How To Apply For A Student Visa To Belgium

How To Apply For A Student Visa To Belgium – Are you a prospecting applicant wanting to have a wide multicultural environment and great academic opportunities? Belgium has many best universities making part of the global best universities.

Belgium forms part of the multilingual countries with different regions speaking French, Dutch, and German. As highly-rated courses are taught in various universities in Belgium, English is widely spoken in some top cities in Belgium.

Prospecting applicants are to note that not all international students require a student visa to study in Belgium.

In this post, we will highlight some international students who wouldn’t need a student visa before entering Belgium for his/her studies and also the steps involved in applying for a student visa to Belgium as well as other required documents.

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Apply to a Belgium university and get your acceptance letter

Applicants are to decide for themselves which University they want to have their studies before enabling the application process. After being accepted at a Belgium University, you’ll get an acceptance letter required for the visa application. Without an acceptance letter from any University in Belgium, applicants can’t apply for a student visa to Belgium.

Find out what type of visa you need to study in Belgium

International students who want to study in Belgium must need a visa and a residence permit.

Students from the EU/EFA and Switzerland do NOT need a visa or a residence permit.
Non-EU/EFA students need to apply for a D visa if they plan to stay in Belgium for 90 days or less. If the length of their studies is longer, they have to apply for the D visa and follow it with an application for a residence permit.

Analyse study opportunities in each Belgian Community

According to the Belgian system of admitting students through its student visa application, the federal state structure split into 3 communities is applied.

Flanders, the Flemish Community where Dutch is the main language
Wallonia, the French Community where French is the main language
The German Community, which is a lot smaller and has German as the main language

When and where to apply for a student visa in Belgium?

A Belgian student visa could be gotten at a Belgium consulate in your country.

Follow the steps below;

Apply for a visa at the local Belgium embassy or consulate in your home country.
For a longer-stay study visa/residence permit, it is recommended that you make an appointment at the embassy at least two months before your departure.
For a short-stay visa, make an appointment at least 3 weeks before your departure.

Language requirements for studying in Belgium

Applicants are to prove sufficient knowledge of the language in which their academic course is taught. If you are a native speaker, or if you finished your previous studies in the same language that is used as a medium of instruction for your chosen degree, you are exempted from the language requirement.

Below are the language eligibilities required for the Belgium student visa application;

English: TOEFL or IELTS
Dutch: Dutch NT2-II diploma
French: DELF or DALF
German: DSH or TestDaF

Required documents for the visa application in Belgium

The following are the required documents expected from prospecting applicants;

Passport (valid for three months longer than the visa)
Two original visa application forms
Acceptance letter from a Belgian university (usually the original document plus two copies)
Copies of educational certificates
Cover/motivational letter
Proof of sufficient financial means to cover all expenses during an academic year (670 EUR/month)
A medical certificate
A certificate of good conduct (or the local equivalent) if you are over 21 (including fingerprinting)
Visa application fee (70 EUR for short stay visa and 210 EUR for a long-stay visa)

Conditions to apply for a residence permit

Within 8 working days after your arrival in Belgium, reach the local municipal administration offices/town hall (maison communale/gemeentehuis) to register for a residence permit. This residence permit allows you to open a bank account, and apply for a work permit and you could also get insurance in Belgium.

Visit the official immigration office website here.

Frequently Asked Questions On How To Apply For A Student Visa To Belgium (FAQ)

Can I work in Belgium on a student visa?

Yes, students can work up to 20 hours per week on a Belgian student visa.

Can I work in Belgium after my studies?

Students can apply for a search-year resident permit after they have finished their studies. This permit allows students to work freely for any employer.

What is the processing time for a Belgian student visa?

Applicants may have their results within 15 days but it can also move beyond 15 days to get your Belgian student visa approved.

Below are links on how to apply for a student visa to other countries;

In this post, applicants were taken through the steps involved in applying for a student visa to Belgium coupled with the required documents.