AMSAmsterdam · NLExchange destination
Amsterdam gives you a world-class university, canals you cycle beside daily, and a genuinely international student crowd - but it is pricey and the housing is brutal.
Netherlands avg / mo
€1,000–1,500
Languages
Dutch (everyone speaks English)
Dear future me,
Say yes to the first invitation. Learn ten words. Start the housing hunt early.
— 83 students who did this already
To
You, exchange student
c/o Amsterdam group chat · Fall 2026
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City Guide
Amsterdam is compact, endlessly cycleable and about as international as cities come - English is everywhere and the student body spans the globe. Two strong universities (UvA and VU), a canal-ringed centre that is a UNESCO site, and a liberal, open culture make it a magnet for exchange students. The catch is cost and housing, but the payoff is a semester in one of Europe most exciting cities.
Social life revolves around the bike, the brown cafe and the terrace. Students gather in De Pijp and Oost, cross the free ferry to the creative venues of Noord, and drink cheap beer on canal-side terraces the moment the sun appears. Introduction weeks and ESN Amsterdam events are the fastest way in, and the international crowd means you will make friends from a dozen countries.
Amsterdam is expensive, so push the Dutch band up: budget roughly 1,200 to 1,800 euros a month, with rent the killer. A room easily runs 700 to 1,000 euros, and studios far more. Groceries at Albert Heijn or the cheaper Dirk and Lidl, plus cooking at home, are how students cope. Cycling everywhere at least keeps transport almost free.
This is the hard part: Amsterdam housing shortage is severe, so treat finding a room as your first job and start months ahead. Use DUWO and student housing via your university, plus ROOM.nl, Kamernet and HousingAnywhere, and never pay a deposit before viewing (scams are rife). Diemen, Oost and Nieuw-West are more realistic than the centre. Budget for high rents and act fast on any decent listing.
You will cycle - the bike is the real Amsterdam metro, and a cheap second-hand one pays for itself instantly. When you need it, the GVB network of metros, trams and buses is excellent, and the ferries across the IJ are free. Tap on and off with contactless via OVpay, and take NS trains for anything beyond the city.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Vrije Universiteit (VU) are both research-strong and highly international, teaching a huge range of programmes in English. Amsterdam University College offers a US-style liberal arts model, while the HvA covers applied degrees. Dutch teaching is discussion-led and informal - you will be expected to speak up in seminars and manage a lot of independent work.
As always, it depends on your nationality. EU/EEA/Swiss students need no visa and just register with the local municipality. Non-EU students usually need an entry visa (MVV) and/or a residence permit, but here's the good news: your Dutch host university almost always handles the application for you as the official sponsor, so follow their international office to the letter and start early.
After arrival you'll register at the gemeente (municipality) to get a BSN citizen number, which you need for a bank account and much else, and arrange health insurance. EU students use the EHIC; non-EU students need private cover, and working part-time can trigger a Dutch insurance requirement.
Dutch snacking is a joy: bitterballen with a beer, fresh herring from a street cart, warm stroopwafels pressed at the Albert Cuyp Market, and chips with mayo. The Indonesian legacy means a proper rijsttafel is a must, and the city brown cafes - dim, cosy old pubs - are where you settle in for the evening. Cook at home, though, to survive the prices.
The Jordaan is the pretty, central, slightly pricey classic. De Pijp is lively and food-focused around the Albert Cuyp; Oost (East) is up-and-coming and student-heavy; Noord across the IJ is the creative, cheaper frontier reached by free ferry. Further out, Nieuw-West and Diemen offer the realistic rents most exchange students end up paying.
The Dutch rail network makes day trips effortless. Utrecht is 25 minutes, Haarlem 15, and Rotterdam and The Hague around an hour. See the Zaanse Schans windmills, the spring tulips at Keukenhof, and the beach at Zandvoort (30 minutes by train). Further afield, Brussels is two hours and Paris three-and-a-bit by high-speed Eurostar. A weekend NS group ticket makes exploring cheap.
Sort housing before anything else - everything depends on it - and register at the gemeente for a BSN number quickly so you can open a bank account. Buy a solid bike lock, because bikes get stolen constantly, and learn to read the cycle lanes fast: pedestrians who wander into them are the most-cursed people in the city. Watch the canals after a night out; people do fall in.
Student Reviews
“The social life in the city is really cool. Here are some of my favorite places: · coco's outback (Erasmus parties) -Club NYX (nightclub) - such a cool place with nice music and different rooms · The poolbar (bar) - big bar where you can rent a pool with your friends for 2o euros · Bar Twenty two - cute bar in the center to go for a drink, the place is really cosy · Cafe hill street blues - coffee shop with a bueatuful view on the canal · Melkweg - nightclub, concert hall Waterkant - best place to go and havce some drinks when the sun is out”
“Marketing classes were really boring and I only choose these courses (because I didn’t found any negotiation related course) Students here work as if they were robots: you tell them to do the conclusion before the intro, they will do it even if it not logical, just because it is the guideline.”
“To live your best life in Amsterdam, you need to be open-minded, organized, and independent. A bike is essential, as public transport becomes very expensive quickly. Managing your time well and taking advantage of the city’s international atmosphere will make the experience unforgettable.”
“I was offered housing through the lottery, which was really helpful because I didn't have to look much for housing myself, and the rent was low for Amsterdam standards.”
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