Guide to University Admissions in the Netherlands 2026: a full step-by-step roadmap (Part 2)

3. Language tests and academic standardsThe Netherlands is the EU leader in English-medium education: 2 100+ masters and 350+ bachelors fully in English at WO. At HBO — mostly in Dutch, but 200+ programmes in English (especially International Business, Communication, Tourism).English-medium programmes (the majority)IELTS Academic 6.0+ overall for most bachelors and HBO; 6.5+ overall with 6.0 in each component for top WO bachelors and masters; 7.0+ for UvA Communication, Erasmus RSM, TU Delft engineering masters. Sat at British Council Kyiv, IDP IELTS, €230. Validity — 2 years.TOEFL iBT 80+ for HBO/bachelors; 90–100+ for top WO masters. Accepted at all universities.Cambridge English: C1 Advanced (CAE) 169+ or C2 Proficiency (CPE) 200+ — accepted at all Dutch universities.PTE Academic 60+ for most; 65+ for top.IB English HL/SL ≥ 5, European Baccalaureate English ≥ 7 — exempts from the language test.Alternative: ESOL Foundation, or proof of English-medium secondary education for at least 2 years (rarely accepted at top, but works at some HBO).Dutch-medium programmesNT2 Programma II (Nederlands als Tweede Taal): B2 — mandatory for Dutch-medium bachelor/master. Sat at Centrale Examens VO, €198, 4 times a year. Preparation through UvA Talen, ITAVO Utrecht or NT2.nl online for €600–1 500.CNaVT (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal): PAT (Profiel Academische Taalvaardigheid) — for WO; PTHO (Profiel Taalvaardigheid Hoger Onderwijs) — for HBO.Entrance exams and selectionMost Dutch programmes are open admission (first come, first served, until the quota is full). Competitive programmes have numerus fixus (limited seats — selection):Numerus fixus programmes: Medicine (all 8 medical schools — Amsterdam UMC, LUMC, Erasmus MC, UMC Utrecht, Radboud UMC, MUMC+, UMCG, UMCN), Veterinary Medicine (Utrecht), Dentistry (ACTA, Groningen, Nijmegen), Psychology (UvA, Utrecht, Leiden, Tilburg), International Business (Erasmus RSM IBA), PPLE (UvA), Liberal Arts (AUC, UCU, UCR, UCT), Creative Industries (Aerospace TU Delft, Industrial Design TU/e). Deadline — 15 January.Decentralised selection (selectie aan de poort): the university picks candidates by 2 or more criteria (GPA, mathematics test, motivation letter, video interview, on-site test). Result — in April. You may not apply for more than 2 numerus fixus programmes.UvA PPLE Test: a 1-day test of writing, math, English in March; Skype interview.RSM IBA Test: online math+logic+English test + GPA + motivation letter.TU Delft Aerospace: math test + interview.Maastricht UCM Liberal Arts: motivation, GPA, interview.4. Nuffic credential evaluation: recognising the Ukrainian diplomaUnlike Germany or Austria, in the Netherlands there is no mandatory nostrification through a state body, but Nuffic (Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation), via its EP-Nuffic division, issues a crede