IELTS Score Requirements for the Netherlands
Sources checked 2 September 2026
Quick answer
The IND sets no IELTS band for a student residence permit — the institution decides — and the highly skilled migrant route requires no English test either. Dutch universities typically ask 6.0 to 6.5 overall with 6.0 per section for bachelor’s study and 6.5 for master’s, with TU Delft requiring 7.0 overall with 6.5 per section for every MSc. Healthcare registration is primarily about Dutch rather than English, plus a separate English reading requirement.
What IELTS score do you need for the Netherlands?
The band you need depends entirely on why you are taking the test. Each row below links to the authority that publishes the figure, because requirements change and the source page is always more current than any summary of it.
| Purpose | Typical requirement | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa | No IELTS score set - the educational institution decides | The IND's conditions cover accreditation, sponsorship, income and study progress; the page names no language test and says the institution may require one for admission. | |
| Skilled migration / work visa | No English test required | The highly skilled migrant conditions are an employment contract with an IND-recognised sponsor, a salary meeting the income requirement and market rate, and BIG registration for healthcare roles - no language test appears. | |
| Undergraduate study | Typically 6.0-6.5 overall with 6.0 in each section | TU/e applies 6.5 overall with 6.0 per section university-wide; Groningen's faculty table ranges from 6.0 to 7.0 depending on faculty. | |
| Postgraduate study | Typically 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each section; selective programmes ask 7.0 with 6.5 | Groningen's standard master's entry is 6.5 with 6.0 per category, while TU Delft requires 7.0 overall with 6.5 per section for every MSc. | |
| Nursing / medical registration | Dutch, not English, is the main requirement: B1 for nurses (MBO), B2 for HBO professions, B2+ for doctors, dentists and pharmacists. English reading only: IELTS 5.5-6.0 (university level) or 4.0-5.0 (HBO level). | The BIG-register asks for a Dutch certificate at the level matching the professional group, plus proof of English reading skills, which does not apply to VIG nursing assistants. |
What do the Netherlands universities ask for?
These are the minimums each university published on its own admissions pages when we checked on 2 September 2026. They are institution-wide floors: individual courses frequently ask for more, so confirm the figure on the page for your exact programme before you book a test.
| University | Undergraduate | Postgraduate | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Amsterdam | Not verified on a UvA-wide page | 7.0 overall, minimum 6.5 in each sub-score (Graduate School of Humanities) | Programme-specific: UvA sets English requirements per graduate school rather than university-wide; IELTS Indicator, One Skill Retake and IELTS Online are not accepted. | |
| Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) | 6.5 overall for English-taught BSc programmes (5.5 for Dutch-taught) | 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each section | The BSc figure is an overall band score with no section minimums published; the MSc requirement applies across all master's programmes. | |
| Utrecht University | 6.0 overall (Listening 6.0, Reading 6.0, Speaking 5.5, Writing 5.5) at the EMI-ready level | 6.0 overall at EMI-ready; higher for programmes set at EMI-experienced or EMI-advanced | Programme-specific: Utrecht grades programmes into three EMI levels and each programme chooses its own; only the EMI-ready thresholds were read. | |
| University of Groningen | 6.5 overall with 6.0 in every category at most faculties | 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all categories; some programmes 7.0 with 6.5 | Programme-specific: Groningen publishes a per-faculty table - Economics and Business asks 6.0 overall, Law 7.0 overall, Science and Engineering 6.5 with 6.5 in every category, and a few master's programmes go to 8.0. | |
| Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) | 6.5 overall with 6.0 per section | 6.5 overall with 6.0 per section | TU/e publishes one language table that does not differentiate bachelor's from master's entry. |
How should you plan for a target score?
Work backwards from the per-skill minimum rather than the overall band. Almost every requirement above includes a floor for each of the four skills, so a strong average with one weak skill still fails. Establish where you are per skill, then target the gap — and remember that the overall band is the rounded mean of the four, so 6.25 rounds up to 6.5 and a single half-band improvement can clear a threshold outright.
To see what the examiners are actually looking for at your target band, read the IELTS band descriptors.
IELTS requirements for the Netherlands: FAQ
What IELTS score do I need for a Dutch student visa?
The IND does not set one. Its conditions for a student residence permit cover accreditation, sponsorship, income and study progress, and the page says the institution may require a language test for admission. The number you need is your university’s, not the IND’s.
What IELTS score do Dutch universities require?
Typically 6.0 to 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each section for bachelor’s study and 6.5 for master’s. TU Delft is the notable outlier, requiring 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each section for every MSc programme. Groningen sets requirements per faculty, from 6.0 in Economics and Business to 7.0 in Law.
Do I need an English test for the Dutch highly skilled migrant permit?
No language test appears in the IND’s conditions, which are an employment contract with an IND-recognised sponsor, a salary meeting the income and market-rate requirements, and BIG registration for healthcare roles. Check ind.nl for the current conditions before relying on this.
What language do I need to work as a nurse in the Netherlands?
Dutch, primarily. The BIG-register asks for a Dutch certificate at the level matching your professional group — B1 for MBO-level nurses, B2 for HBO professions and B2+ for doctors, dentists and pharmacists — plus proof of English reading skills, for which it accepts IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 at university level.
Other destinations
For the Canada PR CLB conversion table and UK visa levels side by side, see the main IELTS score requirements guide.