Your stay in Belgium

Conditions for staying in Belgium (non-EU students)

To enter Belgium, foreign students need to have in their possession a temporary resident permit (autorisation de séjour provisoire or ASP). They can obtain this at a Belgian embassy / consulate in their home country.

An ASP is granted on the basis of the following documents:

• The ULB admission decision, or, where applicable, proof of having registered for the special admission exam in engineering.

• Proof of sufficient financial means; the minimum monthly amount demanded is currently around 525 €.

• A medical certificate.

• A certificate of good conduct (if older than 21).

• A valid passport.

• A duly filled-in visa application.

Registering in the aliens register

Within three days of arriving in Belgium, the student must go personally to the Citizens' Registration Office (Aliens) (Service Population (section Étrangers)) of the commune in which he will be living, taking with him:

• his student visa (D visa);

• his national passport;

• proof that he is registered at the ULB;

• proof of residence ((a document from the landlord or a rent receipt);

• 3 recent ID photos;

The commune will then issue a declaration of arrival (déclaration d'arrivée or DA), made out for the duration of the visa. Registration in the Citizens' Register (registre de la Population) can be done by the Aliens Office and the student will be given an alien ID card, renewable during course duration.

Health insurance

In Belgium, personal health insurance is mandatory, and students must belong to a health insurance of their choice. This means that, should they have any health problems, they can go to the doctor's and be reimbursed for most of the medical costs incurred. More details will be provided on registration.

In addition, students registered at the University benefit from a third-party liability group insurance policy covering all accidents associated with their university work.

Study grants

Study grants may be awarded by certain bodies (Belgian, EU, national or international).

The ULB is not involved in awarding such grants. Students should get into direct contact with their national authorities, which can give them details on availability, award criteria, etc., in the context of cultural or cooperation agreements.

Proficiency in French

To be eligible for exams for a Bachelor degree or an upper secondary teaching qualification (Agrégation), students must be able to prove that they have sufficient command of the French language.

Additional information