Belgium Student Visa: Requirements, Documents & Steps (2026/27)

To study in Belgium for more than 90 days as a non-EU student, you need a long-stay type D student visa, applied for in person at the Belgian embassy or visa centre responsible for your country of residence. You need an admission certificate from a Belgian institution, proof of at least €1,062 per month for 2026/27, health insurance, a medical certificate and a criminal record extract.

This guide gives you the full checklist, the fees, processing times and the steps after arrival. It also covers the specific route for Afghan nationals, who apply through Pakistan. If you have not applied to a university yet, read how to apply to universities in Belgium first.

Which visa do you need?

The student visa is a type D long-stay visa (an authorisation of provisional stay). According to Study in Flanders, you must obtain it before travelling and you should not come on a tourist visa. The same national visa applies whether you study in Flanders or in the French Community.

There are two legal routes. Students at public or recognised institutions fall under Article 58 of the Aliens Act. Students at private institutions fall under Article 9, which is a different, discretionary procedure. Most English-taught programs at Belgian universities fall under Article 58, which is what this guide describes.

Check this before you apply. Private schools such as some business schools in Brussels and Antwerp can be excellent, but their students follow the Article 9 route, and the document list and decision process differ. If your institution is private, ask its admissions office which procedure applies and use your embassy's page for private institutions.

Belgium student visa document checklist

The Belgian Embassy in Islamabad lists the following for Article 58 students. Bring one set of originals, and check your own embassy's page because each post can add details.

1. 1.The Visa on Web application form with a photo.
2. 2.A passport valid for at least one year, plus a copy of your ID.
3. 3.Proof of payment of the Immigration Office administrative fee, if it applies to you.
4. 4.The certificate from your Belgian institution, drawn up on the Immigration Office's standard model.
5. 5.Your original diplomas and certificates.
6. 6.Proof of health insurance covering all risks in Belgium.
7. 7.A medical certificate from an embassy-approved doctor, handed to you in a sealed envelope.
8. 8.A criminal record extract if you are 18 or older.
9. 9.Proof of sufficient means (see below).

Proof of funds: how much money do you need?

For 2026/27 the minimum is €1,062 net per month, or €12,744 per year. The amount is set and indexed every year by Royal Decree, and the 2027/28 amount is not published yet. In the French Community, institutions also require a detailed financial plan that covers your registration fees.

Fees

• Visa fee: at the Embassy in Islamabad the type D study visa rose from €180 to €250 for appointments after 30 June 2026. D visas for cooperation scholarship students cost €0. Fees differ by country, so check your own embassy's page.
• Immigration Office administrative fee: a separate fee may apply. Some scholarship holders are exempt (for example WBI MASTER IN grantees). Check the current amount on the Immigration Office website before paying; we could not verify the current figure.
• Visa centre service fees: applications are lodged through external providers such as VFS Global or Gerry's. The Embassy in Islamabad says all fees are paid to VFS/Gerry's and nobody else may charge you.

Step by step: applying for the visa

1. 1

   Get admitted and accept your offer

   You need the institution's certificate on the standard model. See our admission requirements guide.

2. 2

   Arrange proof of means

   Open a blocked account, get a bank guarantee, scholarship letter or Annex 32 sponsor commitment.

3. 3

   Get the medical certificate and criminal record extract

   Use a doctor approved by the embassy. Start early, because translations and legalisation may be needed.

4. 4

   Fill in the form on Visa on Web

   Create an account on Visa on Web, complete the D visa form and submit it. The online form is valid for 30 days.

5. 5

   Book your appointment

   After submitting, you are redirected to the visa centre's booking site. In Pakistan, appointments are only made through the Visa on Web portal.

6. 6

   Attend in person and give biometrics

   Fingerprints are taken from applicants aged 6 and over, and your photo is taken live. Bring the printed form, documents and fees.

7. 7

   Track your file

   Use the visa centre's tracking service and the Immigration Office 'My file' tool with your file number.

How long does a Belgian student visa take?

Belgian authorities must decide within 90 days of the date the embassy issued the receipt (Annex 33ter) for a complete file. Study in Flanders notes that the normal procedure can easily take six to eight weeks and that appointment schedules fill up in certain periods. Apply as soon as you have the admission letter and proof of means; do not wait until August.

Applying from Afghanistan

Belgium's official competence list names the Belgian Embassy in Islamabad as the post responsible for long-stay visas for Afghanistan. Applications are lodged at VFS Global centres in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Long-stay visas cannot be lodged with another Schengen country's embassy.

• Afghans in Iran: the Belgian Embassy in Tehran says Afghan nationals must as a rule apply via Islamabad. Tehran only accepts certain family cases, not student visas.
• Kabul: the Belgian honorary consulate in Kabul is closed, and the honorary consuls in Lahore and Karachi cannot issue visas or legalise documents.
• Contact: the Embassy answers visa questions only by email at [email protected], not by phone.
• Documents: the Embassy does not legalise Afghan documents; Afghan documents submitted with a visa application are accepted in the state in which they are presented.

Health insurance

You must show health insurance covering all risks in Belgium. If you cannot attach proof covering at least three months, your D visa is limited to four months, and you must show insurance to the municipality at least 15 days before it expires. After arrival, non-EEA students should join a Belgian health insurance fund with their proof of enrolment.

After arrival: registration and the A-card

Within 8 days of arriving, register at the municipality where you live. You need permanent accommodation. Bring your passport with visa D, your institution's registration certificate, proof of insurance, photos, your rental contract and proof of solvency. You will receive an A-card residence permit valid until the end of the academic year.

Renew the A-card every year, starting 90 days and no later than 15 days before it expires, and do not let it expire while you are abroad. With a valid permit you may work up to 20 hours per week during term; see work and stay in Belgium after graduation.

Common reasons for refusal and delays

• Insufficient or unclear funds: sponsor documents not legalised, or a sponsor whose solvency cannot be shown.
• Incomplete files: the 90-day decision period only starts for a complete file.
• Fraudulent documents: the Embassy in Islamabad warns that fake documents lead to refusal.
• Using agents: the Embassy advises preparing the file yourself and says it does not work with any agent or consultant.
• Wrong procedure: private institutions follow the Article 9 route, which is not the automatic Article 58 student route.

Plan your budget with our cost of studying in Belgium guide and prepare your papers with the documents and legalization guide. To avoid missing an application deadline before the visa stage, track deadlines for free on FindUniPath.