How can I Get a Student Visa for Belgium?

Are you considering studying in Belgium? If so, depending on your nationality and how long you intend to study, you’ll need to apply for a student visa in Belgium.

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How to apply for a student visa in Belgium

Before applying for a student visa, you have to be accepted into a training course, an accredited educational establishment or one of the universities in Belgium. Additionally, you’ll pay a registration fee to one of the universities in Belgium (you will be refunded if your visa application is refused).

If you’re an international student, you’ll need to get in touch with the closest Belgian embassy or consulate in your country. The embassy will determine if you need a student visa and will guide you throughout your application process.

To learn more about applying for student visa in Belgium, visit the official website for the FPS Foreign Affairs. The website is available in English, Dutch and French.

Study in Belgium with Visa D

As an international student in Belgium, you’ll need to apply for a long-stay visa (Visa D). This type of visa allows you to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days.

The process of getting a Belgian student visa will vary depending on the Belgian consulate or embassy you are applying from. Whatever the case may be, you need to fill in an application, attach the required documents and pay your application fee.

In some countries, you may have to arrange an appointment with the embassy or consulate to apply. It should be noted, some consulates may hire external service providers for admission. It that case, you’ll have to pay extra service fees.

Belgium student visa requirements

To fulfill the requirements for a Belgian student Visa, you’ll have to provide the following documents:

A filled and signed application form (you may have to bring more than one)
A passport or travel document valid for more than 12 months. In some countries, your passport cannot exceed 10 years. Additionally, your passport has to have two adjacent blank pages.
Proof of sufficient income for the full duration of your time in Belgium. That will include the cost of living and studying in Belgium, health insurance and your return ticket. You can submit your proof of income in the form of a document stating that you have been granted a scholarship. In cases where you have a sponsorship, you need to get a financial responsibility agreement from your sponsor. You can also send a personal bank statement as proof that shows sufficient funds.
Health certificate that ensures that you are free from any dangerous diseases (Tuberculosis, conditions that require quarantine and other infectious diseases).
Letter of good standing from the police, which ensures that you have no previous convictions (if you’re above the age of 21)

Required documents for Student Visa in Belgium

Among the Belgian visa requirements is a student status report. For that reason, you may need the following:

Proof of your registration in an accredited educational establishment in Belgium. This must cover the entire full-time course of your studies. Furthermore, this will prove that your purpose or residence is to study in Belgium.
An approved original copy of your certificate of education or high school diploma. You’re also required to provide your academic record for your last year of high school.
Additionally, you need a copy of all the documents and certificates you received since graduating from high school.
You need a letter from your employer which states that it is necessary for you to complete your postgraduate studies as part of your job. This will only apply to postgraduate students.
A document stating all your university courses in detail. You also need to provide a comparison between the courses you take in Belgium and those in your home country.
All documents must be translated by a certified legal translator in one of the following languages: German, French, English or Dutch. After that, the documents have to be notarized in your country as separate documents. The documents will need to be notarized again by the Belgian consulate or embassy that you apply through.

Additional notes

The embassy or consulate may require additional documents that we did not mention. This will likely depend on your home country. Additionally, you need to issue a statement explaining why you chose a specific program. Furthermore, you need to state why you chose to study in Belgium and how this choice will benefit you.

You will need to provide proof of your proficiency in the language of instruction. You provide that by passing an accredited language test. Another option would be a certificate of language proficiency issued at the end of education.

Cost and processing time

A study visa to Belgium will cost €80. However, students from some countries benefit from visa facilitation agreements, and pay only €35 of visa fee. These countries include: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

For those who apply instead for a visa D, it will cost them a fee of €180. You can pay the visa fee at the Belgian embassy or consulate of your home country. The processing of the visa usually starts only once they receive the fee payment, so make sure to do it correctly. Processing time for a study visa in Belgium takes usually 15 days. But it can reach up to 30 or even 60 days during busy periods.