University of Amsterdam offers 20+ scholarships, of which 10+ are accessible to Indian applicants planning a September 2027 intake. Central funding runs through the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS), faculty-specific merit funds, and Orange Tulip awards routed via Nuffic Neso India.
- Standard non-EU Master’s tuition: €15,000 to €25,900 (INR 16.52 to 28.52 Lakhs) per year.
- With Amsterdam Merit Scholarship: tuition drops to zero, leaving only living costs near €14,478 (INR 15.95 Lakhs) per year.
- LLAMS Humanities top recipients: €37,500 (INR 41.29 Lakhs), a rare UvA award that also cushions monthly rent.
- Next major deadline: 15 January 2027, 23:59 CET, for AMS across Law, Science, and Humanities.
Currency Note: All INR conversions use the live rate of 1 EUR = INR 110.11 as of August 2026. "Non-EEA" means students from outside the European Economic Area, which covers EU members plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. CET (Central European Time) runs 3.5 hours behind IST.
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University of Amsterdam Scholarships for UG Students
Bachelor’s-level funding for Indian applicants at UvA sits mainly at Amsterdam University College (AUC), the joint UvA and VU liberal arts college. Faculty-level bachelor’s awards for non-EU applicants remain narrow outside AUC and a small set of Economics and Business programmes.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Eligibility |
Deadline |
| Amsterdam University College Scholarship Fund |
Up to €10,000 (INR 11.01 Lakhs) per year |
Admitted AUC BA applicants; need-based; academic record considered |
1 April 2027 (tentative) |
| Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (Bachelor’s, select faculties) |
€5,000 to €10,000 (INR 5.51 to 11.01 Lakhs) |
Non-EU/EEA bachelor’s applicants; academic merit |
15 January 2027, 23:59 CET |
| Faculty of Economics and Business Excellence Fund (UG) |
€5,000 (INR 5.51 Lakhs) partial tuition waiver |
Non-EU BSc Economics and Business admits with a strong academic profile |
15 January 2027 (tentative) |
AUC’s Scholarship Fund prioritises applicants who cannot fully self-fund a 3-year liberal arts BA. A separate scholarship form opens after conditional admission. Selection blends academic record, motivation, and a documented financial-need statement.
Also check,
University of Amsterdam Scholarships for PG / Master’s Students
Amsterdam Merit is UvA’s primary funding stream for Indian Master’s applicants. Each faculty runs its own committee and its own award pool, so amounts differ across Law, Science, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Eligibility |
Deadline |
| Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Law School |
€25,900 (INR 28.52 Lakhs); full tuition |
Non-EU/EEA LLM admits with first-class honours or 8.0 on the Dutch 10-point scale |
15 January 2027, 23:59 CET |
| Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Faculty of Science |
€24,875 (INR 27.39 Lakhs); near full tuition |
Non-EU MSc admits in AI, Data Science, Computer Science, and allied programmes |
15 January 2027, 23:59 CET |
| Letje Lips Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (LLAMS), Humanities |
€37,500 (INR 41.29 Lakhs); tuition plus rent cushion |
4 awards; non-EU applicants to 1-year MA programmes; non-privileged background prioritised |
15 January 2027, 23:59 CET |
| Amsterdam Economics and Business Talent Fund |
€5,000 to €15,000 (INR 5.51 to 16.52 Lakhs); partial tuition waiver |
Non-EU MSc admits with a documented financial hardship |
15 January 2027 (tentative) |
| Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Social and Behavioural Sciences |
Up to €15,000 (INR 16.52 Lakhs); partial tuition |
Non-EU MSc admits in Psychology, Communication, and Political Science |
1 February 2027 (tentative) |
Scholarship portals open in early October each admissions cycle. Applicants first submit the Master’s programme application on Studielink, then complete a separate scholarship form inside the UvA admissions portal. Selection outcomes typically land between late March and mid-May. Amounts confirmed for the 2026-27 cycle carry forward as the anchor for the 2027-28 round. UvA publishes revised figures each autumn on the faculty-level pages.
Reddit Insight: Indian applicants to the Amsterdam Business School consistently report one pattern. AMS motivation letters open more doors when they name a specific supervisor or research theme. Generic "I want to study in the Netherlands" pitches lose ground in committee review.
India-Specific Scholarships at University of Amsterdam
The Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) is the main India-tagged funding route into UvA. The centralised OTS run by Nuffic Neso India ended in 2024, but individual UvA faculties still run India-linked OTS branches on their own.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Eligibility |
Deadline |
| Orange Tulip Scholarship, Amsterdam Business School |
€5,000 to €15,000 (INR 5.51 to 16.52 Lakhs); partial tuition |
Indian nationals admitted to MSc Business Administration, Finance, or Accountancy and Control |
1 March 2027 (tentative) |
| Orange Tulip Scholarship, MSc Economics |
€5,000 (INR 5.51 Lakhs); partial tuition |
Indian nationals admitted to MSc Economics tracks |
1 March 2027 (tentative) |
| India-focused alumni awards (Amsterdam Business School) |
Ad-hoc; €2,000 to €5,000 (INR 2.20 to 5.51 Lakhs) |
Indian MSc admits nominated by faculty committee |
Rolling; tentative April 2027 cycle |
OTS runs alongside the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship. Recipients cannot double up across the two schemes, so applicants pick the stronger fit at application time. Business and Finance admits with a strong academic record usually apply to both and accept whichever lands first.
University of Amsterdam PhD Scholarships
PhD funding at UvA works as paid employment, not a tuition-plus-stipend scholarship model. Successful PhD candidates are hired on 4-year salaried contracts through the Dutch collective labour agreement (CAO). Tuition is not charged for employee-PhDs.
- Contract length: 4 years salaried, with the doctoral thesis defended in year 4.
- Base salary: €2,901 (INR 3.19 Lakhs) monthly gross in year 1, rising to €3,707 (INR 4.08 Lakhs) in year 4.
- On top of salary: 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, pension contributions, and 232 leave hours per year.
- Health insurance: mandatory Dutch basic policy at €140 (INR 15,415) per month, partially reimbursed via CAO.
| Route |
Value |
Eligibility |
Deadline |
| Employment-based PhD position (UvA-funded) |
Starting €2,901 (INR 3.19 Lakhs) rising to €3,707 (INR 4.08 Lakhs) monthly gross |
Master’s holders matched to advertised UvA vacancies |
Rolling (varies per vacancy) |
| Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks |
Full monthly living, mobility, and family allowances |
Indian PhD applicants tied to MSCA-funded networks with UvA as beneficiary |
Varies per network; tentative Q1 2027 window |
| ENLIGHT Doctoral School fellowships (via UvA) |
Full 4-year funding at CAO salary bands |
Cross-border doctoral projects with UvA and ENLIGHT partner universities |
Rolling |
| Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowships |
€1,500 (INR 1.65 Lakhs) monthly stipend plus travel and family allowances |
Life sciences PhDs at UvA labs; competitive external route |
1 October 2026 (annual anchor) |
Salary values reference the P-scale under the CAO Dutch Universities agreement. Indian PhD candidates apply directly to advertised vacancies on the UvA jobs portal.
External Government Scholarships
External routes stack on top of UvA’s internal awards for Indian applicants. Erasmus Mundus is the highest-value external option for Indians targeting a UvA-partnered Master’s.
| Scholarship |
Funder |
Value |
Deadline (2026-27 cycle anchor) |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters |
European Commission |
Full tuition plus €1,400 (INR 1.54 Lakhs) monthly stipend plus travel |
15 January 2027 (tentative; varies per Joint Master) |
| Erasmus+ Study Exchange (semester at UvA) |
European Commission |
€350 to €700 (INR 38,539 to INR 77,077) monthly grant |
15 February 2027 |
| Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) |
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
Full tuition plus monthly living stipend |
12 March 2027 (tentative Q1 window) |
| NL Scholarship (Holland Scholarship) |
Dutch Ministry of Education |
€5,000 (INR 5.51 Lakhs) one-time first-year award |
UvA is NOT on the 2026-27 participating list; check VU Amsterdam or TU Delft instead |
OKP prioritises development-linked disciplines such as public health, water management, agriculture, and urban planning. Indian nationals qualify under the OKP eligible-country list for select thematic calls. Erasmus Mundus applications go through the joint-programme consortium portal, not UvA.
Reddit Insight: Indian applicants who secured Erasmus Mundus routing through UvA note that portal deadlines close at midnight CET on the stated date. Last-hour submissions timed to IST have missed the actual cut-off by 3.5 hours. Confirm the time zone before the final evening.
FAQs
Ques. What is the highest scholarship stack an Indian student can secure at University of Amsterdam?
Ans. An Indian applicant winning LLAMS at €37,500 (INR 41.29 Lakhs) covers full tuition for a 1-year MA. Layer that with a JN Tata Endowment loan-grant of INR 17.5 Lakhs. First-year out-of-pocket cost sits near zero. Recipients cannot double up two internal UvA awards, so the stacking happens across one UvA scholarship and one external Indian source.
Ques. When should Indian applicants apply for University of Amsterdam scholarships?
Ans. The UvA scholarship window opens in the first week of October every year. The Amsterdam Merit Scholarship closes 15 January for the September start of the next academic year. Result letters go out between late March and mid-May. That gives 4 to 5 months of runway for the MVV visa, IND biometrics, and Amsterdam housing before orientation begins.
Ques. What GPA do Indian applicants need for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship?
Ans. The published equivalent is an 8.0 on the Dutch 10-point scale, first-class honours in the UK system, or a 3.7 US GPA. Indian applicants with a 75%+ Bachelor’s or CGPA 8.0+ typically clear the academic bar. Below 70% or CGPA 7.0, the AMS is a long shot even with a strong motivation letter.
Ques. How does the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship application process work?
Ans. Send the Master’s admission dossier through Studielink and OSIRIS before triggering the scholarship form. Once the programme application is complete, a separate scholarship form opens inside the admissions portal. Required uploads include transcripts, CV, and a motivation letter capped at 300 to 500 words depending on the faculty.
Ques. Is the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship a full-ride award?
Ans. The AMS covers the full non-EU tuition fee. For 2026-27 that sits at €25,900 (INR 28.52 Lakhs) at the Law School and €24,875 (INR 27.39 Lakhs) at the Faculty of Science. Living costs, the IND residence permit fee of €228 (INR 25,105), and mandatory health insurance stay on the recipient. Humanities LLAMS is the only variant that also cushions living costs.
Ques. Does the AMS cover living costs in Amsterdam?
Ans. The core AMS covers tuition only. LLAMS Humanities at €37,500 (INR 41.29 Lakhs) is the exception; it leaves €11,600 (INR 12.77 Lakhs) after tuition for the year. Amsterdam’s annual living budget for Indian students runs €14,000 to €16,000 (INR 15.42 to 17.62 Lakhs). Most AMS recipients still lean on family funding, an Indian education loan, or a part-time job for the balance.
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