Please, don’t forget to visit the main page HOW TO APPLY to get all the information about applications.
VISAS
If you’re selected and need a visa, TU Delft will provide a letter of invitation after verifying your application. The university cannot grant the visa itself: only the Dutch authorities can do so, based on your documents, an interview (where applicable), and a fee.
You should apply for a short-stay (tourist) Schengen visa, not a student visa. The Summer School runs for 10 days and counts as a short workshop, so the much longer and more complex student visa process does not apply to you.
A Schengen visa lets you travel freely within the Schengen Area, which covers most of Europe but not the UK, Ireland, or a few other countries.
Visa fees are non-refundable. If you obtain a visa but are then unable to travel, you will not get the fee back.
Arranging your own visa is your responsibility.
ACCOMMODATION
Students attending the Summer School are responsible for finding their own accommodation. We will help you with sYou are responsible for arranging your own place to stay. TU Delft has no student dorms — everyone rents independently — and we have no special agreements or discounts with hotels or hostels in Delft. We can offer suggestions, but we can’t manage the booking details for you.
Our top suggestion is The Social Hub (formerly The Student Hotel), a short walk from the Summer School venue. Rooms are limited, so book early.
If that’s full or not for you, other options include:
Friends or personal contacts in the area
Hostelworld for hostels in Delft
Airbnb or Couchsurfing
Student room-rental Facebook groups, where TU Delft students sometimes sublet rooms over the summer — this group is one example; a search will turn up others
FEES
The Summer School costs €600. This covers the course, the final certificate, some meals, site visits, and social activities.
It does not cover travel, accommodation, or your regular meals.
Compared with similar summer schools in Europe, this is a low fee. We keep it low so that a wide range of people can attend and experience TU Delft’s teaching approach — many participants go on to consider one of our Master’s programmes. A number of scholarships and reduced fees are available; see details here.
What happens if I give up after having paid?
In case you are prevented from coming to the Summer School, we will return your fee in full (excluding bank fees), until June 1st. After that date, there are no refunds. Just to be clear: we will return your fees minus bank fees (around 25 euros).
After June 1st, we will not return fees.
Note that this arrangement does not include hostel reservations (see below) and visa costs (in case you need a visa). Visa costs are not refundable.
If you give up after the beginning of the summer school, there are no refunds.
SCHOLARSHIPS*
The Summer School offers a few scholarships for students from countries at war, countries experiencing natural disasters, and countries experiencing unusual hardship. We also have scholarships for students from Sub-Saharan Africa.
(*This only applies to the Summer School Planning & Design for the Just City. TU Delft has different scholarship policies concerning its regular courses. You can get an overview HERE).
ECTS/ CREDITS
The Summer School does not offer ECTs (European Credit Transfer System or simply, study credits). This is because in order to be able to get ECTS, you would need to be a regular student of TU Delft, and the fees would consequently be much higher.
However, the Summer School provides you with a certificate stating that you have followed the course and that it is worth 120 hours of study.
ARRIVAL
The Summer School opens on Monday at 10:30 a.m. (registration is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.) and closes on Friday of the following week 16:00 p.m. (so you can check out of your hostel/hotel on that day if you wish).
You must be present during all sessions of the the Summer School in order to receive the certificate. Please, only book trains and planes so you can leave Delft on the last day after 19:00 p.m.
To receive our certificate, you must attend all our activities (see below).
VENUE
The venue of the Summer School is the building of the PULSE BUILDING and the Building of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. The venues are easily accessible from Delft city centre and from Delft’s main train station on foot or by bus. Delft is a very walkable city.
TRANSPORTATION
Delft is easily accessible from the International Airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol and the smaller airport of Rotterdam by train. DOWNLOAD THE APP and Plan your trip at http://9292.nl or http://www.ns.nl (the train company).
These are examples of train fares:
Amsterdam to Delft € 16,30 (57 minutes)
Schiphol International Airport -Delft €12,30 (40 min.)
The Hague- Delft €3,10 (13 min.)
Delft-Rotterdam €4,10 (13 min.)
From Schiphol Airport, take the train to Delft — it’s faster and cheaper than a taxi, which can cost €80–100. There’s no direct bus option. For train times and discounts, check NS season tickets.
During the Summer School, transport to the project site and field trips is arranged for you.
For any other journey, use 9292.nl or Google Maps — enter your start and end points and either will give you the best route.
The Netherlands is compact and public transport is efficient, though not always cheap for international students. If you’ll be using it often, consider an OV-chipkaart, a top-up travel card similar to London’s Oyster card.
Cycling is also a good option — you can rent a bike through Swapfiets. More on getting around Delft by bike and public transport here.
CERTIFICATE
As with other Summer Schools around the world, we will provide you with a certificate at the end of the experience.
In order to be entitled to this certificate, you must be present to all activities we organise. Students who are not present to all activities without notice to teachers will not be entitled to a certificate.
MEALS
We provide a few meals during the Summer School; you’re responsible for the rest and pay for them yourself.
A typical student meal costs around €6 to €8. You’ll find information on student catering here. Delft has several supermarkets, including a Spar on campus and an Asian supermarket.
Halal food is widely available, in several restaurants and shops, and delivery (including pizza and Chinese food) is an option too. Vegetarian options are easy to find throughout the Netherlands.
If you have strict dietary requirements or serious allergies, let us know in advance and we’ll help find suitable alternatives.
USE OF COMPUTERS AND INTERNET
Bring your own laptop. While most exercises are hands-on — drawing, talking, working things out on paper — a laptop is useful for downloading maps and data and for simple software like Illustrator, Photoshop, Excel, or Word. The programme doesn’t include GIS exercises, but if you know GIS, you’re welcome to apply it during the course. TU Delft cannot provide computers, so this one is essential.
Also bring drawing materials (pens, pencils, etc.) and come ready to participate, discuss, and sketch by hand.
A Wi-Fi password will be provided on site.
If you need a local SIM card, you can buy one online in advance or on arrival at Schiphol Airport.
USE OF CASH, BANK CARDS and CREDIT CARDS
Cash is used less here than in many countries, and the Dutch generally prefer debit cards or mobile/banking apps over credit cards — many shops don’t accept credit cards at all (source: Amsterdam Tips). Card payments use chip-and-PIN, and contactless payments are accepted for amounts up to €50 without entering a PIN. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted; American Express is less so, mainly at larger international retailers.
If it’s your first time in Europe, you’ll find cash gets you less far here than you might expect — and for online purchases (flights, trains, museum tickets), you’ll usually need a credit card or an internationally enabled debit card, since local-only payment methods like iDEAL don’t work with foreign bank accounts.
For a fuller guide to money and banking in the Netherlands, including how to get a Dutch debit card, see DutchReview.
USE OF MOBILE PHONES
Classroom etiquette
Please don’t text or browse during lectures and group activities. We know many people are used to staying constantly connected, but in the Netherlands this reads as disruptive and impolite to whoever is speaking, whether that’s a teacher or a fellow student. If you keep texting after being asked to stop, you’ll be asked to leave the room.
Getting a SIM card
You can buy a prepaid SIM online, in a phone shop, or at many supermarkets and convenience stores (look for an operator’s logo, such as Lebara, outside). If you order online, note that delivery usually requires a Dutch address.
For more detail, see this guide to prepaid SIMs in the Netherlands or this eSIM guide for internationals. Providers include Simyo and Lebara.
HEALTH INSURANCE
You must have valid medical insurance for your stay. The Netherlands has no free public healthcare, and uninsured visitors needing treatment can face high costs.
For guidance on suitable insurance options, see Study in Holland. We recommend Aon Student Insurance.
MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT
Our faculty building is wheelchair accessible, and we welcome and encourage participants with mobility impairments to join the Summer School.
If you have a mobility impairment, please let us know in advance, so we can adjust site visits and other activities to suit your needs.
COMMUNICATION WITH TU DELFT
We are happy to answer your questions and will strive to do so in a timely manner.
Please, write to Roberto Rocco at summerschool-bk@tudelft.nl for further information.
THE VENUE 2
The Summer School is held in the PULSE building. The opening session takes place in the Square; most activities happen in Hall 2.
To get a feel for the venue, watch this video of PULSE or this video of the Faculty of Architecture.
Getting there
From Delft Central Station, it’s about a 15–17 minute walk to the venue.
By bus, take any of the following and get off at “Julianalaan”:
- Bus 40, direction Rotterdam Central
- Bus 69, direction Technopolis
- Bus 174, direction Rotterdam Noord
Hours
PULSE is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in July. The Summer School runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
REGISTRATION UPON ARRIVAL
You need to register at the Summer School in the first day of the course from 9:30 to 10:30 at PULSE BUILDING in the space called SQUARE.
LANGUAGE
The Summer School is taught in English, at an advanced level. If your spoken and listening English is weak, you may struggle to follow discussions and get less out of the course — so it’s worth being honest with yourself about your level before applying.
The local language is Dutch, a Germanic language related to German. You won’t need it, though: almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks English fluently, so getting around and communicating day to day won’t be a problem.
WEATHER
Dutch summers are unpredictable. The average temperature in July is 17° C. The average higher temperature is 21 ° C and the lowest is 13 ° C. However, with the effects of climate change, higher temperatures up to 30 ° C and more have been verified. It can be quite rainy, so you should bring some warm clothes and also clothes for rainy weather. See more about the weather in the Netherlands HERE.
TIME
The Netherlands is located at GMT+1 (one hour later than London) I the CET (Central European Time) Time Zone.
See the current time in the Netherlands HERE.
ELECTRICITY
In the Netherlands (Holland) the power sockets are of type C and F. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
You can see whether you need an adaptor HERE.
TYPE C
- commonly used in Europe, South America & Asia
- 2 pins
- not grounded
- 2.5 A, 10 A & 16 A
- almost always 220 – 240 V
- socket compatible with plug type C
TYPE F
- used almost everywhere in Europe & Russia, except for the UK & Ireland
- 2 pins
- grounded
- 16 A
- 220 – 240 V
- socket compatible with plug types C, E & F
CURRENCY AND PAYMENTS
The currency is the euro. Most payments are made in cash or by debit card (Mastercard or Visa debit, which replaced the old Maestro system in 2023).
Credit cards are accepted at hotels and large chain stores, but not reliably at canteens, supermarkets, or smaller restaurants and bars — see more on card use in the Netherlands. US dollars and other foreign currencies are not accepted, and American Express is rarely usable outside major international retailers.
THE COUNTRY
For a glimpse of what the Netherlands looks like beyond Amsterdam, have a look at the movie below.