Language requirements

Exemptions may be granted – in the specific sections you will find more information.

International students who apply for a Dutch-taught programme must provide proof of Dutch proficiency of at least CEFR level B2. Scroll to the bottom of this page to read more about the accepted documents.

HU accepts one of the following documents as proof of English proficiency:

The validity of the IELTS and TOEFL certificate is two years. The test must have been taken less than two years before the start date of the programme you have applied for.

We only accept tests that are taken at a test centre. Certificates from TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Online or PTE Acedemic Online are not considered.

Bachelor's programmes: exemptions to the English Language Requirement

Some international students are granted exemption from the English language test based on their high school diploma. This is the case for students who have obtained:

• a secondary school diploma in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
• the South-African National Senior Certificate and have taken English as their Home Language.
• an accredited international American high-school diploma or British international GCSE/A-levels.
• the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, the Caribbean Examinations Council certificate, or European Baccalaureate with English as first or second language.
• a secondary education diploma mentioned in the Nuffic Diploma list (download as PDF-file), including English language as part of the curriculum. This only applies if you actually took English as an exam subject in your final year.
• an MBO-4, HAVO or VWO diploma in Suriname, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, BES Islands or Aruba.

All other students must submit a proof of English proficiency by submitting one of the abovementioned certificates.

The English-taught Master's programmes Data-Driven Design, Next-Level Engineering, Sustainable Business Transition and Master of Engineering, require the following as proof of English proficiency:

For our English-taught Master's programmes Integrated Care Design, Teacher Education in English, German or French you can find the specific requirements on their own websites.

Master's programmes: exemptions to the English Language Requirement

Some international students are granted exemption from the English language test for these Master's programmes. This is the case for students who have obtained:

• their Bachelor's diploma in The Netherlands
• a Bachelor's diploma in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia
• a Bachelor's diploma from an English-taught programme in South Africa
• an accredited international American or British Bachelor's Diploma

You can get information on test dates, scheduling and costs at the respective websites of  TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English, TOEIC, LanguageCert and Pearson. When taking the TOEFL or IELTS exam, please use HU's institutional code 9942 for your results to be forwarded to us directly.

The validity of the IELTS and TOEFL certificates is two years. The test must have been taken less than two years before the start date of the programme you have applied for.

We only accept tests that are taken at a test centre. Certificates from TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Online or PTE Acedemic Online are not considered.

Students with a foreign diploma must show proof of Dutch proficiency to enrol into a Dutch-taught programme. This also applies to students with a Dutch nationality who have obtained their high school diploma outside of the Netherlands.
HU accepts the following documents as proof of Dutch proficiency:

• NT2 Diploma Programme II (CEFR level B2). The NT2-II test is centrally administered through DUO; check their website for information on test dates, scheduling and costs.
• As an alternative to the Staatsexamen NT2-II, HU offers its own language tests before the start of the academic year. More information and dates can be found on this page.
• Certificate Dutch as a Foreign Language (CVaNT in Dutch): either certificate 'STRT' (CEFR level B2) or certificate 'EDUP' (CEFR level C1).

Exemptions to the Dutch Language Requirement

Some international students are granted exemption from the Dutch language test based on their former diploma. This is the case for students who have obtained:

• a MBO-4, HAVO or VWO diploma in Suriname, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, BES Islands or Aruba.
• an EPI diploma taught in Dutch.
• diplomas from the Dutch-taught education system in Belgium.
• the International Baccalaureate (IB) with Dutch Language A (SL or HL) or Language B (HL).
• the European Baccalaureate (EB) with Dutch as Language 1 or 2.