De-registering as a student
Your student registration will expire automatically at the end of the academic year. However, if you end your study programme earlier, you must cancel your student registration.
When can you de-register?
You have graduated
Your student registration will not be automatically cancelled upon graduation. Instead, you can choose to request de-registration via Studielink once you are informed that you have met all requirements for graduation. Read more about graduation procedures.
You are discontinuing your studies
There are a number of reasons why you may wish to discontinue your studies and de-register. For example, you no longer want to follow the programme, you wish to avoid being issued with negative binding study advice, or circumstances are preventing you from studying. Always speak to your study adviser in advance. Also see the information on study delay due to exceptional circumstances.
How to de-register
Bachelor’s and master’s students
- Log into Studielink
- Choose the study programme for which you want to de-register
- Select the red button ‘Terminate enrolment’
- Select your ‘Reason’ for termination, i.e. ‘Graduation’, or if you are discontinuing ‘Termination of enrolment’
- If applicable, enter any ‘Additional information’ you think is relevant
When will my de-registration come into effect?
Your de-registration will come into effect on the first day of the month following your request for de-registration in Studielink. This is unless you graduate after this date. In this case, your de-registration will come into effect on the first day of the month following your graduation date.
Please note: de-registration cannot come into effect earlier and cannot be backdated!
Non-degree students
Guest students
Contact the Student Affairs Front Office.
Contract students
Contact your programme’s Education Administration Office.
Non-examination students
As you pay tuition fees for a whole academic year, it is not possible to cancel your student registration early.
Important next steps
1. Cancel your Dutch student finance
Are you claiming Dutch student finance? Make sure to cancel it as soon as you finish studying. That way you can avoid having to pay back money or incurring a fine. See Stopping your student finance.
Travel with discount for a year
After cancelling your Dutch student travel product you can get a free subscription for discounted travel with the NS.
2. Cancel or update your benefits
If your income or living situation will change once you finish studying, this can affect your healthcare or rent benefit. Communicate any changes as soon as possible. That way you can avoid having to pay back any benefits.
3. uMail and personal data storage will be deleted: make a backup
If you de-register as a student, your university email account (uMail) and your personal data storage accounts, such as OneDrive, will be automatically deactivated and deleted.
What does this mean for you?
You will no longer have access to your uMail and personal data storage accounts. All emails and files will be deleted.
What do you need to do?
- Transfer all your important files, emails, and contact information to an external hard drive or another online storage service.
- Inform the university and others with whom you communicate via uMail of an alternative email address where you can be reached.
- If you have used your uMail address as a (recovery) email address for other services, change this in good time to ensure continued access.
Do it on time
Do this within 30 days of cancelling your student registration. After that, your data will be deleted.
Questions?
Do you have any questions or need help migrating your data? Contact the IT helpdesk.
4. Check if you need to vacate your room
Most student housing contracts state that you must vacate your room within a few months of ending your studies. If you are renting via DUWO, you (or your educational institution) will be asked to submit proof of your student registration once a year.
5. Check your health insurance, bank account and subscriptions
Do you have health insurance, a Dutch bank account or any subscriptions? Check the conditions and if necessary, change or cancel them on time.
International student leaving the Netherlands?
As an international student, there are a number of matters you should take care of prior to leaving the Netherlands at the end of your studies. Find out more on the Leaving the Netherlands page.
Tuition fee recalculation
Once you request de-registration, the university will recalculate your tuition fee based on the number of months you were registered. This might mean you still have to pay an amount or that you are entitled to a partial refund. This amount will be automatically debited from, or credited to, your bank account.
Conditions: partial tuition fee refund
- Tuition fees will not be refunded for the period 1 June to 31 August. In other words, if you cancel your student registration later than 31 May.
- You can only receive a tuition fee refund (if applicable) if you are no longer registered as a student of Leiden University, on any degree programme.