitants on 41,000 square kilometres, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. For more information, please click here.

What is Groningen like?

Groningen is a vibrant student city in the north of the Netherlands. Groningen is a blend of historical buildings and modern architecture and has a bustling city life combined with a unique countryside. Groningen has a young crowd: half of the population of Groningen is under 35 years of age. For more details on Groningen, please click here.

What is a University of Applied Sciences?

In Europe, and in particular in the Netherlands, 'Universities of Applied Sciences' (UAS) is a term that refers to institutions of higher education offering profession-oriented study programmes. The programmes are practically oriented and prepare students directly for careers in several sectors as economics and business administration, engineering and technology, commerce, finance, leisure, tourism, marketing, and health care. For more information, please click here.

What is the difference between a university of applied sciences and a research university?

Programmes offered by universities of applied sciences focus on the practical application of knowledge, preparing students for specific professions. Research universities train students in academic study and research. For more information, please click here.

What are the opening hours for the International Student Office?

The front desk of the International Student Office is opened from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 16:00 hours.

Our frontdesk is closed during the summer, from 29 July until 18 August 2013. During this time we are available by e-mail and phone. Please see our contact details for more information.

What are the starting/ending dates for the academic year?

We published our academic calendar on our website. For more information, please click here.

Application

What can I study at Hanze UAS?

Hanze UAS offers a wide variety of English taught Bachelor, Master, certificate and exchange programmes. We also offer a German taught programme at our International Business School. You can find a list of all international programmes here.

What degree will I obtain?

By clicking on the programme of your choice, you can visit the relevant school page with more detailed information on the programme. Under practical matters you can find the degree that can be obtained.

Are Hanze UAS programmes accredited?

All of the programmes at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen are accredited by the NVAO (Dutch and Belgian Accreditation Organisation).

What are the entrance requirements for the degree programmes of Hanze UAS?

The entrance requirements differ per study programme. By clicking on the programme of your choice, you can visit the relevant school page with more detailed information on the programme. Here you will also find the entrance requirements. To go to the listing of programmes, click here.

Who should I contact in case of any questions?

The staff members of the International Student Office are ready to answer all questions from international students. They will assist you from your application till your arrival in Groningen. Any questions you may have will be answered by them. You can either e-mail iso@org.hanze.nl or you can check the e-mail of your very own contact person here.

What is the Code of Conduct?

The Code of Conduct sets out standards for Dutch higher education institutions in their dealings with international students. By signing the Code of Conduct, the institutions are offering international students a guarantee of the quality of their programmes, student recruitment, selection and counselling procedures. Only institutions that have signed up to the Code are allowed to recruit international students. This Code of Conduct is an initiative of the Dutch institutions. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen observes the Code of Conduct for International Students following education in The Netherlands. For more information, please click here.

What is an exchange programme?

Exchange programmes are semester programmes that generally form part of a Bachelor’s degree programme, but do not lead to a Bachelor’s degree. These programmes are open to exchange students only. Exchange students are students that are nominated by one of our partner universities with whom we have an agreement to exchange students. Exchange students do not pay tuition fees. These fees are waived under the agreement with our partner.

What is a certificate programme?

Certificate programmes are semester programmes that generally form part of a Bachelor’s degree programme, but do not lead to a Bachelor’s degree. Students will have to pay a course fee and upon successful completion will be awarded a certificate.

What are the language requirements?

For all English taught courses a minimum English language proficiency is required. The English language proficiency must be proved by submitting a test score (not older than two years) from IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge. For more information, please click here.

What are my rights as a student?

The Student Charter regulates the legal status of students insofar as their status results from their enrolment at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen. For more information, click here.

Is there an application deadline?

We need to make sure that you are enrolled as a student at Hanze UAS on 1 September (or 1 February in case of midterm enrolment). For students not needing a visa, this means that you can still apply until 15 August and 15 January. This gives us two weeks to review your file.

For students who need a visa, we need more time to get you enrolled. We need to start a visa procedure before 1 July, in order to be able to get all formalities in place before 1 September. Before we can start a visa procedure, you need to be fully admitted and you need to have met all visa requirements. Our advise is therefore to send in your application before 1 June, giving us and yourself 4 weeks to fulfill all admittance and visa requirements. For more information, please check our time chart.

How much are the tuition fees?

You can find an overview of the tuition fees here.

How can I apply for one of Hanze UAS study programmes?

All students can apply on our website. You can go directly to how to apply. All application modules are self explanatory. However, should you run into any problems while completing either one of the modules, please contact our International Student Office at iso@org.hanze.nl.

Does Hanze UAS offer scholarships to international students?

Hanze UAS has a Talent Scholarship and participates in programmes from the Nuffic. You can find more information here.

Admittance

When do I know that I am admitted?

Upon receipt of your application, your file will be reviewed. Your diplomas and certificates, as confirmation of academic achievements will be evaluated, as well as your language proficiency. In some cases a motivation letter or work experience will be part of the admittance procedure. We aim at notifying you within 2 weeks. In some case this may take longer and in some cases this is possible within 24 hours. The outcome will be corresponded to you in a letter of (provisional) acceptance or a letter of rejection. Please find more information here.

When will I receive my student card?

We aim at issuing the student card to you on our Welcoming Day. After you have been admitted, you will receive a link from our Student Administration by e-mail to upload your photograph, but before we will make your student card, you will need to have met all requirements for enrolment.

When will I receive my log-in code and password?

You will receive a log-in code and password for the systems of Hanze UAS, if you have met all the requirements for enrolment. Your log-in code and password will be issued to you on the Welcoming Day.

I am provisionally admitted, what does this mean?

Provisional acceptance means that your application has been reviewed but is not complete yet: you are admitted under a certain condition. In most cases you still need to provide us with your diploma or your English proficiency test. Nevertheless, we have reviewed your transcripts and have decided that you will be admitted as soon as you have sent us your definite diploma and/or your english proficiency test. You can read more here.

Practical matters

When do I need to be present in Groningen?

We expect our new students to be present on our Welcoming Day. All school introductions start after this day. Participation to the welcoming is not obligatory but will certainly help you make a good start in Groningen. For more information, please click here.

What is the deadline for visa assistance by Hanze UAS?

The deadline for visa assistance is 1 July for September entrance and 1 December for February entrance. You need to have been admitted and need to have met all visa requirements before this date.

What is an MVV?

An MVV is a study visa: a visa which allows you to enter the country for study purposes. An MVV enables you to apply for a residence permit for the Netherlands under the purpose of study.

What can I do if I miss the visa deadline?

Our visa deadline is very strict. We need to make sure that you will be able to fulfill all enrolment requirements before 1 September, one of which is handing in proof of legal residency which is valid on 1 September or 1 February. If you miss our deadline, please always contact our International Student Office for further advise.

What are the visa requirements?

You can read all about our requirements here.

Is it easy to find a job in the Netherlands?

Groningen has over 50,000 students so the competition is high! Besides the fact that most people in Groningen speak English very well, experience also learns that basic knowledge of Dutch is important when applying for a part time job. Even though proven to be difficult, it is not impossible to work next to your studies. Many students have been able to find a job, so please make sure to give it a try yourself.

EU/EEA-students are allowed to work freely in the Netherlands. Non-EU/EEA-students are allowed to work for either 10 hours per week or full-time for 3 months in the summer, but only after they have obtained a work permit.

How do I know if I need a visa or a residence permit?

Whether or not your need a visa or a residence permit, depends upon your nationality, combined with the period of stay in The Netherlands. You can check your personal situation at the Student Visa Wizard from the Nuffic, which you can access through our site here.

On this page, you can also find general information on the country groups as they are specified by the Immigration & Naturalization Department.

How can I get my timetable for the first weeks?

From 20 August preliminary timetables will be available. Dates may differ for each study programme. Please go to the site of your study programme for more information. Most schools will also send you a timetable in the pre-arrival package or will issue this to you on the Welcoming Day.

How can I find my way to Groningen?

Students from neighbouring countries can travel by train to Groningen. Students from further away can travel to Schiphol Airport and take a train to Groningen. If you are uncertain about finding your way from Schiphol Airport to your room in Groningen, you can apply for the Hanze Pick-up Service.

One of our students will pick you up from Schiphol Airport and will take you to your room in Groningen. The service is free of charge, but you have to pay for your own transportation tickets (train and bus). You can find more information here.

How can I find a room in Groningen?

The International Student Office assists students in finding housing. Hanze UAS has a cooperation with the Housing Office, an organization that offers furnished accommodation, on a temporary basis. On our website you will find other housing options as well. Please read to see which options suits you best. Please do realize that it is difficult to find a room in Groningen, especially in September. Our advice is to start as early as possible. For more information, please click here.

Can Hanze UAS apply for my visa?

Yes, we can. We need to start a visa application before 1 July (for September enrolment) or before 1 December (for February enrolment). You need to meet our visa requirements before this date in order for us to be able to start a procedure for you. You can read all about our requirements and procedure here.

What are the costs of living in the Netherlands?

The cost of living in the Netherlands is largely dependent on your own lifestyle. Experience shows that students need between € 700 and € 900 per month for accommodation, insurance, meals and other expenses. You can find more information on our website under cost of living.