Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education

The Code of Conduct is a national agreement that sets clear standards for Dutch higher education institutions in their relationship with international students. Its purpose is to guarantee transparency, fairness, and high-quality services in areas such as admission, information provision, and student support. Institutions that admit non‑EU/EEA students and arrange residence permits must sign the Code, which helps protect your rights and ensures ethical practices.

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is a signatory of the Code of Conduct.

Who monitors compliance?

Compliance with the Code of Conduct is monitored by the National Commission, an independent body. The Commission:

  • Monitors whether institutions follow the Code
  • Assesses actions taken by higher education institutions
  • Handles petitions and investigates complaints
  • Can launch its own investigations
  • Can impose measures, including removing institutions from the official register, if they fail to comply

This means you can trust that your institution meets national quality standards and provides accurate information about programmes, costs, housing, and visa procedures. It also ensures that admission decisions are fair and based on transparent criteria.

What should you, as an international student know?

Institutions must provide clear, complete, and accessible information about the following topics. For Wittenborg, this information is available through the links below:

You should also be aware of several key requirements institutions must follow:

Admission
Institutions must assess your previous education and language proficiency before enrolling you. If Wittenborg rejects your application, it must clearly explain the reason and inform you about your right to appeal.

Language Requirements
For English-taught programmes, you must provide an official test score for admission:

  • IELTS Academic: minimum 6.0
  • TOEFL iBT: 80
  • Cambridge: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency
  • LanguageCert: minimum score 65
  • PTE Academic: minimum score 61
  • TOEIC:
    o    Listening & Reading: minimum 865
    o    Speaking & Writing: minimum 335

You can view the full test score list in the official appendix: Language-Test-Appendix-to-the-Code-of-Conduct-October-2025.pdf .

Some exemptions apply for certain diplomas or for the International Baccalaureate in English. The full list is available here: Diplomalist _ENG_ .

Study Progress Requirements
If you hold a Dutch study residence permit, you must obtain at least 50% of the required study credits each academic year. This equals 30 EC per year. Unless there are recognised mitigating circumstances (as described in Article 7.51 WHW and the WHW Implementation Decree), Wittenborg—and all other signatory institutions—is legally required to inform the IND (Dutch Immigration Office) if you do not meet this progress requirement. This can result in the IND withdrawing your residence permit, which means that your permit becomes invalid.

Where to find more information

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the full Code of Conduct on the National Commission’s official website: Code of Conduct and Regulations – internationalstudy .

Complaints and support
If you have a complaint, first make use of your institution’s internal procedure. Wittenborg’s procedure can be found here: Complaints & Enquiries Procedure .

In many cases, issues can be resolved informally before submitting a formal complaint.
Wittenborg has a designated confidential advisor who can support you during both the informal and formal stages. Contact details are available here: Mental Health and Well-Being .

If your complaint about a possible violation of the Code of Conduct is not resolved after completing the internal process, you may escalate it to the National Commission.

If your complaint is not related to the Code of Conduct, please follow our general Complaints & Enquiries Procedure, which also explains the escalation route for other types of complaints.

 

You can download the following documents
Code of Conduct (The actual Code of Conduct)
Diploma List (A list of European High School Diplomas that could be considered for exemption for IELTS / TOEFL)
Rules and Regulations (Of the Code of Conduct)
Summary (of the Code of Conduct and Complaints Procedure)