Frequently asked questions

Who receives a VU Christmas gift?

Employees with a contract of employment with VU Amsterdam (including student assistants), scholarship holders, PhD students at VU Amsterdam, interns receiving an internship allowance and employees of ACTA receive a Christmas gift. Employees hired by VU Amsterdam on a freelance or temporary basis (‘external staff’ and ‘guests’) do not receive a Christmas gift from VU Amsterdam.

I am a new employee and have not received an email with a Christmas gift code. How can I still receive it?

First of all, welcome to VU Amsterdam! If you joined the university before Christmas 2025, belong to the target group (see the question ‘Who receives a VU Christmas gift?’) and have not received an email with a Christmas gift code, please email your name and VUnetID to kerstgeschenk@vu.nl with the subject line ‘Christmas gift code not received (new employee)’. If you are entitled to a Christmas gift, you will receive an email with a code within a few days.

I have lost the email with my Christmas gift code. What can I do?

The homepage of https://vu-kerstgeschenk.nl states: ‘Code request?’ Here you can request your code by entering your VU-email address. Your code will then be sent to your VU-email address.

I did not receive an email with a Christmas gift code even though I am entitled to it. What can I do?

Employees who are employed, or joined the VU before Christmas, are entitled to a Christmas gift. If you have not received an email with your Christmas gift code, (and you have also checked your spam folder), please email your name and VUnetID to kerstgeschenk@vu.nl with the subject line 'Christmas code not received'. We will check out what has happened. If you are entitled to a Christmas gift, you will receive an email with your code within a few days.

If I have already logged in once but haven't ordered anything yet, can I log in again with my code?

You can. Your code will remain active until you have completed your order. You can order your Christmas gift until February 28, 2026.

How does the ordering with points work?

Your code has a value of five points. You can use your points to choose gifts, books, tickets for a performance at Rialto VU or VU Griffioen, a gift from the VU Sports Centre, a plant at the Botanical Garden Zuidas or make a donation to one of the selected charities.

Until when can I select a gift?

You can choose a gift until February 28, 2026. Make sure that you have completed your order by this date.

I haven't received a confirmation of my choice, what now?

Sometimes it takes a little longer to send the confirmation email. It can take up to four hours. It is also possible that the email may have ended up in your spam folder

How will I receive the gift I ordered?

If you choose a gift or a book, you can pick up your gift at the VU Bookstore. You will receive an email when your gift is ready. If you have chosen a gift from VU Griffioen, Rialto VU, VU Sports Centre or Botanical Garden Zuidas, you will receive an email with further instructions. Please read this email carefully. If you have made a donation to a charity, the amount will be transferred to the charity. After the submission deadline, an overview of the total proceeds from the donations can be found on vu.nl.

When can I pick up my gift?

You will receive an email when you can pick up your gift at the VU Bookstore. If you have chosen a gift from Rialto VU, VU Griffioen, VU Sports Centre or Botanical Garden Zuidas, you will receive an email clearly explaining how and when you can receive or use your gift. The collection desk for Christmas gifts in the basement of the VU Bookstore is open every working day between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., after the holidays collecting your gift is possible between 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The VU Bookstore will be closed from Thursday, December 25, until Sunday, January 4.

Until when can I collect my gift?

You can pick up your gift at the VU Bookstore until March 31, 2026. If you have chosen a plant from the Botanical Garden Zuidas, you can pick it up there. The same deadline applies.

I have chosen my gift, but after a few days I have not yet received a notification of when I can pick it up.

The email may have ended up in your spam folder by mistake, so please check your spam folder first to be sure. Due to high demand or a product being temporarily out of stock, it may sometimes take a little longer before you receive a message that your gift is ready. If a product is unavailable for a longer period of time, you will be informed. If you don't hear anything for a longer time, please send an email to: kerstgeschenk@vu.nl. The VU Bookstore is closed from Thursday, December 25, until Sunday, January 4.

Can I give my Christmas gift to someone else?

The gift code you received can only be used in combination with your VU-email address. However, you can have the gift collected by someone else. There are two ways to do this: 1) Enter that person's VU-email address at the end of the ordering process. The confirmation of the selection and the pickup notification will then be sent to the email address that was entered. Please note: you will then not receive a confirmation of your choice or the pickup message yourself. 2) You can also enter your own email address and forward the pickup message to someone else later.

Why is there ‘limited stock’ for some of the Christmas gifts?

It may be that a product is no longer in stock and/or can no longer be ordered. When purchasing Christmas gifts, we take into account the track record of the products in recent years in order to minimize waste as much as possible. As a result, products may be out of stock at a certain point in time, requiring you to make a different choice. Therefore, please do not wait too long to order your gift.

Can I exchange my Christmas gift?

Because all gifts are available in limited quantities, the gift cannot be exchanged anymore after you have placed your order.

Can I have my gift collected by someone else?

You will receive an email when your gift is ready for collection at the VU Bookstore. This email will contain a barcode. You can forward this email with the barcode to someone else, who can pick up the gift for you. If you have chosen a gift from VU Griffioen, Rialto VU, VU Sports Centre, or Botanical Garden Zuidas, you will receive a message with instructions on how and when you can receive or use your gift. You can also forward these instructions to someone else.

How can I donate my Christmas gift to charity?

You can indicate on the Christmas gift website to which of the selected charities you want to donate. You can donate one to five points.

Do I have a guarantee on my Christmas gift?

Complaints about products will be resolved in consultation. Please contact us at: kerstgeschenk@vuboekhandel.nl.

Where do I find the VU Bookstore?

The VU Bookstore is in the Main Building on the ground floor, to the left of the main entrance.

I have not received a message from Sports Centre VU or Rialto VU. What now?

It may take several days before you receive any messages from Rialto VU or Sportcentrum VU. No messages will be sent between 25 December 2025 and 4 January 2026.

I have chosen a gift from the VU Sports Centre. Now what?

The VU Sports Centre will contact you to schedule a date to make use of your choice.

I have chosen two cinema tickets from Rialto VU. What next?

From Rialto VU, you will receive an email with digital codes you can use to select a film on the Rialto VU website.

What are the collection dates at the Botanical Garden Zuidas for my plant?

You can pick up your plant from January 5, 2026 at the Botanical Garden Zuidas. The collection deadline is April 1, 2026 For opening hours, visit: https://botanischetuinzuidas.nl/english/

I have chosen the VU Griffioen Gift Card? How do I receive the card?

You can pick up the VU Griffin Gift Card at the VU Bookstore using the code you received by email.

My question is not listed here. What can I do?

If you have a question about the Christmas gift that is not listed here, please send an email to kerstgeschenk@vu.nl.

The VU Christmas Gift is a token of appreciation from the Executive Board to all VU employees, for their efforts in the past year. From Monday 8 December 2025, you will receive a personal code by email, which you can use to choose a gift online.

Do you have any questions? Then take a look at the frequently asked questions below first. Is your question not among them? Then contact us at kerstgeschenk@vu.nl.

TERUG