News item | 23-06-2025 | 15:00
Every year, more than 1600 young people from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom start a study in the European part of the Netherlands. A special tool has been developed to make the transition from preparatory education on the islands to further education in the Netherlands more flexible. This tool offers upcoming students and their parents an overview of all the things they have to arrange before and after their departure to the Netherlands.
One place with all the information
Via the tool on Rijksoverheid.nl/caribischestudenten, Caribbean students get a personal overview with information about their rights, which matters should be arranged and where they can get help. In addition to the Dutch version, there is also one English -language version available on Government.nl/caribbeanstudents.
Eppo Bruins, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, is happy with the arrival of the tool: “Students from the Caribbean part of our Kingdom must have the same possibilities and opportunities as the fellow students here in the Netherlands. We want to prevent students from getting stuck on all kinds of regulatory cases and ensuring a good start. With this new tool, Caribbean students can better prepare for their studies in the Netherlands. Everything they have to arrange is now in 1 clear overview. In the Netherlands, the upcoming students can focus on the study.” ””
Improved support for prospective students
In recent years, partly on Advice from the National Ombudsmanalso worked hard on other fronts to improve the provision of information, guidance and preparation for students from the Caribbean. For example, since last year Caribbean students automatically receive a citizen service number (BSN) when they request student finance. This allows them to request a DigiD before departure to the Netherlands and arrange a number of things. There are also initiatives such as the Caribbean Academic Foundation Year On Aruba, Curaçao and from August 2025 also on Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius to better prepare students for a study elsewhere. Based on the ‘HBO Student Success Caribbean students’, a work is being done on one Integral program that supports and guides students in making a study choiceimproving language and study skills and that offers a preparation for a good switch with attention to studying in the Netherlands and Dutch culture.
The tool was created through a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Education Executive, Social Insurance Bank, SKGZ (formerly Health Insurance Line), Strategic Education Alliance and the public and communication service.