Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 119th in the world, the same position as the year before, and fourth in the Netherlands. It’s known for law, archaeology, international relations, the humanities, medicine and the sciences, and it has campuses in the historic city of Leiden and in The Hague.
Leiden offers a good range of English-taught bachelor’s programmes, but your deadline depends on whether your programme has limited places and whether you need a visa. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Leiden University’s own guidance and official Dutch government information.
1. Choose your programme and city
Leiden’s English-taught bachelor’s programmes include International Studies, Security Studies, Political Science: International Relations and Organisations, Psychology, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges at Leiden University College (LUC) in The Hague. Some are taught in Leiden and others in The Hague, so check where your programme is based.
2. Apply through Studielink and uSis
Applying is a two-step process. You first register for your programme in Studielink, the national application system, which opens on 1 October 2026 for 2027 entry. You then complete and submit your application, with your documents, in Leiden’s own system, uSis, before the deadline.
3. Know your deadline
For 2027 entry, programmes with a numerus fixus (limited places) close on 15 January 2027, and for Psychology your uSis application must be complete by 31 January 2027. If you need a visa or residence permit, as most non-EU/EEA students do, the deadline for other programmes is 1 April 2027. LUC has an early-bird deadline of 1 December 2026, and you can apply until 15 March 2027. Leiden bachelor’s brochure 2027-2028: ready to apply.
4. Prepare for selection or matching
Programmes with a numerus fixus rank their applicants through a selection procedure, so being admissible doesn’t guarantee you a place. Other programmes may require compulsory matching, an activity that helps you check whether the programme suits you. Read your programme’s page carefully to see which applies.
5. Meet the English requirement
For International Studies, Leiden asks for IELTS Academic of at least 6.0 overall and 6.0 in each section, a TOEFL iBT of 4.5 overall and in each section (or 80 overall and 20 in each section for tests taken before 21 January 2026), or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with at least 169 in each section. Some programmes ask for more, so check your programme’s requirements. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests. International Studies admission requirements.
6. Understand the fees
Students from the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Suriname pay the statutory fee, which is €2,771 for 2027-28. Other students pay an institutional fee. For 2027-28, Leiden’s non-EEA fee is €14,700 for bachelor’s programmes in Humanities, Law, Archaeology, Social and Behavioural Sciences, and Governance and Global Affairs, €19,200 in Science and Biomedical Sciences, and €18,050 at LUC, plus a €3,070 LUC fee. Leiden bachelor’s tuition fees.
7. Plan your funding
Leiden’s NL Scholarship for incoming bachelor’s students isn’t available for 2026-27 or 2027-28, and its best-known award, the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, is for master’s students. So most international bachelor’s students should plan to pay the full institutional fee, and look for scholarships in their home country, which often have earlier deadlines.
8. Start looking for housing early
Leiden University doesn’t own student housing and can’t guarantee you a room, and finding accommodation in Leiden and The Hague can be difficult. A limited number of rooms are reserved for international students, so apply for housing well before your deadline, and use trusted providers such as DUWO.
9. Let Leiden University apply for your residence permit
If you’re not from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you’ll need a residence permit for study, and many nationalities also need an entry visa (MVV). You don’t apply to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) yourself: once you’ve been admitted, Leiden University applies for you as a recognised sponsor, and you pay the fee to the university. You must show that you can cover your living costs, which the IND sets at €1,130.77 a month for university students in 2026 (about €13,570 a year), on top of your tuition. This is why the deadline for non-EU applicants is usually earlier than for EU students. The permit lasts for the length of your programme plus three months, and to keep it you must earn at least 50% of your credits each year. IND required amounts.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
With a student residence permit you can work up to 16 hours a week during the academic year, or full time in June, July and August, but your employer needs a work permit (TWV) for you from the UWV. After you graduate, you can apply for the orientation year (zoekjaar) residence permit, which lets you stay for 12 months to look for a job or start a business, and during it you can work without a work permit. You can apply for it up to three years after you graduate. IND: international students.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at Leiden?
Leiden offers many English-taught master’s programmes, each with its own entry requirements and deadlines. The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is open to excellent non-EEA students applying for a master’s, and it reduces your tuition fee. For a PhD, you usually apply for an advertised position, which is a paid job. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Leiden’s popular programmes are competitive, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to TU Delft, the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam. Our guide to studying in the Netherlands explains how the Dutch system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Leiden University’s official admissions and tuition fee pages, official Dutch government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on Leiden University’s website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Leiden University.