Applying to a university in Eindhoven as an international student

Deadlines are the same for EU and non-EU applicants, and only complete applications received in time are processed. Non-EU students need extra weeks after admission for the permit, so apply early.

• TU/e bachelor's with selection: apply 1 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, online tests in March 2027, ranking number by email 15 April 2027.
• Selection programmes: Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences; Computer Science and Engineering.
• Also with selection: Mechanical Engineering and the English track of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry.
• All other TU/e bachelor's programmes: 1 May 2027, 23:59 CET. You hear within about 4 weeks.
• All TU/e master's: 1 May 2027, 23:59 CET, or 1 January 2027 for the TU/e Scholarship for Excellence. You hear within about 6 weeks.
• Fontys, September 2027 start: 1 May 2027. Its pages also mention 1 June and 15 June; use 1 May.
• Fontys, February 2027 start: apply by 15 November 2026; non-EEA payment, visa documents and housing form (open 1 October) by 6 December 2026.
• Fontys EEA applicants can usually still apply after 1 May until a final deadline in August 2027, but not if you want Fontys housing.
• Fontys Academy of the Arts and some Dutch-taught programmes have their own deadlines; check the programme page.
• Fontys, admitted on preliminary grades: the hard copy of your final diploma and transcript must arrive before 31 August 2027.
• Other schools: the deadline is on the programme page. TU/e and Fontys both use 1 May 2027 for a September start.

Upload everything in the school's own system, not in Studielink. Translations must be certified: English or Dutch for TU/e; English, Dutch or German for Fontys.

• TU/e bachelor's: certified copy of your school diploma (or proof of enrolment in your final year) and certified grade reports for the last 3 years.
• TU/e master's: certified copy of your bachelor's degree or latest transcript, your final GPA and a short description of your key subjects.
• TU/e, everyone: proof of English, a passport copy, a CV and proof of the application fee.
• No TU/e application fee for applicants from Sudan, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Russia.
• TU/e bachelor's needing proof of Dutch: Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences and Technology.
• Some TU/e master's ask for more, such as a portfolio for Industrial Design and Architectural Urban Design and Engineering.
• Fontys: final diploma and transcript in the original language with certified translations, or preliminary grades for a conditional admission.
• Fontys: an English test certificate unless you are exempt; a passport or ID copy only if Studielink could not verify your identity.
• Other schools: expect a certified diploma copy, transcript, translations, proof of English and a passport copy; see the school's website.

Take the test at a test centre: TU/e and Fontys do not accept online tests. Results must be no older than 2 years (TU/e: from the test date; Fontys: when your study starts, and Cambridge certificates do not expire). Fontys master's and the Academy of the Arts may differ.

You may be exempt with the nationality of, or a full education in English from, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US. Fontys also exempts IB and European Baccalaureate diplomas but can still ask for a test.

• TU/e: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 per section.
• TU/e: TOEFL iBT 90 overall, 21 per section if taken before 21 January 2026; 4.5 overall and per section on the new 1 to 6 scale after that.
• TU/e: Cambridge C1 Advanced 176 overall, C2 Proficiency 180 overall, both at least 169 per section.
• TU/e: Pearson PTE Academic 61 overall, at least 46 per section. LanguageCert Academic 70 overall, at least 65 per section.
• Fontys: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall and per part, one part may be 5.5.
• Fontys: TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall and per part, one part may be 4.0.
• Fontys: Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 169 overall and per part, one part may be 162.
• Fontys: Pearson PTE Academic 61 overall and per part, one part may be 58. LanguageCert Academic 65 overall and per part, one part may be 60.
• Other schools: scores are on the programme page. TU/e asks IELTS Academic 6.5 and Fontys 6.0, so expect a score in that range.

You pay the statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld) if you have EU, EEA, Swiss or Surinamese nationality and no comparable Dutch degree yet. Everyone else pays the institutional fee (instellingscollegegeld).

• TU/e statutory fee 2027-2028: 2,771 euros for bachelor's and master's.
• TU/e institutional fee 2027-2028: 22,400 euros for bachelor's and master's. Data Science at JADS has its own rate.
• TU/e guarantee fee 2027-2028: 22,700 euros (1,700 for a pre-master), paid in advance. It covers first-year tuition, the IND fee and application fee.
• The rest is refunded after enrolment to a Dutch or SEPA account. Proof of financial means: 13,600 euros in 2026, about 14,400 euros estimated for 2027.
• TU/e advises 10,000 to 12,000 euros a year for living costs; a private room with shared facilities costs about 400 to 575 euros a month.
• Fontys statutory fee 2026-2027: 2,694 euros. For 2027-2028 use the Fontys tuition fee indicator.
• Fontys institutional fee 2026-2027: 10,210 euros, or 13,080 euros at Fontys Engineering, ICT, Technology and Logistics and Natural Sciences.
• Fontys: you pay the whole first year at once, from the second year in instalments. 2027-2028 rates are in the Fontys tuition fee indicator.
• Fontys estimates living costs at 1,100 to 1,500 euros a month, more in the first two months (deposit, introduction week, books).
• Other schools: the statutory fee is the same nationwide (2,694 euros in 2026-2027, 2,771 euros in 2027-2028).
• Other schools set their own institutional fee and advance payment; find them on the school's website.

A stay over 90 days needs a residence permit, and many nationalities also need an entry visa (MVV). Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, the USA and Vatican City skip the MVV but still need the permit. The school applies for both on your behalf.

• TU/e sends the visa forms from April 2027. The IND takes about 4 weeks, plus about 2 weeks if you also need an MVV.
• IND fee: 254 euros in 2026, about 270 euros estimated for 2027. It is included in the guarantee fee.
• Fontys: the IND usually takes 2 to 3 weeks, but start about 3 months before you travel. Fontys may ask for a questionnaire or online interview.
• Proof of funds for your first year: Fontys' pages give both 13,140 and 13,620 euros, so ask Fontys. A transfer is refunded in the month after arrival.
• Nationals of Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cameroon and Nigeria must transfer the proof-of-funds amount to Fontys; bank statements are not accepted.
• Other schools: ask the international office when it sends visa forms and what proof of funds it wants. IND fees and times are the same everywhere.

• Registering in Studielink but never finishing the application in the school's own system.
• Taking an online English test; neither TU/e nor Fontys accepts it.
• Missing 15 January 2027 for a TU/e bachelor's programme with selection.
• Waiting for a test result or final grade list and missing 1 May 2027; TU/e processes only complete applications.
• Relying on the 1 June date on Fontys' pages and missing 1 May 2027, or sending an uncertified translation.
• Paying the guarantee fee or payment letter late, which delays the residence permit application.