To arrange before departure
Pre-departure event
For students going on university-wide exchange, there is a compulsory pre-departure event. You will be invited by email. During the event you will receive a wealth of information about what you need to arrange before departure. You will also have the opportunity to meet students who have already been on exchange at your host university. In short, it’s a great way to prepare for your stay abroad!
Some faculties and study programmes hold their own pre-departure events. Check under your faculty or programme tab whether this is the case.
Health and safety
Find out about the steps you should take both before and after departure in terms of your health and safety. And don’t forget to sign up for a health and safety information session. See the health and safety page for further information.
Have your courses approved
Would you like the credits you earn abroad to count towards your studies in Leiden? If so, you must have your courses approved in advance. In most cases, you will need to request approval from your programme’s board of examiners. However, for some programmes you must instead contact your international exchange coordinator. See your faculty or study programme tab for details of the procedures you need to follow.
Mandatory number of credits
Do you have to earn a mandatory number of credits during your stay abroad? If so, check carefully in our world map or on your host university’s website how many courses you will need to follow. If you can’t find the information you need, ask your international exchange coordinator for help.
Start early
Have your courses approved well in advance. You can only be certain that your credits will be recognised if your courses have been approved before you start them. It can take some time to receive approval, so submit your request as possible. Check the procedures on your faculty or study programme tab.
Visa
- Find out if you need a visa. Your host university will usually let you know. Alternatively, you can request information from your destination country’s embassy or consulate.
- You can only request a visa once you have been admitted by your host university.
- Wait until your visa has been approved before buying your flight ticket, or make sure your ticket can be cancelled or changed.
Accommodation and contact details
- In most cases, your host university will provide you with information or assistance in finding accommodation. You might be offered a room on campus, or you may have to arrange your own accommodation via an intermediary. Take a look in the world map or on your host university’s website to find out about their procedures.
- As soon as possible, enter your contact details abroad in the study abroad portal - in the ‘During your stay’ section. You will receive a reminder by email shortly before departure. It is essential that you keep your contact details updated whilst abroad so we can reach you in case of emergencies.
Subletting
If you need to arrange your own accommodation, you could consider subletting a room from another student. HousingAnywhere is a handy, safe website through which you can search for accommodation, or sublet your own room whilst you are abroad. Always request advance permission from your landlord.
Language
- Find out about language requirements. For some universities you will need to take a language test such as IELTS or TOEFL.
- Are you unsure if you speak a language well enough? The Academic Language Centre offers online tests to determine your level.
- A great way to improve your language skills is to travel to your destination early and follow a language course there, time permitting. Alternatively, you can follow a language course at the Academic Language Centre.
Insurance
- Check with your health insurance provider whether you are fully covered for your period of study abroad, or whether top-up insurance is required. Be aware that some countries require you to take out local health insurance.
- Take out travel and cancellation insurance to cover, for example, luggage, additional health costs, legal aid and liability. AON Student Insurance is a good example.
- Find out if your insurance company has an emergency phone number. If so, keep it somewhere handy.
International student?
If you are an international student, you must also do the following before departure:
- Contact the town hall where you are currently registered to ask if you need to cancel your registration.
- Ask the Visa Team whether your stay abroad will have consequences for your Dutch residence permit (if applicable).
- Ask your destination country’s embassy or consulate what visa procedures apply to you. Procedures for international students may not be the same as those for Dutch students.
International Discount Card
With an International Student Identity Card (ISIC card) you can get discount on a range of products and services in more than 130 countries, including flight tickets. Purchase your card from ISIC Netherlands.
If you do not request preapproval for your course package prior to the start of the semester abroad, you run a large risk of:
- taking courses for which you will ultimately not receive credit
- having a study delay in your programme.
Information on course selection and approvals
Would you like the credits you earn abroad to count towards your studies in Leiden? If so, you must have your courses approved in advance.
In most cases petitions must be submitted via uSis. On this page you can read about the request procedures for students of the Faculty of Humanities.
If you need to make changes to your list of approved courses for your Elective Credits (vrije keuzeruimte), you will need to submit a new request for the entire package, even if the other courses have already been approved by the Board of Examiners. If you are not taking the courses as a part of your discretionary space, you can just submit the new courses individually.
Do you need a signature from your Study Abroad Coordinator on your application for exchange or a scholarship, which includes approval of your selected courses? Please be sure to include the written approval from the Board of Examiners along with your request for this signature. Without this approval, the Study Abroad Coordinator cannot sign your form.
Predeparture Orientation
The Humanities International Office will hold mandatory information meetings before departure. These meetings will cover details related to your semester/year abroad such as course approvals and credit transfer, scholarships, safety abroad, and more. As an outbound exchange student you are required to attend one of these sessions. Further information will be provided to students who have been accepted for exchange.
You are strongly advised to book an online intake appointment with BA International Studies study abroad advisor Anna van der Jagt to discuss your options for exchange. Only start your application after your intake appointment with Anna. Rest assured that selection is not based on first-come, first-served.
Pre-departure event
The Humanities International Office will hold mandatory information sessions. These meetings will cover details related to your semester/year abroad such as course approvals and credit transfer, scholarships, safety abroad, and more. Further information will be provided to students who have been accepted for exchange.
Have your courses approved
If you do not request preapproval for your course package prior to the start of the semester abroad, you run a large risk of:
- taking courses for which you will ultimately not receive credit
- having a study delay in your programme.
BA International Studies students must complete 30 credits in their Elective Credits in order to meet the graduation requirements for the BAIS programme. Students on exchange/study abroad must complete the equivalent of 30 ECTS during their semester abroad at the host university. This is generally the equivalent of a full load of courses, but this needs to be checked by the student.
Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to ensure that the correct number of credits of the courses you take at your host university is the equivalent of 30 EC. The Exchange Officer of BA International Studies can advise you regarding these credits.
Courses in the Elective Credits package must meet the following 5 requirements:
- Courses must be academic: While some partner universities may give credit for, for example, sports activities, Leiden University will not approve these courses for course transfer.
- Language courses are only approved if the following are confirmed:
- The proposed language course is in the language of the host university/country (sometimes a language course is compulsory for the host university);
- The proposed language course is of a higher level than those taken as part of the BA International Studies programme. If there is uncertainty on this point before leaving for the host university, and the requested/completed language course turns out not to be at a higher level than those followed in BA International Studies, the student runs the risk that the board of examiners will not approve it. This can cause a study delay due to missing ECs in the Elective Credits package. It is entirely the responsibility of the student to check and confirm the level of the requested/completed language course(s).
There may be other reasons for requesting a language course, but these will be considered by the Board of Examiners on a case-by-case basis.
- Chosen courses may not repeat courses you have already taken in the BA International Studies programme.
- You must take at least one upper-level (third or fourth year) course
- Courses must form a cohesive package. This means that the courses should have a common theme that binds them, be that international relations, politics, a region, etc. Courses do not have to be in the area of international studies, as long as they are a cohesive unit in and of themselves.
Courses must be approved by the BA International Studies board of examiners prior to the semester abroad. Students can submit their courses for approval by filling in the Elective Credits form, accompanied by short course descriptions/syllabi, in English, of the desired courses (or links to online descriptions). Check that your courses meet the 5 requirements listed above before submitting your form.
Once your courses have been approved by the board of examiners, you can be assured of receiving credit for those courses towards your BA International Studies programme, provided you receive a passing mark for each course. Any adjustments to your courses after approval by the board of examiners must be submitted via the same form, indicating that you are submitting an "update", rather than a first application. To avoid unnecessary delays and confusion, you are strongly recommended to submit the "Study Abroad Course Approval Form" to the board of examiners only when you are reasonably sure of the courses you will be taking.
The approval process may take several weeks. Please note that there are limited staff in the summer months at Leiden University, which means the approval process may take longer. Where possible, course approval requests should be submitted no later than July 1st. In cases where this is not possible, you are advised to review the requirements very carefully, and check thoroughly that your courses meet those requirements. If your courses clearly meet those requirements, you can be reasonably sure that your courses will be accepted.
The Erasmus+ Learning Agreement is signed by your outbound student coordinator, not by the board of examiners. Once your course package has been approved, you can forward the approved Elective Credits form along with your Erasmus+ Learning Agreement to the outbound student coordinator.