STARTING OR CONTINUING A MASTER DEGREE
- Are you a non-European Union national?
If your stay is three months or longer, you must apply for a long stay visa.
Classic procedure:
You must apply for a residency permit from the Belgian diplomatic or consular authorities for your usual place of residence. If it is granted, the residency permit will take the shape of a D-visa.
At this stage, you will be asked to pay around €200 to cover administrative fees for processing your D-visa request.
You will be able to enter Belgian territory using this visa.
- What documents must be submitted to the Belgian consulate?
Proof of registration on a course at your chosen higher education institution.
Proof of admission or pre-registration to the same type of programme.
Proof of registration to an admissions exam.
- Your secondary school (high school) end of studies diploma, Bachelor’s degree or Masters degree, alongside a transcript of your grades.
- Proof that you are the recipient of a grant or proof of independent financial means of support.
- A medical certificate.
- A police certificate proving you have not been convicted of any crimes or common law offences, if you are over the age of 21.
- How to prove you are able to support yourself financially?
- A commitment to the Belgian state and to yourself on behalf of a Belgian or foreign person with sufficient resources.
- Proof of legal, money-earning activities outside of the time normally given over to studies.
- Useful links:
- Office for foreigners: https://dofi.ibz.be
- Kingdom of Belgium - Foreign affairs: https://diplomatie.belgium.be
- Schengen Area: www.eurovisa.info
STARTING A PHD
Are you a researcher who is not an EU national selected by a research institution accredited in Belgium to undertake a research project within the framework of a “Convention d’accueil” (hosting agreement) between you and the accredited institution?
If you wish to stay in Belgium for more than 3 months, you must apply for a long-stay visa
- Classic procedure
You must apply for a residency permit from the Belgian diplomatic or consular authorities for your usual place of residence. If it is granted, the residency permit will take the shape of a D-visa.
At this stage, you will be asked to pay around €350 to cover administrative fees for processing your D-visa request.
You will be able to enter Belgian territory using this visa.
Within 8 days of your arrival, you must present yourself to the local authorities of your place of residence to obtain your residency permit.
- What documents must be submitted to the Belgian diplomatic authorities?
- A hosting agreement signed by an accredited institution in Belgium.
- A medical certificate.
- A police certificate proving you have not been convicted of any crimes or common law offences.
- Useful links:
- Office for foreigners: https://dofi.ibz.be
- Kingdom of Belgium - Foreign affairs: https://diplomatie.belgium.be
- Schengen Area: www.eurovisa.info