Amsterdam Merit Scholarship Deadlines 2027: Scholarship Date vs Programme Date
The trap with the AMS is timing. Your scholarship deadline is usually weeks or months before the ordinary non-EU programme deadline — and your whole master’s application must be in by then.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Most UvA master’s programmes give non-EU applicants until the end of January, or even 1 April, to apply. Scholarship applicants do not get that time. The Business Administration page is typical: for the September 2027 intake, scholarship applicants: 15 January 2027; visa and/or housing applicants: 1 April 2027. If you miss the first date, you can still get a place — but not an AMS.
AMS deadline vs programme deadline
| Faculty / example | AMS deadline | Normal non-EU deadline | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics & Business (e.g. Business Administration) | 15 Jan 2027 | 1 Apr 2027 (visa/housing) | End of April |
| Science (e.g. Analytical Sciences) | 15 Jan | 31 Jan | April |
| Law (four LLMs) | 15 Jan, 23:59 CET | Programme page | End of March |
| Humanities (LLAMS) | 15 Jan, 23:59 CET (last cycle) | Programme page | By mid-May (last cycle) |
| Communication Science | 15 Jan application + 7 Feb questionnaire | Programme page | Early April |
| Child Development & Education | 15 Jan | Programme page | Before end of June |
| Social Sciences (e.g. IDS research master) | 15 Feb 2027, 23:59 CET | Studielink 5 Feb, SIS 15 Feb 2027, 17:00 CET | By mid-May |
| Psychology | 1 Mar (last cycle) | Programme page | Early May |
| Medicine (Medical Informatics) | 1 June (Sept start) | Programme page | See AMC page |
Checked 6 October 2026 on the faculty pages linked from the AMS hub. “Last cycle” means the faculty has not yet posted 2027 dates.
Most deadlines close at 23:59 CET. Do not leave uploads for that evening: Studielink-to-SIS account creation can take a few days, and certified documents take longer. Aim to submit by the first week of January.
When applications open
Economics and Business says AMS applications open “at the beginning of October each year”. Master’s applications in SIS for September 2027 are therefore already open or opening as you read this. Humanities opened its separate LLAMS form on 9 December in the last cycle. Communication Science promises 2027–28 details in November 2026.
A working timeline for a 15 January deadline
- 1October 2026Choose programme, book English test
Pick one programme. Book IELTS or TOEFL now if you do not have a valid score; Psychology wants results no older than two years.
- 2November 2026Ask for references and class-rank proof
Economics & Business needs a letter confirming you are in the top 10%. Give referees at least six weeks.
- 3Early December 2026Register in Studielink, open SIS
Create accounts early so you can see the exact upload fields and the scholarship tab.
- 4December 2026Draft the motivation letter
Write to your faculty’s word limit — 300, 500 or one A4 page. See Motivation & References.
- 5By 8 January 2027Submit everything
Leave a week of buffer before 15 January.
- 6March–June 2027Decisions
Law by end of March, Science in April, Economics end of April, Social Sciences by mid-May.
After the result
If you win, you still need to meet the September 2027 enrolment steps and Dutch visa rules. Humanities, in its last cycle, required certified documents by 1 August and full enrolment by 31 August. If you are not selected, the normal programme deadlines may still be open for a self-funded place — and the alternatives page lists other scholarships still accepting applications.