The health and safety of our students and staff is our prime concern. Leiden University is adhering strictly to the guidelines issued by the Dutch government, the recommendations of the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), and the rules of the Regional Security Agency. This means that, during lockdown, all our teaching was provided online and everyone was working at home as much as possible.

We are preparing to provide all our teaching on campus from the start of the new academic year in September 2021.

As a first-year bachelor’s student, you will be part of a tutor group of around 10 to 15 other first-year students. The group will be headed by a more senior student and a lecturer. Especially at the start of the programme, you will be in regular contact with this group to help you feel at home in your new study environment more quickly. You can talk to your lecturer and student tutor about any questions you may have; they will tell you all you want to know about the programme and the University, and will also organise fun activities for you and your fellow students.

• Read more about the mentor and tutor system

For first-year master’s students we are developing a form of coaching that focuses on activities related to job market preparation, research or familiarising yourself with the University libraries.

As well as this, the study and student associations and other student organisations will arrange a wealth of online and in-person activities so you can get to know your fellow students. You will also have access to an extensive student support network, and you can find lots of useful tips on special platforms, such as the Healthy University and Studying Online.

We offer over 50 bachelor’s and almost 80 master’s programmes – and they differ greatly: in size, mode of teaching and building options. Your degree programme will inform you about your individual timetable. You will receive this information from 15 June.

If you have any questions, you can send a mail to the Study Line.

The 1.5-metre distancing rule within the university can be dropped. This was announced by the Cabinet on 13 August during a press conference on the current coronavirus measures. From 30 August, this measure no longer applies in MBO (intermediate vocational education), HBO (higher vocational education) and universities.   

We are pleased that the situation is slowly returning to normal, but naturally we want this to happen gradually and safely. We are currently discussing with the faculties and the Association of Universitites in the Netherlands (VSNU) precisely how we will implement this ruling. At the present time, we are assuming the following: 

• The 1.5-metre distancing measure will be dropped within the university with effect from 30 August.
• Education will be completely open from that date. 
• A maximum of 75 students per lecture room does apply. Every study programme is currently working out how this can be organised, so for details please follow the information provided by your study programme.
• This maximum number also applies to exams, diploma presentations and all other activities in our university buildings.
• From 30 August, the use of a facemask is compulsory when you are moving around in university buildings. You can remove your facemask once you are at your work or study place.
• Working from home will continue to be the norm for staff who do not have a teaching or educational support role. If you have a good reason for coming to the office, discuss this first with your manager. 
• For the University Libraries you are still required to use the reservation system, and please check the libary's website before your visit for the latest news on measures.

Please note: The coming days, we will work out these measures in more detail, so please stay informed by following this page and the information provided by your faculty and study programme. These measures will in principle remain in force for the whole first period of the coming academic year.

Responsible and safe reopening

The university is only a safe place if everyone takes proper responsibility. We urge our students and staff to follow the guidelines and precautionary measures to prevent spread of the coronavirus. This means, for example: 

• Stay at home if you have symptoms of a cold, and get tested. 
• Always do the Corona Check before you come to the university
• Get tested if you have been in contact with someone who has been infected with the coronavirus. 
• As a preventive measure, take a self-test twice a week. Students and staff at our university can order self-tests free of charge via Zelftestonderwijs.nl.

What to do when you test positive for corona:

• If you test positive for coronavirus, we could like you to report this to us. Students can inform their study adviser and staff can inform their manager. Read more
• If you have been in the university and you discover shortly afterwards that you have been infected with Covid-19, make sure that you inform the people in your surroundings as soon as possible (including fellow students or colleagues). They can then quickly take the necessary measures themselves. 

Lastly: The Regional Health Authority (GGD) is offering the opportunity of having your first vaccination - with or without an appointment -  during separate walk-in hours. Students and staff in Leiden can go to GGD Hollands-Midden, students and staff in The Hague can go to GGD Haaglanden.

Be sure to come (if you aren't dealing with travel restrictions of course)!
You do not only choose Leiden University for your study programme, but also for the experience of living in the Netherlands, joining the academic community and being part of its student life. The sooner you join our community the better.

We advise you to finish your application and start early applying for housing or finding housing yourself! Leiden University cannot guarantee all of our students a room, but the chance of finding a room yourself is certainly bigger if you decide now and arrive in Leiden or The Hague from August or September. On-campus teaching is expected to resume at the start of the new academic year in September 2021.

If your country is still subject to Dutch travel restrictions, you may enter the Netherlands upon showing proof that you are about to start studying at a Dutch university. The following items can be accepted as proof:

• A student entry visa (MVV)
• If you do not need an entry visa but have been granted a student residence permit:  a copy of the letter issued by the IND stating that your residence permit request has been approved. You can request a copy of this letter by sending a mail to:  visa@sea.leidenuniv.nl.

In general a MVV does grant the right to transit to the Netherlands via any other Schengen country. However, due to COVID-19 measures transit might not be possible. This might differ per country. You are therefore advised to be well-informed before you start your journey, by consulting travel updates of the country you need to transit through.

• Check frequently asked questions about traveling to the Netherlands 

1. Check the Dutch Government information about travel restrictions to the Netherlands
2. Check Q&A about long-stay visa before starting your journey
3. Check additional rules in place for passengers flying to the Netherlands
4. Check if you need to go in self-quarantine after arriving in the Nethelands
5. Be aware of the Dutch advice and rules to help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Yes, in most cases you will need to show additional documents. The documents required depend on where you are travelling from. Before travel, make sure to read the Dutch government’s Checklist for travel to The Netherlands to find out exactly which documents are required. 

Note that: 

• Most travelers require a negative PCR and rapid test result. On the Netherlands Worldwide site you can find out where you can get these tests in your home country.
• Although there is currently an entry ban in place for most non-EU nationals, students who will study in The Netherlands with a residence permit are exempted. 
• If you travelling from a country that is subject to an entry ban, make sure to have one of the following documents ready in case you are asked to show it:
  • Your student entry visa (MVV). 
  • If you do not require an entry visa: your official IND letter confirming approval of your residence permit. You can request a copy of this letter by sending a mail to: visa@sea.leidenuniv.nl.
  • If you are returning to the Netherlands from a stay abroad: your valid student residence permit card (VVR).

For further information, also see the coronavirus measures on the prepare your stay website. 

Have you been abroad lately or have you come to the Netherlands from abroad for a study at Leiden University? Students who have recently returned or travelled from a country or region with a red or orange travel advisory (which includes an advised period of quarantine) may not come to the University for ten days. 

Teaching on campus
When you resume your studies in September, your teaching will be on location, in University buildings. You only have access to these premises if you do not pose a risk for your fellow students and lecturers. In other words, if you have no symptoms, and, if you arrive in the Netherlands from an orange or red area, you are advised to spent 10 days at your new living arrangements in the Netherlands in quarantine.

Self-quarantine at your new living arrangements in the Netherlands
If you have been abroad this summer or you have come from abroad to study at Leiden University, please check out which countries have been given orange or red code status by the Dutch government. If you enter the Netherlands from a country or region with an orange or red code, the Dutch government advises you to stay at home in quarantine for 10 days. During those ten days you may not come to any University buildings. This measure is subject to regular changes, so make sure you check the rules that apply on the day you arrive in the country. 

We understand that self-quarantine can be difficult for first-year and international students. Contact your programme to discuss how you can start your studies while you are in self-quarantine.

If you have any questions about quarantine at home, check out the FAQs on the subject. Keep a close eye on this site for information about how to handle intake appointments with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), the local municipality or bank if you have to stay in quarantine. If you have any questions that are not answered by the FAQs, please get in touch with student support services, secretariaat@sea.leidenuniv.nl or telephone + 31 71 527 8026. 
If you need a little online company or practical assistance whilst in quarantine, you can request a student buddy. Read more on the Wellbeing page for students. 

Introduction weeks
Our measures also apply if you are taking part in an introduction week: you can only join in the parts of the programme that are taking place on location provided you observe the national regulations and the conditions that apply to the introduction week you have signed up for. You will receive further information about this from the organisers of the introduction week.

Checking and testing
Ask yourself the questions from the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) check for visitors before starting work or studying in our buildings, taking part in events or going to meetings. If you have any symptoms, you must have yourself tested.

If your arrival is delayed, you can arrange with your study programme to start your studies online from home. Make sure to inform the visa team if you are delayed, so they can check whether an extension of your entry visa is required and help you to arrange this.

Were you prohibited from coming to The Netherlands due to travel restrictions? 
If you were officially not permitted to travel to The Netherlands, you can ask the Dutch embassy/consulate to issue you with a new student entry visa. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact Leiden University visa team for assistance. 

Was travel permitted, but you chose not to come due to the corona situation? 
In this case, you must request a new student visa/residence permit via Leiden University. Contact Leiden University visa team for instructions. Note that you will be required to submit the required documents and pay the fee for your visa/residence permit once again. 
 

•    If you still plan to travel to The Netherlands as soon as the situation permits, we will not yet cancel your student residence permit. However it is important that you update Leiden University visa team on your situation. Our visa team will also periodically contact you to check yoru plans. Be aware that if you do not travel to Leiden within the first semester of your studies, we may be obliged to cancel your residence permit.    

•    If you have already decided not come to The Netherlands in the coming 6 months, notify Leiden University visa team right away. We will then cancel your student residence permit. If/when you later decide to travel to The Netherlands, you must contact the visa team to request a new student residence permit approximately 3 months before your intended travels. 

If you are obliged to return home, you are responsible for arranging and financing your own repatriation. Contact your embassy if you require further information or assistance. Exchange students can also contact their home university coordinator or Leiden University exchange coordinator for advice.

On the Dutch government website you can find a checklist for travel to The Netherlands. This contains all the latest regulations on entry, testing, required documents and quarantine. Make sure to read the checklist carefully when planning your trip. On the Netherlands Worldwide site you can find information on where you can take any necessary corona tests in your home country. 

• If you are registered as a resident in the Netherlands (BRP registration) you will be invited for a COVID 19 vaccination. You will receive an invitation by post from the RIVM.
• If you already received one vaccination in your home country with the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you can receive your second dose of the vaccine in the Netherlands.*
• If you are not registered as a resident, but you are staying in The Netherlands for longer than one month, you can get vaccinated if:
  • You are not yet vaccinated, or;
  • You received one vaccination in your home country with the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. You can receive your second vaccine in the Netherlands.*
• If you have a medical issue that is known to your Dutch GP, you may receive an earlier invitation directly from your GP.
• If you are doing an internship in the field of healthcare, please check with your internship provider whether you may also be eligible for earlier vaccination.

*If you already received a different kind of vaccine in your home country, unfortunately you cannot be vaccinated in the Netherlands. The Health Council of the Netherlands does not approve of mixing different kinds of vaccines, other than Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

Make your appointment

If you meet the requirements for vaccination you can make an appointment by calling 0800-7070 (daily 08:00-20:00).

• We advise you to go for a free PCR-test 5 days after your arrival, to make sure you do not have the virus while getting vaccinated. Note: if you come from a high-risk region, a PCR-test and quarantine is mandatory. See the Dutch governments checklist for entering The Netherlands.
• If you have recently tested positive, you will have to wait 8 weeks from the date you tested positive before getting vaccinated.

At the vaccination location

• Please take these with you to the appointment:
  • The letter from the RIVM and the completed questionnaire about your health (please note: only people who are registered at the municipality will receive this letter. If you didn’t receive a letter, you are still allowed to be vaccinated)
  • Your ID-card or passport
  • A face mask
• Wear clothing that allows easy access to your upper arm.
• You can bring someone to the appointment to help you.
• At the vaccination location, you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about your health. If you have any questions, an employee will be present to assist you. If needed, a doctor is present to advise you on health-related topics regarding the vaccine.
• You will be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
• After the vaccination, you will sit in a waiting room for 15 minutes. This is to make sure you are feeling well before you leave the venue. First aid is available at all times and doctors are always present at the location.

More information for international students and vaccination

Yes you can, on condition that:

• inbound travel is permitted from your country according to Dutch government regulations, and
• you comply with the travel regulations of your own country and university.

Own risk
Be aware that going abroad is always at your own risk, also in terms of finances. If the situation changes and you have to return home, you are responsible for arranging and financing your own repatriation. Make sure to take out adequate insurance that covers all Covid-19 related costs such as hospitalisation and repatriation. Check the details with your insurer.

This may be possible in some cases, depending on the courses you plan to follow and the options available at each faculty. Ask your home university coordinator to contact Leiden University to find out what might be possible. 

You are responsible for any costs you make in connection to your exchange programme, for example travel costs, visa fees, insurance, housing or repatriation. Make sure you have a good insurance policy and check carefully what is and isn’t covered. 

Just like other Leiden University students, exchange students will be able to continue following classes online. However, be aware that if you choose to return to your home country, we cannot always guarantee special exam provisions. Always consult your Leiden University exchange coordinator before deciding whether to go home early.

If other countries issue negative travel advice for The Netherlands, Leiden University will not change its policy in terms of receiving exchange students from abroad. However, there may be consequences in terms of the regulations set by your own country or home university. It is therefore very important that you check the rules for travel to The Netherlands on your government’s website and with your home university coordinator.  

For information on the entry, testing and quarantine requirements for arrivals to The Netherlands from your country, see the Dutch government’s entry checklist. 
 

You can join a student and/or study association, and these associations are now planning other ways of organising their traditional introduction weeks and other events.

During the introduction weeks you can get acquainted with the associations.  You can find an overview of the student associations here.

If there aren’t any limitations for you to travel to the Netherlands like travel restrictions, Leiden University advises you to come to Leiden or The Hague and start your study programme here. Your student time is about more than just studying. If you live in student accommodation in Leiden or The Hague, you will also meet new friends and fellow students, and it will be easier for you to use the University facilities as these open up; these include such things as the study places in the libraries and the sports facilities, as well as all that the city where you are living has to offer. 

So by saying that we advise you to start searching for housing as soon as possible! Students are expected to arrange their own housing. To help you along the way we have several tips for you on our website!

However, for international students, Leiden University Housing Office reserves a limited number of rooms each year for early applicants. Housing is allocated on first-come first-served basis, therefore you are advised to apply as early as you can. Although the housing deadline has passed, you are still welcome to submit a housing request. We anticipate that we will have a small number of rooms available for late applicants. We will let you know if we can offer you a room once we have allocated accommodation to all students who applied before the 1 June deadline. The Housing Office will begin allocating rooms from 1 June. Accommodation will be allocated in chronological order, i.e. according to the date on which you paid your housing fee. You will receive an offer of accommodation up to 8 weeks after the housing deadline. Please let us know within 5 days after receiving this offer whether you wish to accept the offer. 

If you decide to start your courses completely online and don’t want to use the allocated room, after accepting the offer for housing the payment of the housing fee and first month rent are non-refundable. 

Be aware that if you travel to the Netherlands after the beginning of the academic year, Leiden University Housing Office will start continuing allocating rooms for the spring semester, starting at 1 February 2022. You can always contact the Housing Office to check up on availability but most likely you will have to find a room yourself.

You can get in touch with other students by taking part in an (online) introduction week, through your tutor group or by joining one of the many associations for students. Leiden University also offers a buddy service and student support groups for students who are looking for more social contact or for someone to study with. Visit the contact with other student page for full details and more tips on how to stay in touch with your fellow students.

We have many different ways of providing our students with information and staying in touch with them. They can read about the measures we are taking in our daily updates and in our newsletters.

The Netherlands’ approach is aimed at keeping the virus under control as much as possible in order to protect vulnerable groups and make sure the healthcare system can cope. Thanks to people complying with the measures, the situation has improved since March. The figures show a positive trend.  Now, it is important that the virus stays under control until a vaccine or treatment is available. That is why we’re are taking a step-by-step approach.

Relaxing restrictions at local or neighbourhood level
The government will start by relaxing restrictions at local or neighbourhood level. That will not make public spaces much busier. The government will then relax restrictions at regional level and finally at national level. First small gatherings will be allowed, and later larger gatherings, so that everything remains as manageable and orderly as possible. Restrictions can only be lifted if the virus remains under control. If circumstances require, any decision to relax measures can be reversed.

Moving step by step towards more freedom in public life
Whenever people gather in groups, coronavirus can spread quickly. That’s why measures are in place to prevent people gathering in large groups. It is also important that people themselves take responsibility. Avoid busy places. Leave if you notice it is becoming difficult to keep a distance of 1.5 metres. If people gather in groups and this poses a safety or public health risk, enforcement officers can take action. Use public transport for essential travel only. Travel outside peak hours and stay 1.5 metres away from others if possible. All passengers aged 13 and over will be required to wear a non-medical face mask on buses, metros, trams, ferries, waterbuses and trains.

Tracking the spread of the virus
Following these basic rules can prevent the virus from spreading in most cases. This will be combined with expanding testing capacity and in-depth source and contact tracing. Everyone in the Netherlands who has symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested. This is crucial to being able to track the spread of the virus. If someone tests positive for coronavirus, the municipal health service (GGD) will carry out in-depth source and contact tracing.

For general questions, you can contact the StudyLine. For information on specific programmes, you can chat with a current bachelor’s or master’s student.