Leiden University strives to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees. On this page, you'll find information about what to do in case of illness, pregnancy, functional limitations, and mental well-being, as well as the support available to you.

Are you an international researcher working for Leiden University? Please note that you probably are legally obliged to take out health insurance. Here you will find if you need a public or a private health insurance, and how to apply for it.

If you wish, you can take part in the collective health insurance scheme offered by Leiden University and Zorg en Zekerheid. This scheme offers a collective discount, for you and your family.

The most common problem areas PhD students face are listed below, as well as how one can begin to fix these problems.

At many university locations the health, safety and environment tasks are coordinated by the General Services Department (UFB). The Faculty of Sciene has its own HSE-service. You can contact your health and safety coordinator (HSE coordinator) for advice and information on working conditions. In most…

Personal development

The ‘Engagement with Society’ ambition is closely linked to the ‘Employability Enhancement’ and ‘Skills’ ambitions. Introducing students to social issues often gives them immediate insight into the job market they will enter. And working on social issues gives them the opportunity to develop skills…

The University Sports Centre (USC) offers more than 55 sporting activities and classes. Staff members are entitled to a huge discount on membership of the USC.

Leiden University has its own childcare centre, De Kattekop. The fiftysix available places are reserved for Leiden University staff and students. The childcare centre is open to children aged eight weeks to four years.

During an evacuation, all employees and students gather at the greens near the beach volleyball fields, next to the University Sports Centre.

The Service Centre International Staff provides advice and different types of services to all international employees and guest researchers that come to pursue their academic career in Leiden.

A healthy and happy society. This is what researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences are working towards, together with a selection of partners from different disciplines and regions. To further structure research about Health and Well-being, the faculty has identified three focus area’s. Researchers…

Gorlaeus Building, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden

During an evacuation, all employees and students gather at the courtyard.

, Einsteinweg 6, 2333 CC, Leiden

Willem Einthoven, Kolffpad 1, 2333 BN, Leiden

Kamerlingh Onnes Building, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES, Leiden

Can kindness training increase political tolerance? And how can we better support children with selective mutism? During the Health@FSW knowledge market and exchange event on 26 May 2025, researchers from all five institutes showcased how their work aligns with the faculty’s research strategy and contributes…

It appears from a study conducted by Independer and Q&A Research that at least one in five Dutch people think you can be refused basic health insurance if you have health problems.

Network meeting

In general, there are significant health disparities between people with low and high incomes, particularly in countries with an extensive welfare state like the Netherlands. PhD candidate Janna Goijaerts researched how the organisation of the welfare state affects the health of vulnerable people.

LUMC Main Building, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden

Beehive Student Centre, Turfmarkt 104, 2511 DC, The Hague

Wijnhaven, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, The Hague

The city of Leiden is enriched by a dense infrastructure of knowledge institutes, with a uniquely strong focus on health and well-being. This gives Leiden "an extremely good starting position to become the healthiest city in the Netherlands," according to Fleur Spijker (Alderman for Economy, Knowledge,…

Positive expectations about treatment increase the likelihood of success. The new Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies Leiden is therefore promoting research on the placebo effect and offering expertise and training for care providers. At the opening, the founders demonstrated their VR communications…

Better health for all the residents of The Hague region. This is the mission of Health Campus The Hague – formerly LUMC Campus The Hague. Eight partners – the LUMC, Leiden University, the municipality of The Hague and five healthcare institutions (see box) – are collaborating intensively in healthcare…

The Minister has requested urgent advice from Sombroek-van Doorm in relation to the vaccination of children aged between 5 and 12 years against COVID-19.

Mirjam Sombroek, Aart Hendriks and Martine de Vries (LUMC) will work on mapping the ethical and legal aspects of gene therapy. The aim is to establish a best practice of how society can best deal with these therapies. For example with guidelines on how to regulate, reimburse and make these therapies…