Two students walking and talking on campus
01
DREAM IT
04
PACK IT
07
FRAME IT
Erasmus
School of
Law
International journey
Programmes Your journey Open Days
The international student journey

Maybe
Rotterdam?

From the first daydream to your graduation photo on the Erasmus Bridge. This is the whole journey of an international student at Erasmus School of Law. In seven stages, honest about the hard parts but excited about everything else.

Start the journey ↓
Chat with a student →
45+
nationalities studying together at one law school
№1
Europe’s largest port — your case-study backyard
12 mo
orientation year to live & work in NL after graduating
From maybe to definitely

Seven stages. One hand to hold.

Scroll timeline
Step by step
01 Dream
02 Choose
03 Apply
04 Prepare
05 Arrive
06 Study
07 Beyond
01
Stage 01 · Dreaming
Master Open Day · 21 Nov 2026

Maybe Rotterdam?

It starts with a thought. A skyline that looks nothing like the rest of the Netherlands, Europe’s largest port, and a law school where students from 45+ countries study, debate and moot together — in English.

What to expect

Honest from minute one: Erasmus School of Law’s international programmes are master’s level. The LL.M. programmes are fully English-taught; most bachelor programmes are in Dutch. This journey is built for future master students.

Do I need to speak Dutch? {{ fq.dream_0.icon }}
No. The LL.M. programmes are fully English-taught and the Netherlands is famously fluent in English. Dutch is for bonus points at the market — we’ll teach you ‘lekker’.
Rotterdam skyline with the Erasmus Bridge over the Maas
Your to-do list
Browse the English-taught LL.M. programmes
Follow the International Office on Instagram
Sign up for the Master Open Day
Talk to a current international student
“Rotterdam felt like a city that was going somewhere. I wanted to go with it.”
Aisha
LL.M. International & European Union Law
02
Stage 02 · Choosing

Find the programme that fits

English-taught LL.M. specialisations — from Maritime & Transport Law (you’re in the right city) to Law & Technology — plus a research master in criminology. Pick by ambition, not by alphabet.

Reality check · Entry rules
— All LL.M. programmes require a bachelor’s degree in law from a recognised university
—
English proficiency:
TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 90, with at least a score of 20 in each section.
IELTS: A minimum overall score of 6.5, with at least a score of 6.0 in each section.
Cambridge CAE or CPE: A minimum grade of C.
— Only students applying for IEUL (International and European Union Law) or Law & Tech can be considered for admission if they hold a non-law degree. However, they must have completed a substantial number of ECTS credits in law courses.
Can I apply to more than one programme? {{ fq.choose_0.icon }}
You can — each application is assessed on its own. Most students end up focusing on the one that genuinely matches their plans.
students in a lecture hall
Your to-do list
Shortlist two or three programmes
Read each programme’s admission requirements
Compare curricula and career paths
Email admissions your edge-case questions
03
Stage 03 · Applying
Non-EEA? Aim to apply by early spring

Apply & get admitted

Two steps: register in Studielink, the Dutch national portal, then complete your file with EUR — transcripts, English test, motivation. Then the hardest part: waiting.

Reality check · The fine print
— Apply early — after admission, non-EEA students still need months for visa and housing
— Tuition differs: the statutory fee (EU/EEA, roughly €2,700) versus the institutional fee for non-EEA students (roughly €22,000) 
— A Studielink registration alone is not a complete application — finish your document upload
When will I hear back? {{ fq.apply_0.icon }}
Most decisions follow within weeks once your file is complete. Conditional offers (for example pending graduation) are common, so you can keep moving while you finish your bachelor.
Smiling student standing on the Erasmus University campus
Your to-do list
Create your Studielink account
Book your English test now — slots fill up
Collect certified transcripts and diploma
Write a motivation that is specific, not long
Hit submit. Celebrate appropriately.
04
Stage 04 · Preparing
Visa process starts ±12 weeks before day one

Visa, housing & money

Admitted? Fantastic. Now comes the practical sprint — and this is where we hold your hand the tightest, because honesty matters most here.

Reality check · Read this twice
— Housing is genuinely tight. EUR reserves about 1,200 rooms — roughly a quarter of incoming internationals. Register for reserved housing the day it opens.
— Budget around €1,000–1,800 a month for living costs, on top of tuition
— Non-EU? You cannot apply for a residence permit yourself — EUR’s Team Immigration does it for you. Respond fast, every time.
What if I have no room when the semester starts? {{ fq.prepare_0.icon }}
Don’t fly without a room. Widen your search to Schiedam and Capelle aan den IJssel, watch the International Office housing webinars, and email studenthousing@eur.nl — they answer.
Cyclists crossing a street in Rotterdam near the Cube Houses
Your to-do list
Reply to Team Immigration the day they email
Register for reserved accommodation immediately
Arrange health insurance and proof of finances
Never pay a deposit via Western Union — scams are real
05
Stage 05 · Arriving

Touch down in Rotterdam

Keys in hand, passport stamped. Now the fun bureaucracy: City Hall, bank account, digital campus card — most of it in one go at the One Stop Shop on campus. Then Welcome Day, and a city best learned by bike.

What to expect

The first weeks are a happy blur. You will queue, sign and register — and somewhere in between make half your friends for the year.

Will I actually make friends? {{ fq.arrive_0.icon }}
Students from 45+ countries at the law school alone. Between Welcome Day, workgroups and study associations, the real challenge is finding a free evening.
Cyclists on a sunlit Rotterdam street
Your to-do list
Register at City Hall (required if you stay 4+ months)
Open a Dutch bank account
Buy a second-hand bike — it’s a personality here
Join the International Welcome Day
“Day three I got lost on campus. Day ten I was giving directions.”
Priya
LL.M. Commercial & Company Law
06
Stage 06 · Studying

Study like a Rotterdammer

Small-scale, activating education: workgroups where you argue out loud, field trips to courts, law firms and the port. Where law meets business — not as a slogan, but as your Tuesday.

Reality check · Expect to work
— The pace is real: reading-heavy weeks and active participation are the norm, not the exception
— Dutch grading culture: an 8 is excellent and a 10 is folklore — recalibrate early
— Workgroups expect you prepared, in English, out loud
Can I work next to my studies? {{ fq.study_0.icon }}
EU/EEA students can work freely. Non-EU students are limited in hours and the employer needs a permit — plan your budget without counting on a side job.
Students working together at a laptop in the library
Your to-do list
Plan your week around the reading list
Join a study association or moot court
Go on the field trips — that’s where it clicks
Struggling? Book your student adviser early, not late
07
Stage 07 · Beyond

Graduation & beyond

Gown on, photo on the bridge. ESL graduates move into international law firms, EU institutions, multinationals, courts and the maritime sector — often via the network they built right here.

What to expect

Want to stay? Non-EU graduates can apply for the orientation year: twelve months to live and work in the Netherlands after graduating, no separate work permit needed.

What is my degree worth internationally? {{ fq.beyond_0.icon }}
An LL.M. from a research university in the EU, from a school known for where law meets business. Graduates work across Europe and far beyond — the alumni map is half the fun.
Graduates throwing their caps in the air
Your to-do list
Update LinkedIn before the gown comes off
Join the alumni network
Non-EU: look into the orientation year visa
Send us a postcard from your first job
“I came for the LL.M. I stayed for the career. The bitterballen helped.”
Daniel
Alumnus · maritime sector, Rotterdam
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From “maybe” to
“see you in September”.

The best way to decide is to come feel the city. Join an Open Day, walk the campus, count the cranes in the port — then tell us it’s still a maybe.

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Erasmus
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This page is a guided overview. Every stage links to the official, always-current information on eur.nl — deadlines, fees and figures shown here are indicative; eur.nl is leading.