Admission International Students

Residence permit

Students from all non-EU/EEA countries are OBLIGED to apply for a residence permit through the International Office of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie to study in the full-time bachelor program. They cannot study in our part-time program, unless they already have a valid residence permit for the Netherlands which allows for studying.

Did you know that non-EU/EEA students applying for 2016-2017 had to have a provable amount of at least €16,026 on their bank account to apply for their residence permit? For more information, read here

Proof of English proficiency

Candidates need to provide proof of English proficiency during the application process. We accept:
* a copy of your European high school/secondary diploma, with English as exam subject (before July 2017), or;
* your Academic IELTS certificate, with minimum overall band score of 6.0, with at least 6.0 for Speaking (before March 2017 at the latest! (NOTE: we DO NOT accept TOEFL), or;
* proof that English is your mother tongue (f.e. a copy of your passport, or high school diploma of English speaking country), before your participation in the entrance exam.
NOTE: applicants who have to provide an Academic IELTS certificate, really have to do this before the entrance exam. Applicants who do not provide an Academic IELTS certificate before the entrance exam, will not be scheduled for their exam!!

1st admission round: consultation

In principle, candidates have to attend a consultation and bring their portfolio for assessment to the consultation. If you live outside of the EU and cannot attend a consultation, you can submit your portfolio instead (see 'alternative 1st round' below).

During a consultation, your possible suitability for our academy will be assessed and discussed during an interview with a teacher. If your work receives a positive assessment, you pass on to the second admission round; the entrance examination, and the teacher will give you the application form to apply for the entrance exam. NOTE: we strongly advise you to study our complete website and at least take note of our academy philosophy (which can be found at menu option About) before attending your consultation.

Bring a wide variety of work to the consultation, as diverse as possible, preferably no older than three years. Do not just bring along final results: initial sketches, ideas and plans can also provide insight and give direction to the interview. Be sure to bring plenty of work to the consultation, at least 20 pieces. These can be drawings, sketches, design sketches, sketch books, paintings, photographs, collages, graphics, textiles, garments, ceramics, items of jewellery, floor plans, models and, if applicable, texts. You can show photographs of heavy or large pieces that are difficult to bring along (tip: put a pencil next to your work when you photograph it). NOTE: when applying for the basic year, it is important to show work that is not too one-sided, so not only photography or only graphic work, but also 'free work'. Internet presentations will not be considered during the consultation. CDs and DVDs can only be shown if you bring your own laptop.

Alternative 1st round: Submitting your portfolio

Candidates living outside of the EU, who are unable to attend a consultation in person at our academy, instead, must submit their portfolio for assessment. On the basis of the portfolio, the admissions committee will determine whether the candidate will be invited for the entrance examination.

Participants in the alternative 1st round have to submit their portfolio application online, through a closed section on our website only, from mid-December 2016 till the deadline in 2017. The guidelines for the selection of works that are outlined above, under '1st admission round: consultation', also apply here. If you want to submit your portfolio online, you have to send a login request form first (by clicking the link in the yellow box).

2nd round: entrance exam

If you receive a positive assessment for your portfolio, you pass on to the second admission round; the entrance examination. The entrance examinations will be scheduled on:
- 20-24 March, 2017 (& extra round 18-21 April) for full-time Basicyear:
- 18 & 20 April, 2017 for DOGtime (extra round mid-May for applicants who cannot attend in April);
- 15-19 May, 2017 for 2nd/3rd course year candidates. NOTE: All candidates are obliged to come to Amsterdam to attend their entrance exam at our academy!!

A few weeks before the examination, you will receive an invitation and two home assignments by e-mail.
The entrance exam consists of an admission interview with one or two separate admissions committees. During these interviews, you will present a large and varied selection of your visual work, no more than 3 years old. Candidates for the first year must also show the development and results of the two home assignments. Based on your presentation, the committees will ask you questions, for instance on your work, the home assignments, your motivation, your background, your sources of inspiration and your expectations regarding the study programme. The interviews will take a maximum of 20 minutes. Before the examination, you will have a little time to set up your work in the classroom in which the examination takes place.
You will receive the results by e-mail a month after the examination.

Application for a higher year

In principle, all candidates who have studied at an art academy at bachelor level for at least 1 year, can apply for a higher course year. If you have completed at least 1 bachelor course year at an art academy in one of the following countries, you can also skip the 1st admission round:

Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Austria, Ireland

If you send an e-mail with a scanned copy of having completed the 1st bachelor year of studies at an institute for art/design in one of the above listed countries, with an overview of completed subjects, obtained ECTS credits (at least 60) and your address, you will be sent an application form to officially apply for the entrance examinations. Send your proof in JPEG or PDF format to apply@rietveldacademie.nl from November 2016, before mid March 2017 and make sure your attachments do not exceed 8 MB. This way, you can skip the first admission round and will not have to attend a consultation, or submit your portfolio for assessment first.

If you are still studying in the first bachelor course year at your art academy, or have studied at an art academy in a country that is not on the above mentioned list, you can still apply for a higher year (assuming that you will complete the 1st bachelor year of studies before starting your studies at our academy), but you cannot skip the first admission round and are obliged to attend a consultation, or, if that is not possible, submit your portfolio for assessment first. After a positive assessment during the 1st round, you would then pass on to the 2nd admission round: the entrance exam.