Study Visa

This visa allows you to stay and study in Belgium. To avoid any disappointment, applicants are advised to submit their complete files at least 4 weeks before the intended date of departure.

From the 2 March 2015, Home Office in Brussels will ask applicants to pay an extra fee when applying for a visa D.

The additional fee will not be reimbursed if the visa has been refused and this fee is valid for the file only. Hence applicants, who have been refused, will have to pay the fee Again.

Following applicants do not pay the additional fee:

• Applicants under 18 years old
• Family members of a citizen of the European Union requesting family reunification (article 40bis or 47/1)
• If the person being joined is a recognized refugee in Belgium
• For more detailed information on additional fee exemptions please check www.dofi.fgov.be

These fees have to be paid directly on the bank account of Home Office and payment can be done by the Belgian spouse/parent/employer.

The fees have to be paid, in euro, on the bank account of the Home Office in Brussels

IBAN BE57 6792 0060 9235

BIC PCHQBEBB

Bank : BPOST SA, Centrum Monnaie, 1000 Bruxelles

Beneficiary : SPF Intérieur, Office des étrangers, Chaussée d’Anvers 59B, 1000 Bruxelles

The person paying has to indicate a reference for the payment:

• Name and first name of applicant,
• Nationality of applicant,
• The date of birth of applicant, and
• Travel purpose (for.ex. ART 10, ART 40, ART 9 etc)

The reference of the payment needs to have this structure:

Name_First Name_Nationality_DD.MM.YYYY_Article(mention article of the Law of 15.12.1980)

Applicants applying for Belgium Long Stay Visa (D Visa) Category are requested to appear in person at the visa application center to register their biometrics which includes scans of all fingerprints and live digital photo.

In case you have already submitted your fingerprints for a previous Schengen visa application in the last 59 months, you are not required to submit them again.

However, If you are uncertain whether your fingerprints have been captured for a Schengen visa within the last 59 months, you are advised to appear in person.

Kindly note that, if it would appear that the fingerprints prove not to be present in the VIS system, you will be asked to reappear in person for new biometric data collection. To avoid this possible complication, you have the right to ask for your fingerprints to be taken again.

Please note:

• The applicable visa fee in LBP is as per the current exchange rate. It is subject to change without notice due to sudden foreign exchange fluctuations.
• Applicant shall be levied a service charge of euro 23.5 paid in LBP as per the exchange rate per application over and above visa fees (all applicable taxes included).

All fees are non-refundable.

Visa D - STUDENT (more than 90 days)

Student wishing to pursue higher education, in an educational establishment organized, recognized or subsidized by the public authorities (Art 58) or a private school (Art 9)

File to be presented in 1 original and 2 copies

Required documents:

1. National passport into which a visa can be affixed and which is valid for more than 12 months
2. Completed and signed national Belgian visa application form with 2 recent color photograph (3.5x4.5) with white background glued
3. Copy of proof of payment of the contribution covering administrative costs or proof of exemption. https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/EN/Application-guides/Pages/Administrative%20fee.aspx
4. Copy of the identity page of your passport
5. Original registration at an officially recognized educational establishment * (school or university) in Belgium, mentioning one of the following (+1 copy) :
   
   • A definite enrolment
   • A (temporary) admission to the studies
   • An inscription to the entrance exam

6. Proof that you satisfy the conditions for access to higher education (diploma, academic record, attestation that account is being taken of the application for equivalence or decision or dispatch of equivalence)

   Sufficient financial means can be proven by  one of the following means:

7. Original of Letter of guarantee model 32 1 copy https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/FR/Documents/Annexe_32.pdf  

   letter of guarantee is not required for students who are the beneficiaries of an official scholarship of minimum 654 €/month. The original proof of that scholarship (+ 1 copy) will be sufficient.

   • In case that the guarantor is a Belgian or a foreigner residing in Belgium.

   a) letter of guarantee model 32, legalized by the city hall in Belgium where the guarantor resides (+ 1 copy)

   b) certificate of residence issued by the city hall in Belgium and/or a recto-verso copy of the identity card.

   c) Family composition issued by the city hall in Belgium

   d) proof of regular and sufficient income of the guarantor of at least 1.190,27 Euro/month + 654 euro for the student + 150 Euro/month per person already at the charge of the guarantor (+ 1 copy)

   • In case that the guarantor is a Belgian or a foreigner residing abroad

   a) letter of guarantee model 32, legalized by The Belgian Embassy or Consulate in the country where the guarantor resides (+ 1 copy)

   b) copy of the bio-page of the passport and/or a copy of the residence permit.

   c) proof of regular and sufficient income of the guarantor of at least 1.190,27 Euro/month + 654 euro for the student + 150 Euro/month per person already at the charge of the guarantor (+ 1 copy)
   

   OR

8. Financial certificate from the University which mentions that a certain amount for the living expenses has already been deposited.

   OR

9. Sufficient proof of personal financial means
10. Medical certificate (+1 copy) attesting that the applicant is not carrying any of the diseases which might endanger public health.

11. Certificate attesting to the lack of any convictions for crimes or offences under common law if the applicant is older than 21 years of age  

    * If the school is a private institute, additional documents must be provided (see annex).
    

Remarks:

1. Additional documents, even if not featured in the list above, may be required by the Embassy during the process
2. The visa fee are non-refundable if the visa is denied.
3. A later change to the purpose of the visit is not admissible. A prolongation of the visa is not possible. In both cases, a new application has to be entered.
4. For more detailed information on supporting documents, processing times, tracking the progress of your visa application, legal background and other immigration related topics, please refer to the website of the Immigration Office of Belgium: https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/EN/Applicationguides/Pages/Study.aspx

ANNEX

STUDENTS IN NON-RECOGNIZED INSTITUTIONS (PRIVATE SCHOOLS)

Non-recognized institutions are schools that are not organized, recognized or subsidized by the Belgian government. Your school will be able to inform you if the Belgian Ministry of Education has recognized it or not. When in doubt, please provide the additional documents to avoid the loss of valuable time.

Required documents:

The same documents will be required as for a student in a recognized institution (see above). However, in this case, the original ‘certificate by an officially recognized educational establishment’ must be replaced by an original ‘proof of enrolment in a Private School’. In addition to that, the student must present and undergo the following

MUST PRESENT

1. A  copy of diploma of completed secondary education, permitting higher education (+ 1 copy).
2. A motivation letter, extensively documented, with a detailed description of the courses he wishes to follow in the private institution. Special care must be taken to illustrate the specific character of the courses in Belgium compared to similar courses that might be available in the country of origin (+ 1 photocopy). If applicable, join 2 copies of all diplomas obtained since the end of the secondary education including all additional courses taken in-country or abroad, even private ones.
3. If applicable, a proof of sufficient knowledge of the language in which the chosen courses in Belgium are conducted (French, Dutch or English) by producing report cards on which the grades for that language are noted (+ 2 photocopies).
   

MUST UNDERGO

A short interview with a member of the staff of the visa section Comments on sufficient language proficiency from the diplomatic mission where the application is filed will be taken in account.

Click here for details information

Applicants are requested to submit their Application form with the new photo format, as explained below.

Sample Photograph:

General

• The photograph for each visa applicant must be an unmounted, full face photo, as displayed above
• The photograph must have been taken within the last six months.
• The photograph must be submitted glued to the application form

Photo Size

The photo for each visa applicant submitted must measure:

• 3.5 cms x 4.5 cms with the head centered in the frame.
• The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure about 3 cms

Photo Appearance

• The photograph must be a full-face front view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly.
• Face should cover about 60-70 percent of the photo area.
• The photograph MUST be in color and have only a white background. Photos with dark, busy, or patterned backgrounds will not be accepted.
• General, the applicant's head, including both face and hair, should be shown from the crown of the head to the tip of the chin on top and bottom and from hairline side-to-side. It is preferable that ears be exposed
• Photograph depicting a person wearing a traditional facemask or veil that does not permit adequate identification is not acceptable

Note: Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements your application will be considered incomplete. Kindly download the Photo Specification file for more information.

Don’t wait until the last moment to submit your visa application
The decision making time might be longer during some periods (summer months, holiday season). Therefore, make sure to submit your visa early enough.

Submit a complete file
Read attentively the information about the necessary documents to be provided before submitting your file. If the Consulate needs to ask for additional documents before being able to take a decision or before sending your file to the Immigration Office, you might not receive your visa on time.