As soon as possible

It will take about two weeks to receive your LU-Card, so request one as soon as you receive notification that you are fully registered as a student. 

Requirements

To request a LU-Card you must have:

• an activated Leiden University student account (ULCN);
• a Dutch address.
  
  No Dutch address? 
  • Arriving in The Netherlands soon?
    Provide your Dutch correspondence address as soon as possible (see 'how' below) then request a LU-Card. 
  • Studying online from abroad?
    You cannot request a LU-Card. 

• Log into Account Services using your student account (ULCN).
• Go to 'My profile' and make sure your Dutch correspondence address is (correctly) entered. If not, take the steps below:
  • Degree students: add or update your Dutch address in Studielink.
  • Exchange students: log into uSis, click on the ‘Contact details’ tile, then add or update your Dutch address.
  • Note that it will take a couple of days for your address update to be processed. Only go to the next step once your correct address is shown in Account Services. 
• Go to 'My profile' and upload a passport photo. Make sure your photo meets standard passport photo requirements. 
• Is this your first LU-Card? You will receive your LU-Card by post at your Dutch correspondence address within 5 to 10 days. 
• Already had a LU-Card connected to this ULCN account? After uploading your photo, you must also request a new card by sending an email to lu-card@leidenuniv.nl or visiting a LU-Card helpdesk. After doing so, you will receive your new LU-Card by post at your Dutch correspondence address within 5 to 10 days. 

Exception for HOVO students

HOVO students can request a LU-Card at the University Library.

Activating your LU-Card

You first have to activate your LU-Card before you can use it. To be able to activate your LU-Card online, you need to confirm your identity. We use the ReadID Ready app for this. This page will tell you what you need to confirm your identity.

• Your new LU-Card
• Your ULCN credentials
• Your valid identity document
• A suitable smartphone
  • iPhone 7 or newer
  • Android OS 5.0 or higher with NFC enabled

What if you do not have a suitable smartphone?
Try to borrow a smartphone that meets the above requirements. It doesn’t matter if you don’t own the phone; it is simply a means to be able to perform the verification. After verification, no data remains on the mobile phone.

It isn’t possible to activate your LU-Card online if you don’t meet the requirements mentioned above. In that case you can go to a LU-Card Helpdesk, the adresses can be found in the right column on this page.

Activate

1. Get a mobile phone and your identity document.
2. Download the ReadID Ready app to your mobile phone.
3. Go to the LU-Card activation page and use your ULCN credentials to log in.
4. The letter with your LU-Card contains the web address for the LU-Card activation page. Please use your ULCN credentials to log in.
5. A QR code will appear on screen.
6. Click on the QR code to open the ReadID Ready app.
7. Scan your identity document with the camera of the mobile phone.
8. Hold your identity document against your phone.
9. Upon successful verification, you will see a confirmation on the mobile phone.
10. Your LU-Card will be activated within a few minutes.

If online activation fails, you can visit a LU-Card Helpdesk, the adresses can be found in the right column on this page.

Status
Do you want to see the status of your LU-Card? Sign in to Account Services with your ULCN credentials. On your profile page, the LU-Card tab shows the status of your card. If the status is valid, the activation is complete.

Report the loss or theft at a LU card helpdesk. Your card will then be blocked and you can request a new card for a fee of 15 euros.

If you are able to show a police report (proces-verbaal) your new card will be free of charge.

If you mistakenly hold your LU-Card and OV-card (travel pass) against a card reader at the same time problems can occur. Always keep your LU-Card and OV-card separate and never hold them against a card reader together.

Your LU-Card does not serve as official proof of student registration. If you need to demonstrate that you are registered as student of Leiden University, you must show your student or registration card or an official statement of registration.

When taking exams, you must identify yourself with your LU-Card, accompanied by a valid ID document such as your passport or EU identity card.

When you graduate, your account will be converted to an alumnus account and your LU-Card will be automatically blocked. If you want to continue using the LU-Card, please contact the Student Affairs Front Office to have your LU-Card unblocked. ​