Preparation study in Zwolle

Discover Zwolle: Your Gateway to History and Student Life!

Nestled along the picturesque river IJssel, Zwolle boasts a rich Hanseatic history reflected in its charming old churches, houses, and city walls. The vibrant city center, surrounded by a scenic canal, provides the perfect backdrop for student living.

Located conveniently near the city center, KPZ is deeply integrated into Zwolle’s lively student community. In your first week, join the tradition of purchasing and reselling secondhand bikes—a staple of student life here.

As an Erasmus student, enjoy the benefit of waived registration fees and access to university facilities. Your monthly living costs are estimated at €1100, inclusive of accommodation, meals, and other expenses. Take advantage of our international program, which includes immersive project weeks for hands-on learning experiences.

While finding short-term housing can be challenging, our International Office is dedicated to assisting you in your search for suitable accommodation. Start your journey in Zwolle early, and embrace a truly enriching student experience in this historic city!

Other information about living in the Netherlands or possibilities for housing you may find here:

At the website of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) you will find a lot of helpful information, see: www.ind.nl/en/study .

For a stay of over 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit unless you come from a country that belongs to the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. It is useful to read the following document: Coming to study in the Netherlands.

In this publication you read about the way to obtain a residence permit, the conditions, the application procedure, rules and rights. If you need a residence permit KPZ will apply this for you; KPZ is recognized as sponsor by the IND. The International office will ask you to send the necessary documents to make the application possible

 

If you remain for your study for more than four months in the Netherlands, you must register at the municipality. If your partner also comes to live in the Netherlands, she or he also must register. A registration in the municipality is officially called registration in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP).

For registration you need a valid passport or identity card. The Citizens Service Number is a unique personal number for everyone who is registered. You receive it automatically when you enroll in the municipality. The KPZ International Office will make an appointment for the exchange students at the City Hall in one of the first weeks after their arrival.

Some insurances are mandatory and other insurances are not mandatory but maybe wise.

The rules surrounding the health insurance for foreign students can cause confusion, because they are different for each type of stay. Not every foreign student is obliged to take out health insurance in the Netherlands. Sometimes the insurance you have in your home country will be sufficient. Several companies in the Netherlands offer packages that include insurance for liability and household contents insurance. These packages can be both including and excluding health insurance.

Nuffic, the Dutch Agency for Internationalisation in Education, has examined the insurance packages and conditions of the following two companies:

AON Students Insurance
But of course you may also choose another insurance company. Often people think that it is a legal requirement for international students in the Netherlands to take liability insurance. This is not correct. Yet it is wise for the student to take a liability insurance for individuals (AVP). Premiums are low and the coverage is generally high.

More useful information:

Some foreign guests run into problems if they want a Dutch bank account.Foreign students are allowed to open a bank account, without having to specify a citizen service number (BSN). This was agreed in 2006 between the Dutch Banking Association (NVB) and the Ministry of Finance. Bank employees are not always aware of this appointment. Moreover, they do not always accept the letter in which the scheme is explained because it is very old. The Director General Tax thereon in 2009 by letter confirmed that the scheme from 2006 is still in force and that foreign students do not need to have a citizen service number. This is because they are considered non-residents.

What does this mean for foreign students?
As before, students who want to open a bank account have to show two documents: a valid identification card (passport) and an authenticated statement of registration of the host university.

At some point, most students in the Netherlands encounter the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, commonly known as DUO. This organisation is mostly known for providing students with student finance and the student travel product. Depending on residency status, course registration and age, international students can also get funding from DUO. You can find all information about the requirements and the amounts on DUO’s website for international students: https://duo.nl/particulier/international-student/