GP for international students in Leiden
English-speaking GP in Leiden for students: free registration, Aon billed directly, same-day chat answers, lab and ultrasound in-house, your home medication continued. 4–6 min by bike from campus.
Quick answer. If you study in Leiden for more than a short visit, register with a GP (huisarts): you need one for prescriptions, referrals and anything that is not an emergency. HeyDoc is an English-speaking practice at Lammenschansweg 15B, 4 to 6 minutes by bike from the university buildings in the city centre. Registration is free, you can book an appointment as soon as it is processed, Aon Student Insurance is billed directly by us, and you reach your own GP through chat with a same-day answer. The medication and care you were used to at home can usually be continued without a gap; just bring the boxes or a list.
How to register: three steps
- Complete the form on register (in English, about 5 minutes). No BSN yet? Register anyway and we add it later.
- Book your first appointment straight away; your patient portal is active as soon as the registration is processed.
- Bring a valid ID (passport, ID card or residence permit) and your insurance details to that first visit for the legally required identity check at the front desk.
Why students register with us
Most GP practices still work the way they did twenty years ago: you call between 8 and 10, you explain your problem to the assistant, you get an appointment in a few days, and then you explain the same problem again to the doctor. For a student with a straightforward question that is a waste of a morning and a missed lecture.
At HeyDoc you send a message to your own GP from your phone. Add a photo of the rash, the test result or the medication box, say what you need, and we set it in motion. A photo is often enough. You only tell your story once, to the doctor. If we need to see you, we plan it in, usually the same or the next day; if not, you get your answer or your prescription without coming in. We answer chat messages the same working day.
Mental health questions are welcome too. Life is heavy enough these days, and exam stress, homesickness, sleep problems and low mood are exactly what a GP and our practice nurse for mental health (POH-GGZ) are for. There is no waiting list for that at HeyDoc. One thing to know: for mental health we prefer a video call or a visit over chat, because text misses the tone and pauses a doctor listens for.
From the consulting room
Our practice is very international, and students are a big part of that. What I have learned from them: the question they need help with most is not a new illness, it is keeping the care they already had going. Contraception, ADHD medication, an antidepressant that finally works, an inhaler, thyroid tablets. In your home country that was settled; here it suddenly feels uncertain. It does not have to be. Send a photo of the box or a list with doses, and we continue it after a short check. Some medicines have a different name or dose in the Netherlands and a few are not registered here; finding the equivalent is our job.
The second thing is trust. The Dutch system works a little differently (the GP as gatekeeper, fewer antibiotics, referrals only when there is a medical reason), and stories about the "paracetamol doctor" travel fast in student houses. In my experience it is not as bad as the stories, and I would rather you ask one question too many than assume the worst. Most students relax after the first couple of contacts, once they have seen that a chat message gets a real answer from their own doctor the same day.
Amir Mirrezai, GP at HeyDoc in Leiden
Insurance: what you need to arrange (usually nothing)
- Aon Student Insurance. HeyDoc is a contracted provider. We bill Aon directly; you do nothing and you never see an invoice. Aon is the only international insurer we bill directly.
- Dutch basic insurance (basisverzekering). GP care is fully covered and does not count towards your deductible (eigen risico). Lab tests we order and medication may.
- EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) or travel insurance. You pay the consultation first, via a payment link (iDEAL, Dutch bank transfer, or credit card including American Express), and claim it back from your insurer with our invoice.
- Other international insurers. Same as EHIC: you pay via the payment link and claim it back. Message us before you register if you are unsure how your policy works.
Not sure which insurance you need as a student in the Netherlands? Study in NL has a clear overview; in short, if you only study you usually keep your home insurance or Aon, and if you also work you need Dutch basic insurance.
No BSN yet? We can still help
Many students arrive before their BSN (citizen service number) is issued. The BSN is needed for a full registration, but it does not stop you from getting care. Until it arrives we see you as a passing-by patient and you pay per consultation (EUR 33.80 for 5 to 20 minutes, EUR 67.60 for longer, NZa tariff 2026); as soon as your BSN and insurance are in place we convert your file into a normal registration and nothing has to be repeated. Read more in passing-by patient or registered with a GP.
Cycling and walking times from student locations
Measured on OpenStreetMap routes from Lammenschansweg 15B at an ordinary cycling pace; most students will be a minute or two faster.
| From | Distance | By bike | On foot | |---|---|---|---| | Kamerlingh Onnes Building (Law, Steenschuur) | 0.8 km | 4 min | 10 min | | Plexus student centre (Kaiserstraat) | 0.9 km | 5 min | 12 min | | Academy Building / Rapenburg | 0.9 km | 5 min | 12 min | | Lipsius (Humanities, Cleveringaplaats) | 1.2 km | 6 min | 17 min | | Leidse Schans student campus (Bètaplein) | 1.0 km | 6 min | 13 min | | Leiden Lammenschans station | 0.9 km | 6 min | 11 min | | Leiden Centraal station | 2.1 km | 12 min | 28 min | | LUMC | 2.5 km | 12 min | 32 min | | Pieter de la Court (Social Sciences, Wassenaarseweg) | 2.8 km | 13 min | 37 min | | Flanorpad student housing | 3.1 km | 15 min | 40 min | | Hogeschool Leiden (Zernikedreef) | 3.3 km | 16 min | 39 min | | Gorlaeus / Bio Science Park (Einsteinweg) | 4.3 km | 20 min | 48 min |
Bus lines 1, 3, 4 and 169 stop in front of the door. If you come by car there is parking directly in front of the practice.
Pharmacy
We send prescriptions digitally. Most of our patients use the Zuiderapotheek around the corner, but you choose: eFarma, Centraal Apotheek Leiden, Apotheek Luifelbaan, Apotheek Hulp der Menschheid or any other pharmacy in the Netherlands, for example one near your faculty or your room.
Service area
Registration is open to everyone who lives in Leiden or Leiderdorp; you do not need to live near the practice. A short overview of what we do for students is on our student doctor in Leiden page.
Care we commonly arrange for students
- Continuing medication you already use (contraception, ADHD, antidepressants, inhalers, thyroid), after a check
- Mental health support and the POH-GGZ pathway, in English, without a waiting list
- Contraception and sexual health, including STI testing
- Travel vaccinations and travel advice
- Blood tests, ECG and ultrasound in-house, often during the consultation itself
- Referrals to a specialist or physiotherapist when clinically indicated
Tests, waiting times and prescriptions always follow clinical assessment and Dutch guidelines; we do not promise outcomes here.
Practical contacts
| | | |---|---| | HeyDoc (office hours, Mon–Fri 07:00–19:00) | 071 781 0036 | | Huisartsenpost Limes (out of hours) | 088 427 47 00 | | HeyDoc evening/weekend line | 020 782 0153 | | Life-threatening emergency | 112 |
Frequently asked questions from international students
Can I register before I have a BSN? Yes. Register now, and until your BSN arrives we see you as a passing-by patient and you pay per consultation. Once the BSN and your insurance are in, we convert your file; nothing has to be repeated.
Can I keep taking the medication I brought from home? Usually yes, after a short check. Send a photo of the box or a list with doses through the chat. If a medicine has a different name or dose here, or is not registered in the Netherlands, we find the equivalent.
Does Aon cover the GP, and do I have to pay first? Aon Student Insurance covers GP care in full and HeyDoc bills Aon directly. You never pay upfront and never see an invoice.
How quickly can I see a doctor? Chat messages are answered the same working day. If you need to come in, it is usually the same or the next day; nobody has had to wait a week for an appointment with us.
Is there a waiting list for mental health support? Not at HeyDoc. Your GP and the POH-GGZ (practice nurse for mental health) see you within days, in English, and it does not count towards your deductible. For a psychologist or specialist mental health care outside the practice, regional waiting times can be weeks to months.
Next step
→ Register → How to register with a GP in the Netherlands → Contact / route
Written by Amir Mirrezai, GP at HeyDoc, Lammenschansweg 15B, 2313 DH Leiden. BIG 19917603001.