The present invention relates to a method for liquefying hydrogen, the method comprises the steps of: cooling a feed gas stream comprising hydrogen with a pressure of at least 15 bar(a) to a temperature below the critical temperature of hydrogen in a first cooling step yielding a liquid product stream. According to the invention, the feed gas stream is cooled by a closed first cooling cycle with a high pressure first refrigerant stream comprising hydrogen, wherein the high pressure first refrigerant stream is separated into at least two partial streams, a first partial stream is expanded to low pressure, thereby producing cold to cool the precooled feed gas below the critical pressure of hydrogen, and compressed to a medium pressure, and wherein a second partial stream is expanded at least close to the medium pressure and guided into the medium pressure first partial stream.