Student Visa
Students from EEA-countries, Monaco and Switzerland, do not need a student visa to enter Belgium.
All other students do have to apply for a visa.
If you are a non-EEA student, you are required under Belgian immigration law to obtain a long-term ‘D’ visa before you arrive in Belgium.
Please consult the nearest Belgian embassy or consulate.
Deadline
The visa procedure can take up to 3 months.
Therefore, we strongly recommend applying for your visa as soon as possible and by the middle of June at the latest.
We will not be able to provide visa support or provision of documents (such as the enrollment certificate) during our summer break from 13 July until 12 August.
If you submit your application after 30 July, the Immigration Office can no longer guarantee the visa will be delivered on time.
Required documents to apply for a visa
- Valid passport
- Permission of enrollment from Artevelde UAS
- Certificate of the absence of convictions (if you are over 21 years old)
- Medical certificate: this cannot be older than 6 months
- Proof of payment of the supplementary administrative fee
- Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
More information on visa requirements: Study in Flanders or Belgian Immigration Office.
When we accept your application, you will receive a document called 'permission to enrol'. With this document, you can then start your visa application.
Students from EEA-countries, Monaco and Switzerland, do not need a student visa to enter Belgium.
All other students do have to apply for a visa.
Please get in touch with the Belgian Embassy or consulate in the country where you are a resident. Be advised that there might be a waiting period - especially around the holidays! Usually, it takes about four weeks for a visa application to be processed, but it can sometimes take up to three months.
Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
When applying for a visa, you will need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your studies, residence, healthcare and repatriation.
There are a few ways you can go about this:
- Sponsor: someone who can prove they possess sufficient financial means and who takes responsibility for you for the next academic year. You must fill out Annex 32.
- Blocked account from Artevelde UAS: you transfer the full amount for the academic year to an escrow account of Artevelde UAS.
If you wish to use the blocked account from Artevelde UAS, you will need to pay €12 600 for one academic year.
Once we have received the transfer, we will email you the certificate of adequate resources to apply for your visa so that you can include this in your visa application. On arrival in Belgium, you open a Belgian bank account. Options are: KBC, Revolut, Wise…
In the case of your visa being rejected, Artevelde UAS will refund the total amount of the tuition fee (and blocked account) to the same account as the one you made the initial transfer with.
Please note that you will need to prove your sufficient means of subsistence each academic year.
More info
The Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation has an extensive page on studying in Belgium. You can also contact the Belgian Immigration Office if you have additional questions.
Registration in Ghent
As an international student staying in Ghent, you must report to the city's Migration Office as soon as possible. You can register online as well.
Registration is obligatory for all international students - no matter how long you're staying or what your home country is.
Insurance
All exchange students must be adequately insured while studying at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences.
You need:
- health insurance to cover any urgent medical costs you might need to pay while in Belgium;
- fire insurance, usually included when hiring a student room, but do check;
- civil liability insurance, in case you accidentally injure someone or damage someone's property.
As soon as you register, you are automatically insured for accidents on campus or on the way to campus.
If you cannot make your own insurance arrangements or have questions or doubts, feel free to contact our insurance department for assistance!