Q: How much funding do I need?

A: In case you need a long-stay visa (MVV), from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, you need to be able to provide proof that you have approximately EUR 1.697,82 per month (single) or EUR 2.425,46 per month (with family) at your disposal for the entire period of research at UMCG.

Note that this is a legal immigration requirement set by national authorities. The University needs to comply with this. Usually, each half year (1 January, 1 July), the Dutch Immigration Services (IND) raises the amounts set as a minimum requirement for immigration. More information can be found here.

Q: How can I provide proof of sufficient financial means?

A: Generally, PhD candidates can provide proof of sufficient financial means in three ways::

• Scholarship letter: A scholarship agency provides a letter stating that you have been awarded an amount of €X per month, for the period from DD-MM-YYYY to DD-MM-YYYY. Admission to the PhD program with a scholarship must be confirmed by the GSMS, following the process described here.
• Loan: you have an official loan statement from a known loan-provider (e.g. bank). Note that loan statements from family members are not accepted!
• Self-funded: you have the financial means for the entire period of your projected stay at the UMCG at your disposal. Read on.

Q: I am self-funded: what amounts do I need to prove exactly?

A: As said, if you are self-funded and need a visa, you need to have the entire amount required by the IND for the entire period of stay in the Netherlands at your disposal at the moment the University of Groningen applies for a visa for you.

EXAMPLE: You are travelling by yourself (without spouse & children) and will want to carry out your PhD for 48 months at the UMCG. This means that you need to have EUR 81.495,36 (48 x 1.697,82) in your bank account!

EXAMPLE: You are travelling with your spouse and will want to carry out your PhD for 36 months at the UMCG. This means that you need to have EUR 87.316,56 (36 x 2.425,46) in your bank account!

Q: Does my available funding need to cover the full period of research required to complete my thesis?

A: Yes. The financial resources you can demonstrate must match the realistic duration of the research project as outlined in your PhD research proposal. Most PhD projects at the UMCG require 36–48 months to complete.

Admission as a PhD degree student requires full financial proof for the entire planned duration of the PhD project.

If your funding does not yet cover this full period, you may only qualify for a temporary stay as a visiting researcher for the period for which full funding can be demonstrated. You would then need to secure additional funding to continue your PhD in Groningen.

Given the financial and immigration risks involved, the GSMS must be cautious in supporting candidates, particularly those who cannot yet demonstrate sufficient means for the full PhD trajectory. Supervisors and candidates should therefore discuss a realistic long-term funding plan before initiating an admission or visa process.

Even if the GSMS is in principle willing to support a candidate, the ultimate authority to apply for a visa rests with the Immigration Service Desk (ISD). The ISD assesses whether a visa application meets all legal, financial, and fraud-prevention requirements. A visa application can only be submitted if ISD determines that all conditions are met.

Q: I have the amount necessary to carry out my PhD in my bank account: how do I prove this?

A: The ISD of the University of Groningen, the office that is responsible for applying for your long-stay visa, will ask you to transfer the amount corresponding to the minimum requirement set by the IND for the period of your visa to the University. With that, they can provide the IND with the required proof that you actually have sufficient means to support yourself during your stay in the Netherlands. The ISD will transfer the full amount back into your account once you have started your PhD at Groningen.

Contact the ISD for more information.

Q: I have the funding, can I just come to Groningen now?

A: No. Before anything else, you must have a supervisor who formally agrees to host you for your PhD research. To make that decision, the supervisor will require:

• an initial PhD research proposal,
• a mandatory interview, and
• a preliminary check that your financial means are realistic for the full duration of the project (usually 36–48 months).

Only after the supervisor confirms willingness to host you can the GSMS start the formal admission or visiting-researcher process.

If you do not yet have sufficient funding for the full PhD period, the supervisor must assess whether there is a credible plan to secure the remaining funding. Without convincing prospects, the process cannot continue.

Q: I have the means and my supervisor has agreed to host me, what do I need to do now?

A: Once your supervisor has confirmed hosting you in principle, they must submit the formal documentation required for GSMS to prepare your Letter of Acceptance (visiting researcher) or Letter of Admission (PhD degree student). This package is more extensive than the initial materials reviewed by the supervisor.

The supervisor submits the following to the Graduate School of Medical Sciences (to Mathilde Pekelaer, cc Joyce Fongers):

Candidate Documentation:

• Your CV, including your full name, place & date of birth and email address
• Proof of English proficiency (indicative minimum score tests: TOEFL 92, IELTS 6.5 (minimum individual band score 6.0) - or similar)

Project Documentation:

• The final version of the PhD research proposal (using the GSMS template available for download here)
• Start and end date of the period of your self-funded period of research - note that visa applications, if relevant take 4 months from the moment we have received all of the documentation pertaining to your application
• PhD project title
• Title(s) and name(s) of supervisor(s) and their departmental affiliation(s)
• Information on how the candidate aims to continue funding their PhD project if they do not (yet) have the means to apply for a 36-48 month visa.

Mandatory institutional requirements:

• Completed Knowledge Security self-assessment by the supervisor (see UG Intranet; accessible to supervisors only).
• Signed GSMS supervisor statement.

The supervisor must complete the Knowledge Security self-assessment, as required under Dutch governmental regulations. In most cases, no further action is required: it is sufficient that the supervisor confirms in the GSMS supervisor statement that the self-assessment has been completed.

Only if the outcome of the self-assessment triggers concerns or requires advice must the supervisor consult the UG Advisory Team Knowledge Security. In such cases, the supervisor should inform the GSMS that this consultation has taken place.

The self-assessment form itself is not submitted to GSMS.

Q: I do not have sufficient financial means to provide proof for a full PhD, can I still start my PhD at Groningen?

A: In principle, admission as a PhD degree student requires full financial proof for the entire realistic duration of the PhD project, usually 36–48 months. Candidates who cannot yet demonstrate sufficient funding are not eligible for admission to the PhD program.

In some cases, if you have funding for a shorter, clearly defined period, it may be possible to stay at the UMCG as a visiting researcher (not as a PhD student). This depends on:

• your supervisor’s willingness to host you for this limited period,
• a credible and realistic plan to secure funding for the remainder of the PhD trajectory, and
• a positive assessment by the Immigration Service Desk (ISD) that a visa application for this shorter period can legally be submitted.

Even if GSMS is willing to support the arrangement, ISD has the final authority to determine whether a visa request can be filed.

If you are accepted as a visiting researcher for a short period, you must work on securing the remaining funding needed for a full PhD. Possible options include:

• applying (again) to external scholarship agencies,
• securing additional personal means to continue as a self-funded researcher,
• obtaining support through a funded PhD vacancy or departmental resources.

Your supervisor must also be willing to continue hosting you beyond the initial period. Without convincing prospects for full funding, the process cannot continue toward PhD admission or visa extension.

Q: Can I receive an official top-up from the University of Groningen as a self-funded PhD?

A: No, only PhD candidates who have been awarded a selective external scholarship have access to the PhD Scholarship Top-Up program. In absence of an external scholarship, the University of Groningen cannot legally provide a Top-Up in the fashion of the program.