The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam runs a two-year residency programme that hosts around 50 artists at a time, admitting on average 23 new residents each year — roughly 11 based in the Netherlands and 12 from abroad. Residents receive a private studio, access to specialist technical workshops, a library and a historical and contemporary art collection, plus guidance from leading art professionals across a wide range of cultural and creative backgrounds. There is complete freedom in research and working methods; the residency exists for research, experiment and the production of new work. Each residency runs January to December, with the possibility of staying one more year. The most recent call closed on 1 February 2026 for the 2027 residency; the open call for the 2028 residency opens on 1 January 2027.
Benefits & funding
- Annual stipend of €19,800, paid in monthly installments.
- Work budget of €2,500 per year, provided by RAEF (Rijksakademie Artists Endowment Fund) and Stichting Ammodo.
- Private studio, plus specialist-run technical workshops, a library and a historical and contemporary art collection.
- Guidance from leading art professionals from a wide variety of cultural and creative backgrounds.
- Visa support and access to modest but affordable housing in Amsterdam for international artists.
- Residents pay a participation fee of €1,875 per year, due before the residency year starts.
- Residents are asked to help the Rijksakademie fundraise the fellowship of approximately €20,000 a year that finances their residency.
Eligibility
- Open to artists from all countries. Applicants counted as Netherlands-based either hold Dutch nationality or have lived and worked in the Netherlands for at least two years.
- No formal art education is required. The academy recommends at least 2–3 years of independent professional practice before the residency starts, and that anyone who completed a BA or an MA finished it at least two years before applying. These are recommendations, not entry requirements.
- No official age limit; most applicants are between 26 and 35, and the average resident is around 30. The academy advises artists under 26 to wait a few years, and asks applicants aged 36 or older to explain why the residency matters at this point in their practice.
- Working knowledge of spoken and written English; no IELTS or TOEFL test is required.
- Artists who are doing, or have done, a residency at the Jan van Eyck Academie or De Ateliers cannot apply.
- Each artist may apply a maximum of three times in a lifetime.
- A non-refundable application fee of €60 applies, waived for applicants living in DAC-list countries.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
Appears to have an age limit “under 26”
confirm in the requirements
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Apply online during the open call (the call for the 2027 residency closed 1 February 2026; the call for the 2028 residency opens 1 January 2027).
- 2Administrative check: applications are verified for completeness.
- 3Pre-selection round based on the portfolio; roughly one third of applicants advance.
- 4Main selection round reviewing written materials and video introductions.
- 5Interviews: approximately 30 Netherlands-based and 30 international candidates are invited; roughly one third of interviewees are selected.
Program timeline
1 February 2026
Application deadline for the 2027 residency (closed)
Pre-selection, main selection and interview rounds
2026
January 2027
2027 residency starts; runs to December, with a possible second year
1 January 2027
Open call for the 2028 residency opens