Studying Medicine in the Netherlands in English

 

The Netherlands is unlikely to be the answer if you are looking to study medicine abroad. About eight times as many people visit this page every day than there are places to study medicine in English every year. There are a number of more likely options in Europe and you can find information about these on the Study Medicine Abroad page of our A Star Future website. We can also point you in the direction of options in Italy or Croatia. You might want to watch our recent video about studying medicine in Europe in 2025.

 

 

Studying Medicine in the Netherlands

Medicine in the Netherlands is taught differently than in the United Kingdom, both in terms of the approach to the subject and the timeline to qualification. While a Dutch medical degree will be afforded the same respect as one from a British medical school, the way in which students are educated means that transferring between the two countries midway through your studies will be almost impossible.

The route to qualification as a doctor in general practice in the Netherlands consists of three main phases:

• BSc in medicine (3 years) only one university still has this option in English and very few of the places are available to international students.
• MSc in medicine (3 years). This is only ever taught in Dutch
• Final Training Year in Dutch University Hospitals

In summary, studying medicine in the Netherlands is possible but can only be done partly in English. You would need to commit to not just learning Dutch but studying in Dutch. It only really makes sense to consider studying medicine in the Netherlands if you plan on working there upon graduation.

How much does it cost to study medicine in the Netherlands?

A further complication for British nationals is that tuition fees for non-EU nationals are significantly higher for medicine at around €32,000 per year instead of €2,601 (2025/26) for EU nationals. This is close to the price international students pay to study medicine in the UK. British nationals who were not already resident in the Netherlands before Brexit will have to pay these higher fees.

How to apply to Dutch medical schools?

The deadline for applying is 15th January. Admission for British students is made even harder by the fact that you will have to have studied maths, physics, biology and chemistry until the end of school. While maths and physics can be to AS level, you must have biology and chemistry A' level. If you haven't done that, you will need to take an exam in the Netherlands to demonstrate competency in these subjects. For each subject that you need, you will probably have to allow between 200 and 300 hours of self-study before you are ready to take the exam.

Assuming you meet the entry requirements you will then have to take part in the university's own selection process. Details of these will be communicated to you once your application has been judged to meet the minimum entry requirements. This selection process will involve additional tests and assessments. For the second selection tests, you will have to travel to the university. Once you have completed the assessment process you will need to wait until 15th April to find out if you have been accepted. All candidates are ranked against each other and the highest-ranked students will be made offers. it is possible that that you will get a place slightly later if you are just outside the required rank.