International Students Office

As a student from an EU/EEA member state you can study in Belgium in secondary or higher education. The application procedure for a residence permit and registration is as follows:

First contact the International Student Services of your educational institution. They collect all necessary documents. After that the educational institution will hand over the complete file to the International Students Office at GATE15 and plan an appointment. During this appointment the office at GATE15 will go through and finalize the file with you. Finally, your address is also checked by a police officer to see if you are actually staying in Belgium and at the reported address. Please note: this does not apply to ‘kotstudenten’, read on for this procedure.

To start a file, you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport or identity card
• A registration certificate from a recognized education institution: secondary or higher education 
• Proof of health insurance valid in Belgium
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A statement, or
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement

Are you a student from the Netherlands, France, Germany or Luxembourg? Then you can also opt to register as a “kotstudent”. In this case you keep the main residence (and therefore your registration) in your home country and you receive a residence document for Belgium. As a “kotstudent” you must present the following documents:

• A valid identity card or passport
• A registration certificate from a recognized educational institution: secondary education, higher education or full-time daytime education

As a student from an EU/EEA member state you can study in Belgium only in higher education. The application procedure for a residence permit and registration is as follows:

First contact the International Student Services of your educational institution. They collect all necessary documents. After that the educational institution will hand over the complete file to the International Students Office at GATE15 and plan an appointment. During this appointment the office at GATE15 will go through and finalize the file with you. Finally, your address is also checked by a police officer to see if you are actually staying in Belgium and at the reported address.

To start a file, you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• A D-visa, or the following documents:
  • Proof of payment of the federal contribution
  • Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• A medical certificate
• From the age of 21: proof of a blank criminal record from the country of origin

Yes, you must renew your residence permit annually.

As a student from a non-EU/EEA country, you must renew your residence permit every year. To renew your residence permit, go to the International Student Services of your educational institution in time to start this procedure. Just like with the original registration, your file will be processed, after which you will get an appointment with the International Students Office at GATE15.

Renew in time! You can request this at the earliest 3 months and at the latest 15 days before the expiration of your electronic foreigner card. Are you too late to apply for an extension? Then you may have to start a new residence application. When renewing your residence permit you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• Study progress form
• Health insurance in Belgium

EU-students also have to renew their residence permit every year. They can make an appointment for this at any city counter. When renewing your residence permit you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• Study progress form
• Health insurance in Belgium

A D-visa is a visa for a long stay in Belgium. Students from a non-EU/EEA country must apply before departure at the Belgian embassy in their home country.

If you’re returning home, you can pass on your return yourself, without having to go to the International Students Office. You are legally obliged to do so. You do this by filling out the online form ‘Vertrek naar het buitenland niet-Belg’ via the e-office on the website of the city of Antwerp. After you’ve filled this out, you’ll receive an email with information on how and when you can send your residence permit back to the city. Don’t forget to report this at the latest on the last day before your departure. Even if you go abroad for more than 3 months during your studies, you must also state this.

Note: Your departure cannot be registered after you have left. In addition, you may have to turn in your residence permit. 

Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333. If you are studying in Antwerp we suggest you contact the International Student Services of your educational establishment.

Complete the newcomer form if you have never stayed in Belgium before. Did you already register in Belgium before? Then complete this form to submit a new residence application. Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333.

You are from an EU / EEA country?

Then you can be employed throughout the year under the same conditions as Belgian students.

You are not from an EU / EEA country?

Then you can work in Belgium if you:

• follow a complete course in Belgium
• have a valid residence permit.

A distinction is made between working during the school year or during the holidays. During the school year you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week. This restriction does not apply during the holidays. More info via werk.be.

Are you from a neighboring country and only registered as a “kotstudent”? Then the student desk can immediately request your personal digital key for Student@Work. Do you want to request this later? You can make an appointment at a city counter of your choice. Choose theme “identity” and then “digital key code”.

For all other questions, you can get help from the International Student Services of your educational institution. If your educational institution cannot help you, you can also directly contact the Immigration Affairs office in Deurne. You can find the contacts, address and opening hours here.

Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333.