Coronavirus/COVID-19 information for (prospective) students Health Education

Frequently asked questions

• What are the Covid-19 measures in the Netherlands if I come to follow a course at KIT (quarantine, travel, testing)

  For the current measures please find detailed advice on various websites:

  For the current measures when travelling to the Netherlands from abroad w.r.t.: quarantine, testing, self-isolation, proof of vaccination and more visit the official government from the Netherlands website: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad

  For current rules and regulations when you are staying in the Netherlands: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/tackling-new-coronavirus-in-the-netherlands/coronavirus-measures-in-brief

• Will it be safe to travel to The Netherlands?

  For detailed information, and latest updates, visit the official website from the Government of The Netherlands.

• I want to apply to one of the upcoming Master Programmes, but what happens if the coronavirus becomes worse again? Should I wait to register?

  KIT follows and adheres closely to the guidelines of Dutch authorities, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
  At the moment all courses take place as normal at KIT.

  We strongly advise future students to apply for their programme/course of interest.
  Submitting an application to a programme or course does not have financial implications. Once you have completed and sent your application, the admission committee will decide if you are eligible to follow the programme or course. If you are eligible you will receive a letter of admission and a financial statement. Only when you return the financial statement do we consider this as a commitment from you to follow the course. From that moment onwards our cancellation policy applies.
  
  Since a lot of things need to be prepared if you come to study a longer programme at KIT we advise prospective students to familiarise themselves with the pre-travel arrangements (if applicable). Many practical things need to be arranged prior to your arrival in Amsterdam including accommodation, visa, insurance a.o., etc. You should not organise these things at the last minute. Our course administration office will advise you on the steps to follow.

  If anything changes in de set up of a programme after you have applied, you will automatically be informed. See the list below for more detailed information per course.

• I want to register for one of the upcoming short courses, but what happens if the Covid-19 situation becomes worse again? Should I wait to register?

  We advise you apply for the course of your choice now and not to wait. Applying for a course does not have financial implications. Once you have completed and sent your application the admission committee will decide if you are eligible to follow the course. If you are eligible you will receive a letter of admission and a financial statement. Only when you return the financial statement we consider this as a commitment from you to follow the course and we will reserve a seat for you. From that moment onwards our cancellation policy applies. We have adapted our cancellation policy due to the Covid-19 pandemic (read the previous question).
  Read the other questions below on the planning of courses per month to see if what the status is of the course of your interest.

• I have registered for a course but what happens if it cannot take place due to Covid-19? What happens if I cannot come to The Netherlands at all?

  At the moment all courses take place as normal. Should anything change and face-to-face courses not be possible we will decide per course if it will be given as online course (just as we did last year). All registered course participants will be informed automatically if anything changes in the set-up of a course.

  E-learning courses are done through a combination of live presentations using virtual platforms, virtual classroom discussions, group work, and self-paced activities to be done at home. Interaction is very much part of KIT’s teaching methods, so we will ensure a high degree of participation.

  If students cannot come to the Netherlands due to the Corona pandemic, collective solutions will be provided. If this applies to you individually, then we would need to explore what we could offer.
  
  If you do not want to/cannot participate by distance learning then please read the information below.

  Normal cancellation policy:

  Normally when a registered participant cancels his/her participation in a course the following cancellation policy applies:

  • 100% of the course fee has to be paid if you cancel 14 days or less before the first day of the course
  • 75% of the course fee has to be paid if you cancel 15-21 days before the first day of the course
  • 50% of the course fee has to be paid if you cancel more than 22 days before the first day of the course.
  • 0% of the course fee has to be paid if you cancel 14 days or less after returning the financial statement.

  Adapted cancellation policy due to the coronavirus situation:

  If a course for which you have registered is turned into a virtual learning course you will automatically be informed of this. If you do not want to/cannot participate by distance learning then read the information below.

  Due to this exceptional situation we would like to offer you the option to postpone your participation in the course until next year without additional costs.

  • If you are not able to postpone until next year and/or you are unsure whether you will be able to join next year, you can cancel the course at the latest 22 days before the course and get a 50% refund.
  • If you cancel 15-21 days before the start of the course you will receive 25% refund. If you cancel later, we can unfortunately not refund you.
  • If you are able to postpone your participation in this course, or even a different course at KIT to next year, the amount you have paid already will be reserved for your course fee next year. You will then pay the fee from this year for the course next year.

  This adapted policy applies as long as there are travel restrictions due to the coronavirus situation.

• I have registered for a course that is temporarily given via e-learning. What if it changes back to a normal course with face-to-face classes, can I still follow it via online learning?

  In principle courses are given via face-to-face teaching in Amsterdam. If the situation does not allow this, some courses will be given via e-learning. If a course changes back to face-to-face teaching when it was previously given as e-learning we will take into account different control measures around the world and travel difficulties. In that situation participants will be able to virtually join the classes.

• Can I defer my enrolment to a course?

  Yes, if you have an unconditional admission offer you can defer your admission to the next academic year. Your admission letter is valid for 2 years. Please contact our Course Administration Office and inform them that you want to postpone the start of your course.

• What do I need to be able to follow the courses online?

  For attending the classes online it is absolutely required to have a laptop/computer with a stable internet connection, a microphone and a camera/webcam. In addition you would need a suitable and quiet space. All of our courses are fulltime. So even when they are given online you should take this into account in your planning.

• What happens with return flights if I cannot leave the Netherlands due to travel restrictions or other coronavirus control measures? (This can be the case due to country policy or sickness.)

  KIT is closely following the guidelines issued by the Dutch government, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Courses will only run with face-to-face sessions if the situation allows. Participants living outside The Netherlands must check that there are no travel restrictions between their home country and The Netherlands before making travel arrangements.

• What happens if a course is cancelled due to the coronavirus? Will I get a refund?

  If a course cannot run as a face-to-face course due to the coronavirus situation we will look into the following options:

  • If it is possible the course will be given via virtual learning. In this case all registred participants will be offered the possibility to follow the course online via e-learning. We will do this through a combination of live presentations using virtual platforms and self-paced activities to be done at home. Interaction is very much part of KIT’s teaching methods. KIT will only run courses virtually provided that we can offer a highly participative course. See specific information per course below.
  • In certain circumstances, participants may discuss with KIT the possibility to delay their participation to next year (maintaining the course fee from this year). Another option is to decide to follow another course offered by KIT.
  • If none of the above options are possible you will be reimbursed for the course fee.
• If I come to KIT for a course, what measures is KIT taking in the building to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus?

  KIT is closely adhering to the instructions from Dutch authorities.
  If face to face teaching is allowed then we fully adhere to all the regulations from the Dutch government and RIVM.
  In the last two years during certain periods courses took place online. Other moments KIT was taking measures w.r.t. distance, sanitary measures, smaller classes. When the situation allows classes take place in a normal set up (respecting however the current measures with entering the Netherlands with testing, quarantine etc.
  
  See this website for current travel measures: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/tackling-new-coronavirus-in-the-netherlands
  See this website for current measures in the Netherlands: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/tackling-new-coronavirus-in-the-netherlands/coronavirus-measures-in-brief

  
  Courses will only take place at KIT if the situation allows. If anything changes we will see what preventive measures are to have a safe learning environment. We will keep registered course participants informed about the status of the course for which they are registered. See below exact situation per course.

  KIT will continue to adapt its policies in line with control measures and recommendations defined by Dutch authorities.

• What services are covered by health insurance in the event I get sick while at KIT?

  Please check your insurance policy to see what is covered.

• I have received an OKP scholarship from Nuffic for one of the upcoming courses. What happens in case it changes to virtual learning?

  If it is not possible to have the course at KIT, Amsterdam then it will be given via virtual learning. KIT will inform OKP scholarship holders if this changes anything. Last year all OKP scholarship holders could follow the courses via distance learning. We will inform all OKP scholarship holders on the situation which applies to them. Please note that also distance learning at KIT is fulltime and requires a stable internet connection and a quiet space.

• I have to take an English proficiency test. What are my options as a lot of test centres are closed due to Covid-19?

  KIT does accept the TOEFL-ibt Special Home Edition test as it is the same research-based, valid and reliable TOEFL iBT test of academic English from ETS.
  Please check KIT website for the required test score details: https://www.kit.nl/study/frequently-asked-questions-study/ 
  TOEFL-ibt Special Home Edition is now available in almost all countries. See ETS website for most up to date information w.r.t. toefl test and Covid-19.

• I am unable to collect my visa (MVV) in my home country due to the coronavirus measurements, what should I do? What happens if I cannot get my visa (MVV) on time?

  You are advised to contact your contact person at the KIT Course Administration Office. In close cooperation with the IND (Dutch Immigration Authorities) we will try to find a solution.

• Am I eligible to receive a tuition fee discount if a course changes to online teaching?

  The basic premise of KIT Royal Tropical Institute is that all education continues as much as possible. In case Covid-19 situation does not allow face-to-face class it it can be adapted to virtual learning. In case a course / programme is given via e-learning we make a lot of extra efforts needed for continuing and maintaining the quality of our master programmes and short courses. In addition, we strive to minimize any adverse effects from the Covid-19 pandemic on the study programmes so that there will be little to no study delay. The overall quality and value of all KIT courses remains the same as before. Therefore, the obligation to pay regular tuition fees as a student is maintained.

• What if I get sick after I arrive in The Netherlands?

  All international students who study at KIT in the Netherlands are required to have a medical insurance. KIT will arrange this with AON. This insurance covers the moment of your departure from your home country, until your return.

  If you would experience symptoms of a cold or flu, such as a nose cold, sore throat or light cough, the rules in the Netherlands are to stay at home, and to get a corona test. Between the moment of testing and getting the results you have to avoid all social contact in order not to accidently spread the disease. See detailed information below:

  https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-test

  In case the symptoms worsen (a fever of more than 38 Celsius and difficulty breathing) and you require medical assistance, you should contact a doctor (GP) by phone.
  
  For newly arrived students, your contact person at KIT Course Administration Office can assist with contacting a GP. For more information about personal health and the coronavirus, please see the recommendations released by the Government of The Netherlands.

• Courses starting August 2022:
  • Monitoring and Evaluation in a dynamic health environment
  • Suivi et Evaluation de la Santé dans un contexte dynamique
  • Analysing Disrupted Health Systems in countries in crisis (ADHS)

  Status 15 July 2022:
  At the moment all courses are planned to take place face-to-face at KIT. Should anything change in the set up of these courses registered applicants of these courses will be informed automatically.

• Courses starting September 2022:
  • Master of Public Health – tracks in SRHR, and in HPM
  • Master In International Health
  • Netherlands Course on Global Health and Tropical Medicine

  The above mentioned programmes will start as planned in September 2022.
  At the moment we maintain the scenario that all classes will start with face to face teaching in KIT in Amsterdam.
  Should the situation at that time not allow it, due to travelrestrictions around the world we will look at different scenarios.
  Possible scenarios could be: It maybe that courses start with classroom face-to-face training for all students who are in the Netherlands, but that students who are facing travel restrictions join temporarily online, until they can travel to the Netherlands. Another scenario could be that the first modules of the courses start online and later in autumn continue in Amsterdam as face-to-face classes

  KIT will follow up and adhere to the guidelines of Dutch authorities, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

  All applicants will be informed as soon as possible about the practicalities around the start of the academic year 2022-2023. In addition this page will be updated as soon as we know more.

  See the other questions and answers for more information.