EU/EEA students outside residence area

As of 1 September 2010, a new law came into force in the Netherlands known as the Administration Reinforcement Act (Wet versterking besturing). This law may have consequences for the level of the tuition fees that you pay. On this page you can read what consequences this law will have for you.

How was it before?
Nationality determined your tuition fees
Maastricht University has a lower and a higher rate for tuition fees. Before, your nationality determined the rate you had to pay. Students from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and Suriname paid the lower fee (€ 1,713), while those from other countries paid the higher fee (€ 12,000 for a full-time master's and € 8,500 for a full-time bachelor’s programme).

How is it now?
Nationality and place of residence determine your tuition fees
Under the new law, both your nationality and your place of residence determine the rate of tuition fees you pay. This is known as the residency requirement: students who do not reside in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg or one of the German states of North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony or Bremen must pay higher tuition fees. To be eligible for a lower fee, students who are EU or EEA citizens but currently live outside these areas will have to move to a location within them.

What does this mean for you?
You have an EU/EEA (or Switzerland or Suriname) nationality and you live outside the residence area.

You must pay the higher tuition fee unless you move within the residence area and report your new address to UM by 1 September of the academic year. You can read how to do this below.

You do not have to worry if you will be outside the residence area for study abroad or an internship. If you lived in the residence area immediately before your temporary stay abroad, you will continue to pay the lower tuition fee. Your faculty will record that you are temporarily doing an internship or participating in an exchange programme and report this to the Admissions Office: Based on this registration the Admissions Office can calculate the tuition fee.

What must you do immediately?
If you have a new address outside the Netherlands but within the residence area:

You must, by 1 September of the relevant academic year, submit your address within the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony or Bremen to UM via email to: studentservices@maastrichtuniversity.nl to qualify for the lower tuition fee.

If you have a new address within the Netherlands:

You must, by 1 September of the relevant academic year, submit your address within the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony or Bremen to the UM via email to: studentservices@maastrichtuniversity.nl to qualify for the lower tuition fee.
If you will be in the Netherlands for longer than four months, you must register with the Municipal Administration (Gemeentelijke Basis Administratie or GBA). To be eligible for the lower tuition fee, you must be registered before 1 December of the relevant academic year. You can register by visiting the city hall (Gemeentehuis) where you live. It is advisable to check in advance if you need to make an appointment.

NOTE: Since the registration with the city hall takes a minimum of two weeks, you should begin the registration process no later than 1 November.

If you do not meet these conditions on time, you will have to pay the higher tuition fee. Please begin taking these steps immediately to take care that you do not needlessly have to pay extra money!

Questions? Please contact our call center at +31 43 388 5388 (Monday through Friday: 8.30 -17.00) or email: study@maastrichtuniversity.nl.