While the academic session is divided into two semesters, the admissions at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam takes place only once a year. Deadlines for upcoming session 2021-2022 are tabulated below:

Student/Application Type	Deadline
International students (seeking VU Scholarships)	February 1, 2021
International students (with non-EU/EEA degree)	April 1, 2021
EU/EEA students (with non-EU/EEA degree)	June 1, 2021

International students are recommended to complete their application process at least 1-2 days before the deadline to ensure that their application fees is processed within the deadline. In case, your fees isn’t processed, the university will reject your application.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam International Admissions

Currently, the application and admission process for international students at VU Amsterdam is a little complex. Students need to follow the proper application guidelines established by the university for UG and PG courses.

For prospective international applicants, the step-by-step application process and additional requirements such as language proficiency and visa requirements are discussed below:

Admission Process for International Students

The entire Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam application process comprises two steps: Studielink (Step I) and VUNet (Step II). The guidelines are the same for undergraduate and graduate programs.

Step I: Studielink

1. Click on “Create a Studielink account without DigiD” and enter details: Personal information, Address, Contact, Summary.
2. Activate your account by verifying email ID and login to complete the form.
3. Complete the 5 steps to submit your enrollment application in Studielink
   • Previous Education
   • Choose to Study Programme
   • Study Program Details
   • Institutional Questions
   • Confirm
4. Add a new enrolment application, if you want to apply for more than one program.

Once you have submitted the studielink application, you will receive a login ID and password for the VUNet application portal. 

Step II: VUNet

1. Login using the credential received by email and set the language.
2. Confirm your choice of program to continue the application.
3. Enter/Check qualifications and other details in 6 steps:
   • Check course and study period
   • Enter personal contact details for emergencies
   • Answer general questions (not entirely program-specific)
   • Answer course-specific questions
   • Upload supporting documentation like CV, LOR(s), Motivation letter, ELP scores
4. Confirm the provided details and submit the application.
5. Pay the application processing fee of 100 EUR

Once you have correctly completed all these steps, your application for admission will be successfully submitted to the university for evaluation.

English Language Proficiency for International Students

Applicants belonging to non-English speaking nations such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, China, etc are required to provide proof of proficiency in English language. To fulfill this requirement, students must meet the minimum score requirement of any one of the following tests:

Test	Minimum Scores
IELTS	6.5
TOEFL-iBT	92
TOEFL-CBT	232
TOEFL-PBT	580
CAE/CPE	176

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Graduate Admissions

The Masters programs at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam are offered in 200 subjects in full-time and part-time mode. While international students are eligible to apply for all graduate courses, currently, on 137 masters programs are taught in English.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Graduate admission process is similar for all programs, though admission requirements vary. All international students must submit their applications before April 1, 2021, for the session 2021-2022.

Where to apply: VUnet application portal
Application Fee: 100 EUR

The admission requirements for a few top VU Amsterdam graduate courses are mentioned in the following table:

Requirements	Executive MBA	Masters in Biological Sciences	Masters in Computer Science	Masters in Economics	Masters in Artificial Intelligence
Program Duration	18 months	2 years	2 years	1 year	2 years
Transcripts	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
Academic Qualification	3-year bachelor degree	3 year UG degree with an average grade of 7.0/10; a minimum 24 ECTS in molecular biology & human biology each	3 year UG degree, preferably in Computer Science; coursework in Programming, Logic, Algorithm; Computer Systems; Software Engineering; Computer Network	3 years UG degree with coursework in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics, and Statistics.	3-year bachelor degree in Science
SOP/Personal Essay	Required, 750 Words	Required	Required	Required, 500 words	Required, 500 words
LOR(s)	2 LORs; at least 1 Professional LOR	Required, 1	Required, 2	Not Required	Required, 1
English Language Proficiency	IELTS: 7.0; TOEFL-iBT: 100	IELTS: 6.5; TOEFL-iBT: 92; CAE/CPE: A,B,C	IELTS: 6.5; TOEFL-iBT: 92; CAE/CPE: A,B,C	IELTS: 7.0; TOEFL-iBT: 100	IELTS: 6.5; TOEFL-iBT: 92; CAE/CPE: A,B,C
Resume/CV	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
GRE/GMAT	GMAT score of 600+	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required
Work Experience	Required, 5+ years	Not Required	Recommended	Not Required	Recommended
Admission Interview	Required	Required	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required
Course Fees	43,500 EUR	14,661 EUR	14,661 EUR	14,762 EUR	14,661 EUR

All the completed and successfully submitted application packages are transferred to concerned VU Amsterdam faculties. Though they might contact applicants for any further evaluation or information, the admission decisions are announced within 6 weeks.

Post receiving admission decisions, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam requires successful applicants to accept their admission offer via VUNet confirmation form. Their seat will be reserved when the students will complete the payment of the tuition fees of their respective UG and PG programs.

Visa Process for International Students

The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam helps students by applying for the Netherlands student visa on their behalf. While the process is simple, it takes approximately one month for visa approval. Therefore, students are recommended to complete their process in due time.

For the Netherlands student visa, you must provide the documents mentioned below:

• A passport which has to be valid for at least six months
• Copy of the Schengen residence permit if applicable
• English Language test results are mandatory
• The proof of financial proof will also have to be submitted
• Students will also have to pay the long-term visa fees and residence permit, which is 250 EUR