In the last decade more than 1000 foreign medical graduates, whose medical degrees are not recognised by the Dutch Department of Health, applied for admittance to medical schools in the Netherlands. Some 90% of them were actually admitted. Study problems of foreign medical graduates during their additional medical training in the Netherlands have not been studied systematically. We made an inventory of the types of problems and the frequency of their occurrence for all 99 foreign medical graduates entering five Dutch medical schools in 2002 and 2005 as reported by the study advisors. Problems were reported for 38% of the foreign graduates, while the majority (62%) had no problems. Language problems and problems related to deficiencies in medical knowledge and skills were reported most frequently. In 2002, the majority (71%) of foreign medical graduates had a background as a refugee, while in 2005 the majority (57%) had a visa to stay with their spouses or partners. Apart from study-related problems, there were also problems related to the phase of life of the students, whose average age on entering medical school was 35 years, such as problems in obtaining a study grant, housing problems and the responsibility for a partner and/or children. Continuous attention for mastery of the Dutch language is important. Furthermore, counselling expertise relating to foreign medical graduates should be maintained among study advisors in order to meet the specific needs of these students. (Herfs PGP, Haalboom JRE. Problems relating to study progress of foreign medical graduates at Dutch medical schools.