Please note that it may take several days to complete all steps of the application procedure, so make sure to start your application well in time. We recommend that you carefully read all steps below and review all criteria well in advance so that you have sufficient time to gather the required documents. Importantly, you should submit your enrolment request via Studielink, pay the application fee (if applicable) and submit your application request via MyInfo before the deadline. After enrolling in Studielink and paying the application fee (if applicable), it will take up to 24 hours before you receive an email with a link to your MyInfo UvA application form. Therefore, we advise students to register in Studielink a few days before the mentioned deadline.

• 14 January 23:59 CET early bird deadline. Register in Studielink and pay the application fee before 13 January, see the next steps. (Because of our immigration deadlines we advise students in need of a visa to apply before this deadline).
• 31 March 23:59 CEST regular application deadline for students in need of a visa and/or UvA housing. Register in Studielink and pay the application fee before 30 March, see the next steps.
• 31 May 23:59 CEST late application deadline only for applications who do not require a visa or UvA housing. Register in Studielink and pay the application fee before 30 May, see the next steps.

If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, you will need submit your LLM application and the intake form for the scholarship and all scholarship related documents on 31 March 23:59 CEST at the latest. You can find more information about the available scholarships and how to apply for them on the tuition fee and scholarships webpage.

A limited number of students will be admitted to the programme through a selection procedure.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements are:

• Your previous education must satisfy the requirements listed below (see ‘Previous education’):
• You must have obtained a minimum standard in English language proficiency – see further below;

In addition to the admission requirements, the selection committee assesses applications for admission based on the following selection criteria:

• It is valued during the selection process if your previous study programme included courses on tax law, or if you have acquired relevant competencies through work experience in tax law. This study or work experience can be in either domestic or international tax law. This helps students entering this programme to have a good understanding of the content of the programme and give them the opportunity to share their knowledge in the field with their fellow students. Applicants that do not have any experience in tax law, either through university study or work experience, will also be considered, provided that they can show a genuine interest in the topic.
• You must be willing to participate actively in the classroom. 
• You must have an open mind towards different cultures.

All applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Previous education

The candidate must satisfy one of the following sets of requirements:

• Have completed a university degree in law that is the equivalent of a master’s degree in the Netherlands. An initial master’s degree from a university that follows the European BA-MA system is equivalent. Degrees from universities that do not follow the European BA-MA system must require a study of at least four years in order to be equivalent; if you are not sure whether your degree is the equivalent of a Dutch master’s degree, please consult us.
• Have completed a university degree in law at bachelor level and be admissible to a traditional legal profession such as advocate, attorney, barrister, judge, notary, solicitor, etc.
• Have completed a Master’s degree from a research university (Dutch: WO) in any discipline, who has obtained at least 30 EC of law courses during university education. An initial master’s degree from a university that follows the European BA-MA system is equivalent to a Dutch master’s degree. Degrees from universities that do not follow the European BA-MA system must require a study of at least four years in order to be equivalent; if you are not sure whether your degree is the equivalent of a Dutch master’s degree, please consult us.
• Have completed an (advanced) Master’s degree from a technical college in a strongly related discipline, namely tax law, fiscal economics, or accountancy. An initial master’s degree from a university that follows the European BA-MA system is equivalent to a Dutch master’s degree. Degrees from universities that do not follow the European BA-MA system must require a study of at least four years in order to be equivalent; if you are not sure whether your degree is the equivalent of a Dutch master’s degree, please consult us.
• Have completed a professional accountancy qualification.

Note: In respect of all these requirements there may be specific considerations in specific countries, for example in respect of admission to the bar. If you are not sure whether you satisfy the entry requirements, please consult us in advance with details of your education and qualifications and we will be happy to advise on your admissibility to this programme.

Note: The Admissions Board can set additional requirements to compensate for insufficient prior knowledge. If a required course of the Master’s programme was the subject of a prior examination, the Examinations Board can determine which courses shall replace it.

English language proficiency

The Amsterdam Law School accepts the following tests and test results:

• TOEFL* (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum TOEFL score required is: 100 iBT, with a minimum of 24 for subscores reading and writing, a minimum of 22 for subscore listening and a minimum of 25 for subscore speaking. Please make sure to mention our institutional code: 9011 when signing up for the TOEFL test so we can verify your scores online.
• IELTS Academic** (International English Language Testing System). The minimum IELTS score required is 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 for each subscore.
• Cambridge English Language Assessment: minimum grade C1 Advanced with a minimum score of 190. Please make sure to ‘share’ your test results with us so we can verify your scores online.

* The TOEFL ITP test (Institutional Testing Program) and the TOEFL iBT home edition are NOT accepted.  
** The IELTS Academic Online, IELTS General Training, IELTS Indicator and IELTS UKVI are NOT accepted.

Please note: The Amsterdam Law School only accepts English-language proficiency test results that are no more than two years old on the day you submit your application in MyInfo. 

The following students are exempted from the above-mentioned test requirements:

• Students who have received their prior education in one of the following English speaking countries: Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States.
• Students who possess an international or European baccalaureate diploma (with English as the only language of instruction).
• Students who have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme taught entirely in English (note: this does not include exchange, summer school or other non-degree programmes).
• Students who possess a Bachelor’s diploma from a Dutch research university.

Apply via Studielink

Before you can apply to the UvA, you will need to submit an enrolment request in Studielink. Studielink is the national online system for students who would like to pursue a degree programme at a Dutch university.

Check your DigiD (before starting in Studielink)

A DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID (username and password) that provides access to government administration websites.

• Students who do not live in the Netherlands can use Studielink without a DigiD
• Students who currently live in the Netherlands will need their DigiD to use Studielink. We strongly recommend you to apply for your DigiD at least three weeks before registering in Studielink

Read the step-by-step guide to Studielink

Before starting your enrolment application in Studielink, read the 'Step-by-step guide to Studielink'.

Please note that in Studielink and MyInfo you will see (links to) information for Master's applicants of regular LLM’s. Be aware that not all information applies to applicants to this programme. For the right information regarding for instance the costs, please visit the pages linked to the Advanced Master programme.

After submitting your enrolment request in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID. Follow the instructions in this email to activate your ID; you will need it to complete your UvA application.

All students applying for a Master’s degree programme with an international diploma are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. You can pay your €100 application fee by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL. Only after paying the fee, can you start your application in MyInfo. It is not possible to start an application without paying the application fee.

You don't have to pay the application fee:

• If you have of will obtain a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university;
• If you have the Dutch or Surinamese nationality;
• If you have already applied and have paid the application fee for another master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2024-2025;
• If you have started a UvA master’s programme in the 2021, 2022 or 2023 academic year;
• If you are applying through the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF) and/or have an official refugee status in the Netherlands (as shown on your residence permit).
• If you have previously applied for this LLM programme at the UvA and you have deferred your application to the following academic year. Please contact the Admissions Office  after you have registered again for the LLM programme in Studielink, so they can waive the application fee for you.

Once you have registered in Studielink and paid the application fee (if applicable), you will receive an email within 24 hours from Studielink with a link to the UvA online application system. To log in to MyInfo you need your activated UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents and submit your MyInfo application form before the application deadline.

Prepare your application and apply via MyInfo

Please make sure you have all document ready, before you start your application. Only a complete online application will be processed. A complete application contains the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae.
• A copy of university transcripts including grades (please note: if you have a non-legal Master’s degree, please provide us with an overview of which courses on your transcript are law courses, including a document with course descriptions or syllabi of these courses. You can add these documents to your application after you have submitted your application form, by clicking on the paperclip sign next to your application in MyInfo to add additional documents).
• A copy of university diploma (if it has already been obtained).
• Proof of your English language proficiency (see Entry Requirements). (Please note you cannot submit your English language proficiency test after submitting your application form).
• Motivation letter.
• Two recommendation letters (in English; at least one academic).
• If appropriate: evidence that you have work experience in tax law.

In case any of the above mentioned documents is missing, your application will be considered as incomplete and we cannot continue with your application.

Once we have received your application, it will be evaluated by our Admissions Board. Only those applicants who fulfil the entry requirements for Masters' programme International Tax Law will be presented to the Selection Committee after the application deadline. You will be notified about the decision within 4 weeks after the application deadline (14 January/31 March/31 May).

Accept

If you meet all the entry requirements and the Admissions Office has approved your application, the university will send you a letter of (conditional) acceptance by email. We request that you accept or decline within 2 weeks. After you have accepted your offer, your application will be further processed. Please make sure to accept your (conditional) offer in MyInfo  within 2 weeks. If you are not sure yet if you will be attending the LLM programme, you can choose the option ‘I accept, but I have doubts’. This will not have any consequences for your admission. If you do not respond to your offer within 2 weeks, we cannot continue with your admission process (and visa request if applicable). Please note that if you select ‘I accept (with doubts)’, you are still able to withdraw your enrolment request in Studielink until the 31st of August.

Decline

If you decline the acceptance, please do not forget to withdraw your enrolment requist in Studielink.

Certified documents

If you have been selected for our Advanced Master's programme we need to verify your prior academic credentials. You will need to send us certified copies of your transcripts and degree certificates. Photocopies or scans of the original certified documents are not accepted. 

If you are required to submit documentation, there are two ways in which you can provide us with your diploma/statement of graduation and transcript. You can ask your university to email these documents to us directly at admissions-law@uva.nl. Please note that we will not accept emails forwarded by students, but only emails directly sent to us by the issuing university. Please make sure that your name, your UvA ID (student number) and your study programme are mentioned in the email.
If your university does not provide this service, you can send us certified hardcopies of these documents by post to the address below.

What is a certified hardcopy?

A certified copy is a photocopy of the original document with a wet ink stamp and signature from your school/university or from an authorised notary. Uncertified photocopies or scanned copies of original documents will not be accepted. Do not send us the original documents - we cannot be held responsible for any documents that get lost in the process.

Translations

Documents that are not written in Dutch, English, German or French, must be accompanied by an official translation to English made by a sworn translator or a notary.

Please send your certified documents by regular post to the following address:

Amsterdam Law School - Admissions Office (room A6.01a)
P.O. Box 1030
1000 BA Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Or, if sent by registered post:

Amsterdam Law School – Admissions Office (room A6.01a)
Valckenierstraat 59
1018 XE Amsterdam
The Netherlands

You will need to pay the tuition fee in order to complete your enrolment in a degree programme at the UvA. Find out more about how to pay tuition fees. Check your enrolment checklist at sis.uva.nl to see which matters of your enrolment possibly still need to be completed.

If you are an international student, you will need to arrange a variety of practical matters before starting your studies.

Visa, residence permit, insurance

The first step is to determine whether you will need a visa and/or residence permit. Then you need to arrange your insurance.

Housing

The UvA does not offer student housing on our campuses. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the housing market in the Netherlands before you choose your study programme.  It can be difficult to find available housing in Amsterdam, so you will need to start looking for yourself as soon as possible via Dutch student housing websites. For international students, the UvA has limited number of rooms available throughout Amsterdam, which you can apply for via UvA Housing. Please note there are not enough rooms available via UvA Housing to accommodate all international students. As placement for UvA Housing is not guaranteed, we advise you to start your orientation for housing options early and to always explore the private housing market as well.

A student ID card is a personal document which serves as proof of identity for examinations and library privileges. You will receive instructions explaining how to request your student ID card.

After you have been (conditionally) admitted to the LLM programme by the Amsterdam Law School you will be signed up for courses by the Amsterdam Law School for the first semester. For questions about course registration, please contact the Education Desk.

Academic calendar

The academic year is divided into two semesters, each lasting 20 weeks. Semester 1 classes begin in the first week of September. Semester 2 classes begin in the first week of February.
To the academic calendar

Courses per semester

You will find a course overview per semester (with course descriptions) in the online Course Catalogue. More information about the Course Programme.
 

For international students moving to another country, while exciting, can also be overwhelming. Plan your arrival date and find out what you need to do once you arrive in the Netherlands.

To help you get started, the Amsterdam Law School organizes a (mandatory) Introduction Day for all new Master’s students. You will receive information on the Introduction Day before you’ll start your studies in September.

No, there is not. All students pay the same tuition fee.

There are currently three scholarships all student can apply for:

1. The UvA scholarship
2. The Loyens & Loeff Scholarship
3. The Maisto e Associati scholarship

Please find more information about these scholarships on the tuition fee and costs section of the International Tax Law programme on the UvA website.

You will have to upload proof of your English language proficiency with your application.