Do You Need a Visa to Study in Belgium?
All Students residence in or from a European Union Member State or from a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) are not in any way required to obtain a student visa for them to study in Belgium. But are required to have and carry their national identity card, which they would have to show to the customs officer on their arrival to Belgium. If you happens to be a student from the EU member states, you would still have to fulfill some certain and important criteria to study in Belgium, which include:
- Getting yourself Enrolled at an approved university/educational institution in Belgium,
- Sufficient funding source that would enable you to live in Belgium without having to need income support,
- Comprehensive health bill cover.
Students resident in the People’s Republic of China would be required to obtain an academic evaluation certificate hich is issued by the Academic Assessment Centre (APS) before they can be authorized to enroll in any higher education institution in Belgium. This APS certificate would be required to be able to obtain a student visa for Belgium. The APS evaluation examination consists of a technical review of your diploma and an interview. In some certain cases, you may be exempted from going through this interview.
How to Apply for a Student visa to Study in Belgium
Before you even start applying for a student visa for Belgium, you must have been accepted onto a course at an accredited educational institution, and also paid the registration fees (this payment would be refunded if your visa application wasn't accepted). If you are reading this as an international student, you would need to contact the nearest Belgian embassy to you or consulate in your country. The embassy will then be able to help you determine if you need a student visa or not, and will also guide you through applying for the visa.
All information you would need concerning Belgian visa applications are highlighted on the website of the Foreigners Department of the Federal Public Service (FPS) for Home Affairs, which is available to read in 3 languages, French, Dutch and English. As an international student, you would be required to apply for a national long-stay visa (D visa), this D visa allows you to stay longer than 90 days in Belgium.
The steps to obtain a visa for Belgium varies and this depends on the Belgian consulate or embassy you have available to you. You would have to fill in a visa application form and submit same with an application fee along with all the other required documents (see below). Student applicants from some countries may be required to make an appointment with their consulate in order to make their visa application. It is also in some case possible that some embassy may work with an external service provider who helps carry out most of the administration tasks – an additional service fee may be charged in this case.
What are the visa requirements for Belgium?
To be considered for student visa for Belgium, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A correctly filled, completed and signed visa application form (its best to hold more than one)
- A traveling passport or similar travel document which is still valid for more than 12 months. In some countries the passport is required to be no more than 10 years old, and have two empty successive pages facing each other.
- Proof that you have sufficient financial funds or support that would last for the duration of your stay. This funds must cover your accommodation costs, healthcare, living expenses, and study as well as the cost of your return ticket. This proof can also be in the form of a certificate stating you have received a scholarship or grant, a written and signed agreement of financial responsibility from your sponsor and also their bank statement, or your personal bank statement showing you have sufficient funds to sustain you during your stay in Belgium.
- A medical certificate would also be required stating you don’t have any diseases that may endanger public health (infections such as Tuberculosis, and also diseases or infections that would require quarantine)
- A police certificate showing you have a good conduct and also confirming that you don’t have any prior criminal convictions (if you are aged above 21). If you are residence in the US, you might probably need an FBI background check, which could sometimes take up to five months to get.
- Proof of successful registration at a recognized higher education institution in Belgium (which should cover a full-time course of study, indicating that the candidate’s main aim in Belgium is just to study)
- Application for an equivalence diploma certificate conferred abroad (this is required for French Community education)
- Original and certified copy of your previous diploma, certificate obtained from your secondary level education, and also a certified copy of your academic record from your last year of secondary level education
- Copy of any and all previously obtained diplomas and certificates since the end of your secondary level education
- An employer’s statement stating the need for you to pursue higher education as part self improvement towards your work (this applies majorly to postgraduate students)
- Documentation giving a short description of the courses you intend to take at your institution of choice, with a brief explanation comparing those courses to the ones organized in your country of residence
You would also be required to provide a supporting letter explaining reasons behind your choice of course, why you intend to study in Belgium, and reasons why your choices will benefit you. You must also demonstrate that you have a good knowledge of the language you intend to study, by providing good proof of passing an internationally recognized language proficiency exam or a certificate issued at the end of education in your chosen language.
You can track the progress of your visa application using your reference number and also the location of your chosen consulate or embassy. The Belgian consulate considers visa applications on a case-by-case basis and has the final decision to accept or reject your visa application. You could appeal against this decision if your application got rejected.
If the embassy you submitted your visa application is unable to process your application for some reason, they could suggest you apply for a tourist visa, which is very much easy for them to issue. If this is your case, ensure they give you a written statement stating that they advised you to apply for a tourist visa instead of a student visa, this statement or supporting documents will allow you to be able to exchange your tourist visa for a student visa once you reach Belgium, and also allow you to register at your chosen higher education institution.
When you arrive in Belgium
All students (including those from the EU states) must take a quick visit to the local municipal administration within the first eight days of your arrival in Belgium. You will then be given a residence permit which would allow you to stay in Belgium and also enables you entrance to the Schengen States without a visa for a period not exceeding 3 months. You can always apply to renew your residence permit yearly, and this must be done early approximately 30 to 45 days before its expiry date.
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