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

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.

 

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• Application & admission

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:  

• When you must submit digital or certified copies
• Which items are required
• The method of submission you must use

Download and read your official decision statement. Note carefully which documents are required (e.g. diploma, transcript, translations, verification codes) and the submission deadline. Then complete both the following steps:

1. Upload digital copies of all items/information stated in your conditions using the ‘Upload your documents’ button on the decision screen.
2. Check if there are additional submission instructions for the document(s) stated in your conditions. If you must send certified copies by post, carefully check the criteria for the documents, who must issue them and how they must be sent.

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

For further information, see the FAQ on What is a certified copy?

There are a number of ways to pay your tuition fees.The methods available to you are determined by your situation and your study programme.

• Digital direct debit authorisation (via Studielink). This is only possible if you have a bank account in a SEPA country with a corresponding IBAN account number. You can choose instalments or a lump sum payment..
• Transfer of tuition fees in one lump sum before the start of the academic year.
• Payment in one lump sum by debit card (PIN/Maestro) or credit card (Visa/Maestro) at the Student Affairs Front Office before the start of the academic year. Please be aware that credit card payments incur a 5% administrative fee for each payment.
• Non-EU nationals only: payment in instalments by bank transfer on the basis of a tuition fee invoice.
• Submitting a ‘Proof of Tuition Fee Payment’ (or BBC in Dutch)

For further information and tuition fee instalment due dates, see the Methods of payment website.

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

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
• ULCN account self-service

Application deadlines vary depending on your programme type, visa and housing requirements, and whether you are applying for a programme with an additional selection procedure or numerus fixus (limited number of places).

Always refer to the individual programme description for details of the exact application deadline! 

Early application is advised for the following reasons:

• If you do not have a Dutch diploma that grants automatic admission, you must complete a two-part application procedure, that consists of registration in Studielink followed by online application to Leiden University. You are required to complete both parts before the deadline!
• You may be asked to submit additional documents or take certain tests to gain admission.
• By applying late, you risk being too late to apply for a visa or housing.

General deadline information can be found via: 

• Application deadlines for Bachelor’s programmes
• Application deadlines for Master’s programmes
• Application deadlines for Exchange/Study Abroad programmes

No, there is no official template. Your motivation letter is a personal statement in which you explain why you wish to study at Leiden University and why you have chosen this particular study programme. It is an opportunity for you to convince the faculty of your qualities and goals. The letter should contain approximately 700-1500 words.

Some programmes have specific requirements for the motivation letter. Always check the requirements under 'required documents' on your study programme website. 

​Note: if you are applying for a programme at Leiden University College (LUC) you should instead complete and submit an LUC motivation letter form. 

More information

• Applications & admission

When we apply for your visa and/or residence permit, we will ask you to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds for both your living expenses and tuition fee by uploading the following in the visa/residence permit portal (uSis):   

Sufficient funds for living expenses

• Transfer sufficient funds for living expenses to Leiden University then upload proof of the transfer, OR
• A bank statement in your name showing sufficient funds, OR
• A scholarship letter.

Sufficient funds for tuition fee

• If you will pay your own tuition fee: a bank statement in your name showing sufficient funds.
  
• If a scholarship provider will pay your tuition fee: a scholarship letter.
• If a third party will pay your tuition fee:
  
  • a bank statement in their name showing sufficient funds, AND
    
  • a statement written by the third party confirming they will pay your tuition fee.  
    

Strict criteria for bank statements and scholarship letter
The Dutch immigration department sets very strict criteria for bank statements and scholarship letter. If your statement or letter does not meet all criteria, we will ask you to submit a new one or transfer the funds instead. This will significantly delay your request.

• To see all criteria, download and carefully read the 'visa/residence permit application instructions' via the Visa/Residence permit page. 
  

 

The first step in requesting your LU card is uploading a passport photo in Account Self Service. Make sure your photo meets standard passport photo requirements.

Within ten days of uploading your photo, you will receive your LU card at the address you provided in Studielink or on your student registration form. To request a LU card you must have a Dutch address. If you are arriving in the Netherlands soon, enter your Dutch correspondence address in Studielink as soon as possible, then request a LU card by following the steps above. 

Students with a non-Dutch address can collect their LU card from the Student Affairs Front Office one week after uploading their photo. You'll receive an email notifying you when your LU card is ready. By replying to this email you can request that your LU card be sent to the Wijnhaven Servicedesk (The Hague) for collection is required.

HOVO students (university of the third age) can request a LU card at the LU card helpdesk in the central university library.

Once you receive your LU card is still needs to be activated. This can be arranged online through the use of the ‘ReadID Ready’ smartphone app. Please consult our website for more information.

More information

• Requesting a LU Card
• ​Student Affairs Front Office
• LU card helpdesks