Leiden University (Universiteit Leiden): Admission and Fees

Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the oldest university in the Netherlands and teaches in two cities, Leiden and The Hague. Applicants with a Russian school certificate can apply for a bachelor's straight after school, but the bar is high: straight 5s plus the Unified State Exam (EGE), or at least 70 points in each of four EGE subjects. For students from outside the EEA, 2027/28 tuition starts at $16,690 (€14,700) a year for a bachelor's and $26,000 (€22,900) for a master's. The university has no halls of residence of its own, and its LExS scholarship for master's students covers only part of the fee.

Who Leiden suits

Leiden is strongest in law, international relations, the humanities, archaeology, and the languages and regional studies of Asia and the Middle East. The Hague campus sits next to international courts and organisations, which draws future international lawyers and public-policy students. It is not the place for engineering: there is no engineering faculty, so look at TU Delft or Eindhoven University of Technology instead.

Do not confuse it with Webster University Leiden, a private American institution in the same city with its own rules and fees. Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) is part of Leiden University, not a separate school.

Bachelor's entry with a Russian or Kazakh certificate

Leiden's minimum is a diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO (pre-university) diploma. Its 2027/28 diploma list accepts the Russian certificate of secondary general education in two ways:

• the certificate with a grade of 5 in every subject plus the EGE;
• if not every grade is a 5, at least 70 points in each of four EGE exams: mathematics, Russian and two electives.

The Russian certificate does not exempt you from an English test. If you fall short, Leiden's suggested alternative is to complete at least one year of a bachelor's at a research university at home with good results.

Science and medical programmes, classics, cyber security and economics require specific subjects at VWO level, listed in a separate document for science programmes. Check it before you choose.

Kazakhstan is not on Leiden's list. The university says an unlisted country does not mean automatic refusal; applications are assessed individually and the Student Affairs Front Office gives general guidance. For Kazakh applicants' wider options, see studying abroad from Kazakhstan.

Deadlines and how to apply

Applications for the next academic year open in Studielink, the national enrolment system, on 1 October. You then finish the file in Leiden's portal, uSis.

The steps:

1. Register in Studielink with your passport. The uSis login arrives within a few days, and creating the application can take up to three working days.
2. Upload your certificate or degree with grades, translations and an English test result in uSis; some programmes also want a motivation letter and CV.
3. Pay $110 (€100). One fee covers several Leiden programmes, but an LUC application is charged separately.
4. Expect a decision within four to six weeks: admitted, conditionally admitted, or refused with reasons.
5. Confirm attendance in uSis. The visa procedure only starts after you confirm.

You can apply to at most two numerus fixus programmes a year, and meeting the requirements does not by itself give you a seat: the ranking after selection decides.

English requirements

Each programme sets its own minimum. For the International Studies bachelor's in The Hague:

• IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in every component;
• TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the new scale, or 80 for tests taken before 21 January 2026;
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with 169 in every component;
• PTE Academic 61, or LanguageCert Academic 65 (test-centre version only).

Leiden does not accept IELTS Academic Online, TOEFL Home Edition or TOEFL MyBest scores unless test centres in your country are closed for safety reasons. Results must be no more than two years old.

Master's programmes

Leiden runs 83 master's programmes, nearly all in English. Each programme page lists the bachelor's background, courses and English level it expects, so start there. A typical file includes your degree or a statement from your final year, a transcript, CV, motivation letter and English test.

The usual September deadline with a visa is 1 April, but the LExS scholarship closes much earlier: 1 December 2026 for 2027 entry. Our guide to master's in the Netherlands covers national rules.

Tuition fees

Only EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese nationals pay the reduced $3,150 (€2,771) for 2027/28; a Russian or Kazakh passport means the faculty's institutional fee.

Fees are set per academic year and can change each year of a multi-year programme.

LUC students live on campus in The Hague for their first two years. A studio costs about $900 (€790) a month, and the college estimates food, insurance, transport and study materials at $560–870 (€490–770) a month.

To compare Leiden with other Dutch institutions, see cost of studying in the Netherlands.

LExS and other funding

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is Leiden's main award for international master's students:

• eligibility: a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport and a full-time master's starting in September; Leiden Law School's non-advanced LL.M. and MSc programmes are excluded;
• value: a tuition reduction at one of five levels, $11,360, $17,030, $19,870, $21,010 or $21,570 (€10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500 or €19,000) a year;
• competition: about 25 awards a year against more than a thousand applications, aimed at roughly the top 10% of graduates;
• process: apply for the programme, then upload a motivation letter of up to 500 words under Scholarships in uSis; results arrive before the end of March.

LExS is not a full scholarship, and holders must still show living funds for the residence permit. Faculty selection committees decide the awards. Leiden is not among the universities taking part in the government's NL Scholarship for 2026/27. External options are collected in scholarships abroad 2026.

Housing in Leiden and The Hague

Leiden has no central campus and no halls of its own. It reserves a limited number of rooms for new international students each year, with priority for those staying a year or less (exchange and one-year master's). Bachelor's and two-year master's students are told to find their own housing: register with local housing organisations early and request a university room as a backup.

If you have not found a place before departure, Leiden advises you not to come and to consider deferring. Without an address you cannot register at the town hall, and registration is a condition of keeping a student residence permit.

Visa, residence permit and paying from Russia

Leiden files the residence-permit application with the IND (Dutch immigration service) as a recognised sponsor, but only after you confirm attendance in uSis. Leiden's own deadline for your documents and the $290 (€254) permit fee is 1 June for September and 1 December for February. The financial test follows the IND's 2026 norm, €13,569 ($15,410) for twelve months, plus any unpaid tuition. Booking the MVV sticker appointment in Moscow and what to bring are covered in our Dutch student residence permit guide.

Leiden's rules do not bar Russian applicants, and its diploma list treats the Russian certificate like any other. Knowledge-security checks do not affect Leiden students: there is no law yet, and in June 2026 the government discussed a narrow version for researchers and PhD candidates only. Tuition is paid into the university's account, so choose a legal transfer route before the invoice arrives; see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.

Leiden's admissions boards decide on admission; the IND decides on the residence permit.

Leiden compared with other Dutch universities

If Leiden is one of several options, the wider list of universities in the Netherlands is worth a look; the country page is study in the Netherlands, and the common Studielink rules are in applying to Dutch universities.

Timeline for a September 2027 start

1. By October 2026: choose a programme, check your certificate against Leiden's list and book IELTS or TOEFL at a test centre.
2. 1 October to 1 December 2026: master's applicants aiming for LExS apply for the programme and the scholarship.
3. By 15 January 2027: apply to numerus fixus programmes; upload grades by 31 January.
4. By 1 April 2027: apply to other programmes if you need a visa.
5. April to May: receive the decision, confirm attendance, start the housing search.
6. By 1 June: residence permit documents and fee; over the summer, pay tuition and book the embassy appointment for the MVV.

Common mistakes

• Assuming any certificate will do. Without straight 5s you need 70+ in each of four EGE exams.
• Applying for International Relations and Organisations or Psychology in April. These are numerus fixus programmes with a 15 January deadline.
• Taking IELTS Online. Leiden expects a test-centre result.
• Counting on LExS to cover tuition. The maximum reduction is $21,570 (€19,000) a year; the rest and living costs are yours.
• Waiting until admission to look for housing. University rooms are scarce and go to short-stay students first.

FAQ

Can I get into Leiden straight after Russian school?

Yes, if your certificate meets Leiden's rule: straight 5s plus the EGE, or at least 70 points in mathematics, Russian and two electives. With lower results, Leiden suggests first completing a year at a research university in your home country.

How much does Leiden cost for non-EU students?

For 2027/28, a bachelor's costs from $16,690 (€14,700) a year in humanities, social sciences and law up to $35,650 (€31,400) for Medicine. Master's fees start at $26,000 (€22,900); science costs $26,460 (€23,300), Medicine and Pharmacy $38,610 (€34,000).

Does Leiden teach in English?

Yes. Master's teaching is almost entirely in English, and English-taught bachelor's programmes include International Studies, International Relations and Organisations, Psychology and the LUC programme in The Hague. Dutch-taught programmes require proof of Dutch.

What IELTS score does Leiden require?

It depends on the programme. International Studies asks for IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with 6.0 in every component; other programmes may ask for more. The test must be taken at a centre and be no older than two years.

Does Leiden provide student housing?

There are no university halls. The few rooms Leiden sets aside go first to students staying a year or less, so bachelor's and two-year master's students should search independently. LUC students are the exception and live on the college campus in The Hague.

Is Leiden University the same as Webster University Leiden?

No. Leiden University is a Dutch public research university awarding Dutch degrees. Webster University Leiden is a private campus of an American university with its own admission rules and fees.

Can StudyU help me apply to Leiden?

Programme selection, requirement checks, document preparation, the application and visa support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Leiden University decides on admission, the faculty committee on LExS, and the IND on the residence permit.

Sources

• Leiden University: diploma requirements 2027/2028 (PDF), bachelor's admission requirements and numerus fixus
• Leiden University: application procedure and fee, bachelor's deadlines, master's deadlines
• Leiden University: bachelor's tuition 2027/28, master's tuition 2027/28, LUC fees and finances
• Leiden University: language requirements (PDF), International Studies requirements
• Leiden University: LExS, visas and residence permits, housing, facts and figures
• IND: study amounts 2026, fees; NetherlandsWorldwide: MVV in Russia
• Study in NL: NL Scholarship participants 2026/27; Minister of Education's letter on screening, 11 June 2026; THE World University Rankings 2027: Leiden University

Facts checked on 1 October 2026. Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 30 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1355), rounded to $10.

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