Information for incoming international students
Make sure to arrange your accommodation before arriving in the Netherlands, as you are officially required to register a valid Dutch address within 5 days after arrival in the Netherlands. Registering a valid Dutch address at the local municipality is a legal obligation for all who intend to stay in the Netherlands for 4 months or more, irrespective of nationality or purpose of stay.
A valid and registered address allows you to obtain a BSN (Citizen Service Number), which is needed to interact with Dutch authorities and opening a Dutch bank account.
You can obtain a BSN by registering at the Municipality of the city your valid Dutch address is located.
No room before the start of your study programme?
We strongly advise agains travel to TU Delft if you have not arranged housing in The Netherlands before the start of your study programme.It is very difficult to find a room in Delft and its surroundings. This is due to a shortage of housing in The Netherlands, spacially student rooms.
Three ways to arrange accommodation
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TU Delft has partnered with various housing agencies in the greater-Delft region to offer accommodation to students coming from abroad. Accommodations will become available prior to the start of each semester and can only be reserved through TU Delft’s housing portal.TU Delft determines the order in which students gain access to the housing portal based on the order in which full payments are received. Note that TU Delft cannot guarantee to accommodate everyone who applies for this service nor that the available accommodations will meet your preferences; it remains your responsibility to find suitable accommodation in time before the start of your studies when TU Delft’s accommodation supply runs out.
Indicate in Osiaan when submitting your Confirmation Statement if you would like to apply for this service. Procedural information will follow after TU Delft has processed the receipt of your full payment as specified in your Financial Letter.
- Rooms are offered on a first paid, first served basis.
- We only offer a room to the students who paid the full amount, as stated in their financial letter.
- TU Delft’s housing service can only offer a limited percentage (< 45%) of new incoming international students a room.
- The housing platform will open half May (for students starting their program in the second semester: half December). As soon as we know in which week, we will mention this
You will receive an email one week before we upload your data.
What can you do to increase the chance of getting a room?
- Received an admission decision? Fill out the Confirmation Statement as soon as possible.
- Received your financial letter? Pay the full amount as stated in your financial letter as soon as possible.
- Familiarise yourself with the other options available in Delft and its surroundings.
- The housing platform will open half May (for students starting their program in the second semester: half December). As soon as we know in which week, we will mention this here.
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Delft or The Hague or Rijswijk
- TU Delft’s housing service offers accommodation in the greater-Delft region within acceptable travel distance from TU Delft campus (approximately 30 minutes by bike and/or 45 min public transport).
General
- TU Delft charges a € 285,00 fee for this service. For 2024/2025 this amount consists of € 260,14 housing fee (including VAT) and € 24,86 platform registration fee. If you decide to cancel the application for the TU Delft’s housing service before we upload your details to the housing platform, we will refund the (paid) housing costs.
- Accommodations can only be reserved through TU Delft’s housing portal.
- Applications are processed on a first paid, first served basis.
- An assigned number of rooms are reserved for Exchange students, Joint Education Programme students, Bachelor students and Master students.
Rental Contract
- Bachelor students can only be offered rental contracts for one year and will need to find their own accommodation the year after.
- Master students are offered rental contracts for two years.
- Exchange students will be offered a rental contract for one or two semesters, depending on the duration of their stay. If they decide to do their master’s thesis in Delft, directly after their exchange period, they need to be enrolled as a master’s student and they cannot extend their rental contract anymore (even if the exchange period lasted only 1 semester).
- It is not possible to extend the rental contract.
- More information about other accommodation can be found on this website: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/education/practical-matters/housing/organisations-and-platforms
- All rooms have different starting and end dates. It is not possible to adjust the start date or end date of the fixed rental period.
Accommodations
- Accommodations are single occupancy. There are a limited couple accommodations.
- Couple accommodations can only be reserved if both partners are registered at TU Delft and if they are married or have a cohabitation agreement.
- When you need a couple room you need to inform TU Delft - team Housing before the end of April through contactcentre-esa@tudelft.nl
- Accommodations with shared facilities consist of multiple single rooms that share kitchen, bathroom(s) and common areas with other students. Small units with shared facilities are always occupied by the same gender, whereas in large units men and women are mixed.
- Accommodations are furnished, click here to view an example of the standard inventory of DUWO student accommodations.
Rent
- The monthly rent ranges roughly from €450,- to €1050,- per month per room (including rent, water, gas, electricity, internet, service charges and taxes).
- The first invoice consists generally of three months’ rent and a contract fee of the housing provider. You have to pay this directly to the housing provider after you have reserved a room.
- The living fee of non-EU students cannot be used for this purpose.
After finding accommodation register your Dutch address as your official home address as soon as possible in Studielink.
Between Mid-May and approximately the end of May, we start granting access to the housing portal, based on first paid, first served.
One week before granting access, we sent an e-mail with the exact date and time and other information. Keep an eye on your e-mail. -
Prioritize finding accommodation once you know that you will attend TU Delft. Finding a room in Delft can be difficult and time-consuming. As most university cities in the Netherlands, Delft has a shortage of affordable student accommodations.The following information may prove to be useful when looking for accommodation:
- Delft is a relatively small city, therefore neighbouring municipalities can provide good alternatives within reasonable travel distance from TU Delft’s campus.
- Click here for a list of organisations and platforms that (also) cater to students.
- Delft municipality offers several insights on housing.
- Groups on Facebook could aid the search for accommodation; e.g. “Find a room(mate) in Delft” & “Find an international roommate in Delft”.
- See this movie in which DUWO discerns three main options for international students.
- See https://www.huurcommissie.nl/huurders for more information about rental prizes
Keep the following in mind when looking for accommodation:
- There are fewer (affordable) accommodations available, in the months leading up to the start of a new academic year
- Most accommodations on offer are unfurnished and rent often does not include utilities (like gas, electricity and water) and municipal taxes.
- Make sure the owner provides you with a declaration of permission to register the address with the municipality.
- Read the rental agreement carefully.
- Be aware of rental frauds.
After finding accommodation register your Dutch address as your official home address as soon as possible in Studielink.
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Moving in with someone? Make sure to have permission from the primary resident as well as the owner of the residence to register the address with the municipality, for which you can use this authorisation form. Fill in the authorisation form and have it signed by the primary resident and the owner of the residence. Bring the form with the necessary documents, as mentioned in the form, to your registration with the municipality. Additionally, register your Dutch address as your official home address as soon as possible in Studielink.
Disclaimers:
- We strongly advise against travel to TU Delft if you have not arranged housing in The Netherlands before the start of your study programme.
- For Non-EU/EFTA nationals being registered is a requirement for maintaining their Residence Permit for Study.
- Please be aware of rental frauds (more information).