Proof of Funding

To be able to start a PhD at Wageningen University & Research funding must be guaranteed.
Click here for more information about funding and financial support.

Scholarship candidates can only be accepted to the Wageningen PhD programme in case they meet one of the following conditions applicable at the time of admission (these conditions will be adjusted/increased every 6 months):

A scholarship with an amount for living allowances that is sufficient for the whole PhD trajectory (for candidates starting between 1 January 2025 and 1 July 2025 this amount is EUR 1900,- per month), or;
A scholarship with an amount for living allowances that is equivalent to the minimum income requirements by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Services (IND)* and a guaranteed future adherence to the minimum income requirements. This should be included in the agreement between the scholarship PhD candidate and the scholarship provider. The minimum income requirement is EUR 1657 from 1 January 2025 to 1 July 2025.

* According to the ‘IND minimum income requirements’, a PhD candidate should be able to demonstrate that he/she has sufficient and sustainable income when coming to the Netherlands. More information about the IND minimum income requirements can be found on the immigration website from the Dutch government.

Listed below, the tuiton fees for the different PhD categories.

Category	Tuition fee
Employed PhD candidates	No
Scholarship PhD candidates:	Yes, EUR 1000 per month of stay at WU
Externally Financed PhD candidates	Yes, EUR 1000 per month of stay at WU
- Sandwich WUR funding	No
External PhD candidate	No
Employee in PhD track	No

Master's degree

The PhD candidate must have obtained a master’s degree that is comparable to a Dutch master’s degree. A foreign master’s degree will be evaluated by NUFFIC, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. Hence, accredited master’s degrees obtained in the Netherlands are automatically recognised. See “Required documents” for details on documents that must be submitted depending on where the candidate obtained their master’s degree.

English language proficiency

In order to be admitted to the PhD program, the PhD candidate must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the English language, as well as the Dutch language when the thesis is written in Dutch, at the level established by the Academic Board.

English language proficiency

There are language requirements when the PhD candidate:
•does not have a master’s degree at a Dutch University and/or;
•does not come from an English speaking country and/or;
•has not completed a higher education with English as the main language of instruction.

There are no language requirements when the PhD candidate:
•has completed a master degree at a Dutch University and/or;
•comes from an English speaking country and/or;
•has completed a higher education with English as the main language of instruction.

When the PhD candidate has language requirements to be met, an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English language must be submitted.
More information about this document you can find on: required documents.