Leiden University Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Leiden University Application Deadlines for Indian Students

Leiden University runs two intakes per year, with September as the primary intake where almost all bachelor’s and master’s programmes open. The February intake is smaller and limited to selected master’s programmes. Non-EU applicants needing a visa get a firm 1 April cut-off for September starts. The table below shows the live cycles, per the official Leiden University deadlines page.

• Application Portal: Studielink to uSis
• Application Fee: EUR 100 (INR 10,700)

Leiden’s primary intake for Indian students is September - most programmes open here.

Planning note: The February 2027 intake has only a two-week window after Studielink opens. Most Indian applicants target the September 2027 primary intake instead, which gives a full six months to assemble documents.

Leiden University Eligibility Requirements for Indian Students

Eligibility at Leiden is decided by the Board of Admissions of each faculty, based on academic equivalence and English proficiency thresholds.

• The university does not publish a fixed percentage cut-off but evaluates Class XII or Bachelor’s transcripts holistically.
• Indian applicants must clear both the academic floor and the English floor below.

Leiden University Bachelor’s Eligibility Floor

• Academic: Class XII from CBSE, ISC or recognised state board, equivalent to Dutch VWO.
• Subject prerequisites: Some programmes require Mathematics or Science in Class XII.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with 6.0 per component, or TOEFL iBT 80.
• Cambridge: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, minimum 169 per component.

Leiden University Master’s Eligibility Floor

• Academic: Bachelor’s degree from a recognised research university in a related field.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 per component, or TOEFL iBT 90.
• Selective programmes (International Relations and Diplomacy, Advanced LLM): IELTS 7.0, TOEFL iBT 100.
• Test validity: results must be under two years old and from a single sitting.

Are there IELTS Waivers for Indian Applicants?

No. Leiden grants English exemptions only to applicants whose prior diploma is from the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, or Malta. Indian Class XII or Bachelor’s degrees, including those from English-medium schools, do not qualify for an MOI waiver. The university also does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake, IELTS General Training, or IELTS Indicator.

Also Check: Popular Scholarships to Study in the Netherlands

Leiden University PG Programs and Master’s Eligibility

Leiden offers around 80 English-taught master’s programmes across seven faculties. Base institutional tuition for non-EU master’s students sits at EUR 22,300 (around INR 23.86 Lakhs) for most faculties and EUR 22,500 (around INR 24.08 Lakhs) for Science and LUMC. Medicine and Pharmacy run higher at EUR 33,100 (around INR 35.42 Lakhs). For the full course-wise fees breakdown, see the dedicated Fees page.

Note: Program-specific entry requirements, fees, and intake availability may differ from the institution-wide minimums shown above. Always confirm on the official Leiden University master’s admission page for your chosen programme before applying.

Students can also check out the Netherlands visa requirements for Indian students. 

Leiden University UG Programs and Bachelor’s Eligibility

Leiden offers around 12 fully English-taught bachelor’s programmes, mostly in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts at Leiden University College, The Hague. Base tuition for non-EU bachelor’s is EUR 14,300 (around INR 15.30 Lakhs) for most faculties, EUR 18,700 (around INR 20.01 Lakhs) for Science, and EUR 17,570 + EUR 2,990 housing contribution (around INR 18.80 Lakhs plus INR 3.20 Lakhs) for the Liberal Arts programme at LUC.

Leiden University Admission Decisions and Offer Timeline

Once your application is complete on USis, the Board of Admissions issues a decision within four to six weeks. Indian applicants who apply earlier in the cycle generally get faster turnaround as document checks face less backlog. Three outcomes are possible.

• Admitted: a clean offer; you confirm attendance on USIS, and the visa workflow begins.
• Conditionally admitted: you must meet the listed conditions (final transcripts, IELTS upgrade) by a stated date.
• Not admitted: reasons are stated; reapplication for a later intake is allowed if eligibility gaps can be closed.

Deferral to a later intake is generally not offered as a single click. You would need to withdraw and reapply, with documents and fee resubmitted.

Also read: Cost of Living in the Netherlands for Indian Students 

Leiden University Documents Required for Indian Applicants

Documents are uploaded as PDF scans on uSis. Originals or certified copies are checked at enrolment. Plan for translations in advance, as Dutch institutions accept English transcripts directly but not Hindi or regional-language certificates.

• Passport: bio page scan with at least 18 months validity beyond intake start.
• Class XII certificate and marksheet (for bachelor’s) or Bachelor’s degree certificate and full transcript (for master’s).
• English test score: IELTS, TOEFL iBT, or Cambridge report sent or uploaded.
• Motivation letter of 500 to 1000 words, programme-specific.
• Curriculum vitae covering education, work, internships, and publications.
• Letters of recommendation: typically one or two academic referees for master’s.
• Passport-size photograph meeting Schengen biometric specifications.
• Portfolio if applying to art, design, or research-intensive programmes.

Leiden University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Leiden University does not publish an official institution-wide acceptance rate. Third-party estimates place it at around 60 to 65%, based on the ratio of admits to applications across English-taught programmes. The figure varies sharply by faculty and is far stricter at programme level. See the latest ranking band for context on global standing.

Where Indian Applicants Face Highest Competition

Numerus Fixus programmes (Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, undergraduate Psychology) cap intake yearly, with selectivity often falling below 25%. International Relations and Diplomacy and Advanced LLM programmes are equally competitive due to higher IELTS thresholds and small cohort sizes.

Where the Bar is Lower

Open-entry master’s like MSc Computer Science, MSc Astronomy, and MA Linguistics admit most applicants who meet the published academic and English floors. Strong Class XII or Bachelor’s grades, paired with a credible motivation letter, typically secure an offer.

Insider note: Leiden weights subject relevance over GPA percentage. An applicant with 68% in a tightly-matched discipline often beats a 75% applicant from a loosely related field.