The NL Scholarship, formerly the Holland Scholarship, supports international students from outside the European Economic Area who begin full-time bachelor’s or master’s study in the Netherlands. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch higher education institutions jointly finance it.
Nuffic advises on implementation and publishes programme information through Study in NL. Participating institutions and eligible fields can change each academic year.
Benefits & funding
- €5,000 paid in the first year of study.
- The award is a contribution and does not cover full tuition.
Eligibility
- Applicants must hold a nationality from outside the European Economic Area.
- They must apply for a full-time bachelor’s or master’s programme at a participating Dutch higher education institution.
- They must meet the chosen institution’s specific requirements.
- They must not already hold a degree from an educational institution in the Netherlands.
- Each institution determines its eligible study fields and closing dates.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Azerbaijan · Bahamas · Bahrain
+ 155 more
Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Colombia · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · DR Congo · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Monaco · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · North Macedonia · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Russia · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Korea · South Sudan · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · USA · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vatican City · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
High School · Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Choose a full-time bachelor’s or master’s programme at an institution participating in the relevant academic year.
- 2Check that institution’s NL Scholarship page for eligible fields, selection requirements, documents, and the local deadline.
- 3Apply for admission to the degree programme; scholarship applicants need an admission offer or proof that admission is under consideration.
- 4Submit the scholarship application and requested documents through the institution’s stated process before its deadline.
Program timeline
1 November 2025
Applications opened for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Institution-specific date
Application deadline; applicants must check the participating institution’s website.
Programme-specific date
Degree programme starts.