It generally takes about 4 to 6 weeks from the date on which you are informed that your application is complete until you receive a decision. If additional information is required during the application process it may take a little longer. Please make sure your application is complete and is submitted as early as possible.

Once a decision on your application has been made, you will receive a formal statement from the faculty by email.

 

More information

• Application & admission

Are you a future bachelor’s student? Instead, see the FAQ for bachelor’s students who cannot submit their academic records in time.  

The standard deadline for receiving all the required documents for your visa/residence permit request is:

• 1 June: programmes starting in September
• 1 December: programmes starting in February 

Academic records expected later?  
Will the academic records requested in your admission statement (e.g. your final transcript or diploma) be issued after the standard deadline? Follow the instructions below:

If you need a visa AND residence permit:
1. Before the standard visa/residence permit deadline:

• Submit all your other visa/residence permit documents and pay the visa/residence fee.  
• In the uSis visa portal, also upload a personal statement explaining which academic records are late, why, and when you can provide them.

2. Before 6 July (September start)/ 6 December (February start):
Make sure Leiden University receives the following items sent directly by your institution – see permitted submission methods below:  

• A certified copy of your most recent transcript, and
• A statement confirming your predicted grades and expected graduation date (which must be before the start date of your studies).
  
  Permitted submission methods:
• By post to Leiden University Admissions Office postal address in a sealed institution envelope; or
• By email to masteradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl. The email must:
  • be sent from an official email address that is currently in use by your institution;
  • be sent by a staff member who is authorised to issue academic records - their name and position must be clearly stated;
  • state your full name and uSis application number.
    Note: if we are not able to verify the authenticity of the email address or sender (via the institution website or direct contact), we cannot accept documents sent by email.
• Chinese academic records only: upload verification reports of your ‘transcript to date' and ‘student record report’ in Chinese and English in the uSis application portal under ‘other documents’.

3. We will request your visa/residence permit on the basis of the above-mentioned documents. However, we must also receive the requested final academic records before the start date of your studies, otherwise your visa/residence permit application will be cancelled - without refund of the fee.

If you need a residence permit only:

1. Before the standard visa/residence permit deadline: submit all your other visa/residence permit documents and pay the visa/residence fee.
2. By 1 August (September starts) or 15 January (February start): make sure Leiden University receives the missing academic records.
3. If your academic records will only be available after 1 August/15 January, send a mail to masteradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl to request instructions. 

Take action in time!
We urgently request that you take the above-mentioned steps in time. If we do not receive the required documents and information on time, we will not be able to process your visa/residence permit request. This will result in you being unable to join your study programme. 

Because of their popularity, some bachelor’s programmes are oversubscribed. For these programmes, a limit has been set for the number of students that can be allocated a place. This is known as a 'numerus fixus'. This means that even if you are admitted to the programme, you are not guaranteed a place. You must also be allocated a place on the programme via a selection procedure.

• You can find an overview of all numerus fixus study programmes here. 

Take careful note of the application deadlines for numerus fixus programmes as these are generally earlier than those for other types of study programme. 

For further explanation see Admission requirements - Programmes with limited places.

More information

• Student Affairs Front Office

Are you a future master’s student? Instead, see the FAQ for master’s students who cannot submit their academic records in time.

The standard deadline for receiving all the required documents for your visa/residence permit request is 1 June.

Academic records expected later?  
Will the academic records requested in your admission statement (e.g. your final diploma) only be available after 1 June? Follow the instructions below. 

Expected no later than 6 July?

1. Before 1 June: Submit all your other visa/residence permit documents and pay the visa/residence fee.
2. Before 1 June: In the uSis visa portal, also upload a personal statement explaining which academic records are late, why, and when you can provide them.
   
3. By 6 July: make sure we receive the missing academic records*.
   *IB students: we will verify your results after they are released on (or shortly after) 6 July. This will be in time to meet this deadline. 

Expected after 6 July?
If you need a visa AND residence permit:
Before 1 June: 

1. Submit all your other visa/residence permit documents and pay the visa/residence fee.
2. Send an email to: bacheloradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl to request instructions concerning your academic records.

If you need a residence permit only

1. Before 1 June: submit all your other visa/residence permit documents and pay the visa/residence fee.
2. Before 1 August: make sure we receive the missing academic records.
3. If your academic records will only be available after 1 August*, send an email to bacheloradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl to request instructions.
   *Exception: UK A-level results can be submitted later in August, as soon as they are released.  

Take action in time!
We urgently request that you take the above-mentioned steps in time. If we do not receive the required documents and information on time, we will not be able to process your visa/residence permit request. This will result in you being unable to join your study programme.  

If you have applied but not yet been admitted
Yes, you can change your requested start date as follows:

1. Cancel your application in Studielink
2. Reapply for your preferred start date in Studielink.
3. You will then be instructed to create and submit a new application in Leiden University’s online application portal (uSis). 

If you have already been admitted
If you wish to defer the start of your studies, you must submit a new application for your preferred start date. Be aware that admission requirements can change. If this occurs, you are unfortunately not guaranteed admission for your new start date. Please follow the instructions below: 

1. Log into uSis, download your admission decision and save it on your computer.
2. Cancel your current application for enrolment in Studielink.
3. After 1 October: Go to Studielink and apply for your new start date. 
4. Log into uSis and follow the steps required to submit a new application. 
5. When you get to the step 'Previous education', upload any qualifications obtained since your last application. 
   
6. When you get to the step ‘Admission’, click on Uploads > Other documents > Previous decision, and upload your admission decision.
7. Submit your application

In general, you do not have to pay the application fee again. See the exceptions here below: 

Exceptions:

• If you wish to change your choice of study programme or specialisation, you must pay the application fee again.
• If you have been admitted to an LLM Advanced Studies programme, you may only request re-admission once free of charge. If you re-apply a second or subsequent time, you must pay the application fee again.

Other important steps

• Already applied for housing? You must notify the Housing Office of your deferral. This will not happen automatically! See the FAQ on Can I defer my housing request.
  
• Already applied for a scholarship? Upon deferral, your scholarship request will be automatically cancelled. You must re-apply for your scholarship when applying for re-admission. 
  
• Already applied for a visa/residence permit? Upon deferral, your visa/residence permit application will be automatically cancelled. Once you are re-admitted, you will receive information on how to re-apply for your visa/residence permit. Note that after deferring your application, you must wait at least 2 days before submitting a new visa/residence permit application via uSis.

More information

• Application & admission
• Admissions Office contact form: Bachelors
• Admissions Office contact form: Masters

When applying 
When you apply for admission to a degree programme, you only need to upload digital copies of your academic records in the online application portal (uSis). Certified copies are not yet required.

Upon admission
Upon admission you will be notified of the following via uSis:  

• Which additional (certified or digital) academic records you must submit.
• The stipulated method of submission.
• The deadline for submission.

Steps to take:

1. Download your official decision statement (via uSis) and read it carefully. Take note of your admission conditions and the deadlines for meeting them. 
2. On the uSis 'decision' screen: upload digital copies of all items stated in your conditions using the ‘Upload your documents’ button.
3. Check if there are additional submission instructions stated on your decision statement. These might be e.g. submitting certified copies by post or arranging online verification. Follow the instructions carefully! For documents by post, check who must issue them and how they must be sent. 

Via specified method only

• Only submit items via the method(s) specified in your decision statement. Items submitted via other methods cannot be accepted.
• There is no need to send items via multiple methods unless this is requested. For example, if you are instructed to arrange online verification only, you do not need to also send items by post.  

Specified method not possible?
Refer to the FAQ on After admission, what should I do if I am unable to submit certified copies via the specified method?

Questions?
If you are still unsure when and how to submit your academic records after admission, send a mail to the bachelor admission team: bacheloradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl, or master admission team: masteradmission@sea.leidenuniv.nl.

Also see the following FAQs

• I’ve been instructed to send certified copies of my academic records by post in a sealed institution envelope. What exactly must I do?
• I’ve been instructed to arrange online verification of my academic records. What exactly must I do?
  

As soon as your student registration has been finalised, you will receive a confirmation from us by e-mail. You can then download your Statement of registration via uSis by following the steps below:

1. Log into uSis using your student number. 
2. Click on the 'Communication' tile.
3. If you do not see the message you are looking for, click on the little x in top-right corner of your screen.
4. Click on ‘Your registration is final’ to download your Statement of registration.

If you need a statement of registration with an official stamp, please contact the Student Affairs Front Office at (+31) 071 527 8011 or info@leidenuniv.nl, or visit our office in Leiden or The Hague. Do not forget to mention your student number and the institution that requires the document.

More information

• Student Affairs Front Office

There are several reasons why you may not be able to log in:

• You haven’t yet received a user name and/or password. Request an account.
• You have forgotten your user name and/or password. Request them again.
• Your account has not yet been activated. Activate your account.
• Your password has expired. Reset your password.
• Your ULCN account is no longer active. You can only access uSis and Brightspace using your ULCN account up to 60 days after your student registration has been cancelled.

If you know your user name and password, keep the following points in mind:

• You must log in with your user name, not your uMail address.
• Use lower case letters to enter your user name, not capital letters (e.g. s1234567).
• Make sure you haven’t accidentally put CAPS LOCK on.

If you still can’t log in, do the following:

• Change the language on the log-in page, from Dutch to English or vice versa, and try again.
• If you can log into one application but not another, the issue concerns the application and not your account. Contact the ISSC Helpdesk.
• If none of the above-mentioned tips work contact the ISSC helpdesk.

More information

• Student accounts
• ICT Support / Helpdesks

When we apply for your visa and/or residence permit, we will ask you to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds for your living expenses and (if applicable) your tuition fee. 

You can demonstrate sufficient funds by way of bank transfer, or by providing a bank statement or scholarship letter that meets the strict requirements of the immigration department (IND). 

You can find detailed information on how to demonstrate sufficient funds, and how much is sufficient, on the Proof of funds page . 

When applying for a student visa/residence permit, you will be asked to provide proof of sufficient funds for your living expense and (if applicable) your tuition fees. 

Living expenses
Leiden University is not able to accept third-party sponsorship for living expenses. In other words, we cannot accept bank statements or letters from parents or sponsors as proof of sufficient funds for living expenses. 

If a parent or sponsor wishes to cover your living expenses they can either: 

• Transfer the funds to you before you request your visa/residence permit, or
• Transfer the funds directly to Leiden University.

Sufficient funds for tuition fees
We are able to accept third-party sponsorship for tuition fees. Therefore, if a family member or sponsor wishes to cover your tuition fees they can either: 

• Transfer your tuition fee to Leiden University, or
  
• Provide you with the following items before you apply for your visa/residence permit: 
  
  • Written statement confirming they will pay your tuition fee, preferably using this template, AND
    
  • Bank statement in their name that meets all the criteria for bank statements.
    

See the visa/residence permit proof of funds page for full details and instructions.