The guidances have been written by AZSAB members and it covers all necessary information and tips for incoming students

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Enschede

Written by: DILAFRUZ YUSIFZADEH

Updated by: VUSALA AZIZLI

This guide is meant to help you settle into life in Enschede, as well as life at the University of Twente, one of the only three technical universities in the country. It is designed mostly with links to cover the most important aspects of student life from general tips over organizational necessities every student must go through.
Enschede is the largest city in the Overijssel province in the east of the Netherlands. As the city is located on the border, it allows you to travel easily to Germany. The town is famous for being “destroyed and reconstructed”. Enschede strives to become a center of business, innovation, and technology through the Business and Science park next to the University of Twente.

Registration 

Before the start of your study in February or September, the University of Twente will send you an invitation to make an appointment in a planner to register in Municipality. Group appointments will be made available, more information will be given within a month of the start of your study. You will need to bring the necessary documents with you, which will include your ID, Passport, and rental contract. The procedure is easy and once the registration is completed, you will get a letter sent to your address. This letter will include your BSN number, which every resident living in the Netherlands must-have. Do not share this code with anyone or lose it.
 
If you arrive at a different time, you need to go to the municipality individually. You can make an appointment yourself: https://www.enschede.nl/en
 
In case of any questions or problems, you can contact the university at [email protected]

Bank account

As you already may know, in order to get admission from the university and apply for a visa, you must transfer your living fee to the University’s bank account. Therefore, right after your arrival here, one of the first things is to open a Dutch bank account and get this fee transferred back to your Dutch account. 

There are so many banks here. However, the University of Twente usually arranges student account with ABN AMRO Bank. In the registration process, you should bring the necessary documents to the bank if you intend to open an account, which will have to include your ID, Passport and rental contract and BSN number (optional). Besides the mobile phone application, you will also have access to your account from the web, using the website of the bank.

To open a Dutch bank account, you need a BSN number and a residence permit in the Netherlands. Given that obtaining a residence permit and BSN number may take time, you can manage the situation with a Revolut bank account for this period. In order to obtain a BSN number and a residence permit in a short period of time, you should make an appointment with the municipality of Enschede and the Migration center as soon as possible. The university offers you possible days to set up an appointment with both institutions. Remember to respond to this e-mail sent as soon as possible, otherwise this delay may lead to late opening of the Dutch bank account.

Note: In the Netherlands, most of the places do not accept Visa/Visa Electron/Master (Credit) cards.

Accomodation

Accommodation is one of the complex problems that each student faces at the beginning of their studies. The number of international students coming to the city has been increasing at a steady rate, therefore, it is getting harder and harder to find a room to stay when the new study year starts. We would recommend you to start your search for a room at least 3 months prior to the date your study begins. Every year in September the accommodation crisis occurs, and some students stay with their friends, at hostels or even in tents. Therefore, please start your search for a room as early as possible.
The University of Twente guarantees to offer all first-year students needing an entry visa and/or residence permit timely, appropriate and affordable furnished housing.
University: Roomspot

Since you require an entry visa and/or residence permit as a non-EER student, the University of Twente wishes to offer you additional assistance in your search for a room. Therefore, you will be shown the tab of ‘special offer UT’ in Roomspot that are exclusively available for non-EER students. These special offers will be made available to you as soon as the University have received and registered the payment of your entry visa and tuition fee, as well as the bank statement. You will be informed per e-mail once the special offers have been made available to you. When the special offers are available for you, you can send request to each of the offers that you want. Consider that you will receive only one approve from Roomspot, therefore remember to send the request to the accommodation you really want. 

 

If you would like UT to assist you in finding accommodation on campus or in the vicinity of our university, please create an account at Roomspot; the online housing portal for Enschede and Hengelo. Here you can find the current housing offer in Enschede and Hengelo and apply for the accommodations you are interested in. You can make an account at Roomspot and respond to room offers at any time, regardless of your application status.

Please consider: The accommodation that you rent via the University of Twente is available to you for a period of up to 1 year. As those accommodations are classified as ‘short stay’, you are allowed to rent for a period of maximum one year, after which you are required to find your own accommodation. This way university can continue to offer first-year housing to the next generations of students.

 

De Veste (On-campus)

De Veste is the on-campus housing provider and offers furnished as well as unfurnished rooms. They offer a variety of rooms in an accommodation group, either with or without private bathrooms and kitchen facilities. Apartments and studio flats are also equipped with private bathroom and kitchen facilities (for couples only). One-room apartments have shared bathroom facilities and a private kitchen. All accommodation has a personal fridge available, and electricity, water, gas as well as a wired internet connection are included in the rent prices. The rent prices depend on the type of accommodation.

 

More information:

https://www.utwente.nl/en/campus/facilities/housing/more-information/housing-providers/deveste/

ITC International Hotel

The ITC International Hotel is located in the city center of Enschede, approximately 20 minutes from the UT campus by bike or public transportation. The shops, market, post-office, and railway station are within walking distance. The fully-furnished rooms with balcony have a private bathroom and shared kitchen facilities. 

 

These living spaces include extras such as a television, telephone for internal calls, safe, fan, toiletries upon arrival (e.g. shower gel, shampoo), private refrigerator as well as a wired internet connection. A network cable is available to loan for free and there is WiFi available throughout the whole building. Renting a room in the ITC International Hotel includes exclusive access to all hotel facilities available, such as 24/7 reception service, weekly linen changes, weekly room cleaning service, and laundry self-service. 

 

More information:

https://www.utwente.nl/en/campus/facilities/housing/more-information/housing-providers/itchotel/

Stadsweide Apartments 

The Stadsweide apartments are located in the city center of Enschede – approximately 20 minutes from the UT campus by bike or public transport. The shops, market, post office, and railway station are within walking distance. The Stadsweide apartments feature fully-furnished, spacious apartments with private bedrooms and a private or shared kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. The apartments include many extras such as a television, safe, fan and private refrigerator. Bed linen and kitchen utensils are not included. Additionally, the complex offers secured parking for its tenants. 

 

There are five different types of apartments in the Stadsweide building. Each of these apartments contains one, two or sometimes three bedrooms. 

 

More information:

https://www.utwente.nl/en/campus/facilities/housing/more-information/housing-providers/stadsweide/

 

Place to study

The University of Technology has its own huge library that you can use anytime. The building is located in campus and is called Vrijhof. It has quite a variety of study rooms, project areas, silent individual study spaces. 

 

Opening hours of Library: Monday-Friday 8.30-22.00 (exam period until 0.00), Saturday-Sunday 9.00-20.00 (exam period until 22.00)

Other university buildings provide studying areas as well. You can also use Central Library Enschede.

 

The rooms at the University (both library and other study buildings) can be booked via this website:https://wrb.utwente.nl/

Transport

Bikes
n Enschede, you will almost always be able to reach your destination by bicycle. It is better to buy secondhand bikes through Facebook groups from previous year students which are so much cheaper than used bikes in shops. Since you’re dealing with secondhand bikes from a person you don’t know, you’re buying the bike in good faith and it could be stolen. Ask the seller to write and sign a document stating he is the rightful owner of the bike, the serial number of the bike, the date, location and price you bought the bike for. This way you cover yourself for any legal liability in the event you bought a stolen bike in good faith.
Application for buying used bikes: Marktplaats

Group for used bikes

https://www.facebook.com/groups/utwentemarketplace/

 

If you intend to get a brand-new bicycle, there are many bike shops in town like Fietsenwinkel.nl, Decathlon, Swapfiets. You should also get a good lock for your bike because without a lock your bike will get stolen. 

To rent a bike you need to bring along:

  • student card
  • your passport or identity card
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/539951536050012/ 
 
Buses and Trams
If you want to travel by bus, tram, metro or train, It is better to acquire an OV-chip card.
  1. 1. The OV card can be purchased anonymously at all the metro stations which costs only €7.50 and can be used across the Netherlands. Therefore, you will need to load it with money to use for travel.
  2. 2. Or you can buy a personalized card (with photo) online making it possible to claim different discounts like a 40% discount on train travel. This discount is available upon a yearly payment of 50 Euros and only applies to use the train between 9:00 and 16:00 and 18:30 – 6:30 the next morning (“off-peak hours”), and on the weekend. (It makes sense to get this discount if you use the train at least once or twice a month).
  3. 3. If you buy a 40% discount for the first time, you better order it online using www.ns.nl and you will save €7.50 since the OV-Chipkaart will be provided for free.

 

When using the train, you need to have a minimum balance of €20 both on your “personal” and “anonymous” OV-Chipkaart. If you have a 40% discount, then you need to have a minimum balance of €10 on your “personal” OV-Chipkaart.
As for the public transport within the Netherlands, do not forget to check in and check out when you enter and leave whichever means of transportation you use. When you check in €4 is automatically taken off and when you check out the correct amount according to distance is deducted, however, if you do not check out the full amount of €4 will be deducted.
 
Make sure your card is loaded before entering a tram or you will have to buy a paper ticket from the conductor. 

Useful Facebook groups

Some useful groups: 
  • University of Twente – International
  • University of Twente – Marketplace
  • Enschede International Women
  • Rooms in Enschede
  • Enschede Expats

Do not forget to follow “utwente”, “utwentedei”, “utwentelibrary”, “enschede”, “studyinenschede” Instagram accounts not to miss any information.