How to Apply to Universities in Belgium (2027/28 Step-by-Step Guide)

To apply to a university in Belgium, you submit an online application directly on each institution's website, usually between November and March for a September start. There is no national portal like Germany's uni-assist or the Netherlands' Studielink. Each university checks your file, decides on admission and sends the letter you need for your student visa.

The rules differ between the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community and the French-speaking Wallonia-Brussels Federation. This guide explains both, gives you the official 2027/28 dates published so far, and shows a realistic timeline. New to Belgium? Start with our complete guide to studying in Belgium.

How applications work in each Community

Flanders (Dutch-speaking Community)

According to Study in Flanders, you apply directly to each Flemish institution. Applications generally open around November–December, some institutions charge an application fee, and deadlines are set per institution. If you are admitted, you receive an offer that you must accept to get the official admission letter.

For a bachelor's program you do not need an equivalence from NARIC-Vlaanderen. The institution itself decides on admission. You will usually need an access declaration (a form from the institution completed by your school) confirming that your diploma gives access to university in your country.

French Community (Wallonia-Brussels)

You also apply online on each institution's website. Study in Belgium recommends applying in February and before 31 March. If admitted, you receive an authorisation to enrol, which also states your fee. For a first-year bachelor's program you must additionally request an equivalence of your secondary diploma.

Official 2027/28 deadlines published so far

These are the non-EU dates on the official pages as of October 2026. Where a university has not yet published 2027/28 dates, we show last year's dates and say so.

Programs can have their own earlier dates. For example, the University of Namur's Specialized Master in International and Development Economics had a 28 February 2026 deadline for non-EU visa applicants in 2026/27, and Erasmus Mundus and other joint programs use separate procedures.

Universities of applied sciences

Hogescholen and hautes écoles follow their own calendars. For 2026/27, Howest opened applications on 1 January 2026 and set 1 May 2026 as the application and payment deadline for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Pakistan (1 June for other non-EEA visa applicants). Thomas More also runs a February intake for some English-taught bachelor's tracks: for a February 2027 start, non-EEA visa applicants applied from 21 September to 9 November 2026.

Application fees and deposits

• UCLouvain: €200 non-refundable for non-EU applicants without Belgian student status, deducted from tuition if admitted; maximum two applications per year.
• ULB: €200 administrative fee, payable by 31 March; your file is not examined without it.
• University of Liège: €200 administrative down payment, deducted from the fee if admitted.
• University of Mons: €200, which must reach UMONS within 15 days of submitting.
• VUB: €90 per application for applicants with a non-Belgian diploma, paid within 30 days.
• Ghent University and University of Antwerp: no application fee.
• Howest: €50 processing fee, then a €2,000 tuition deposit for admitted non-EEA students.

Step-by-step timeline for September 2027

1. 1

   September–October 2026: shortlist programs

   Use the Study in Flanders and Study in Belgium program finders. Note the Community, deadline and language requirement of each.

2. 2

   October–November 2026: language test and documents

   Book IELTS or TOEFL. Order transcripts and start translations and legalisation; this is often the slowest part. See our documents guide.

3. 3

   From 15 November 2026: equivalence (French Community bachelor's only)

   Send your secondary diploma equivalence file to the Service des équivalences. The 2027/28 window runs until 15 July 2027, but early filing avoids delays.

4. 4

   November 2026 – March 2027: submit applications

   Upload your diploma, transcripts, passport, CV, motivation letter and test results. Pay any application fee on time.

5. 5

   Spring 2027: receive decisions

   Processing can take from a few weeks to a few months. Ghent University says processing takes about 3 months. Accept your offer to receive the official letter.

6. 6

   Spring 2027: arrange proof of means

   Open a blocked account through your institution, or prepare a bank guarantee, scholarship certificate or Annex 32 sponsor.

7. 7

   As soon as you are admitted: apply for the visa

   Follow our Belgium student visa guide. Summer appointments fill up quickly.

What to upload with your application

Each institution has its own list, but Study in Belgium describes a typical master's file:

• Admission request form and a copy of your passport.
• Secondary school diploma and all higher-education diplomas, with full transcripts for every year.
• Certified translations when documents are not in an accepted language.
• Proof of your activities over the last five years and a motivation letter.
• Proof of English (most programs require B2).
• For a PhD: a thesis proposal and the supervisor's agreement.

Some Flemish universities verify degrees through an external service. Ghent University, for example, asks non-EEA applicants for a diploma verified via Qualification Check, and it requires GMAT or GRE for some master's programs when your degree is from outside the EEA.

After you are admitted: what happens next

Admission is only the first half of the process. In the French Community you receive an authorisation to enrol, which states the fee you will pay. In Flanders you receive an offer that you must accept to get the official admission letter, and pre-registration is done online once you accept.

For the visa, the institution issues a certificate on the Immigration Office's standard model. Several institutions also ask for money before they release visa documents. Howest, for example, asks admitted non-EEA students for a €2,000 tuition deposit, which is non-refundable unless the visa is refused (minus €100). Thomas More set a 23 November 2026 payment deadline for tuition and blocked account money for its February 2027 intake.

• Accept the offer and pay any deposit by the stated date.
• Open a blocked account through your institution if you have no sponsor or scholarship.
• Book your visa appointment immediately; summer slots fill quickly.
• Keep originals of every diploma: you will need them for the visa and for final enrolment in Belgium.
• At some universities (for example VUB) you must sign your study contract by a fixed date in October, so do not arrive late.

Tips for applicants from Afghanistan and Pakistan

Plan for extra time. Afghan applicants lodge their visa in Pakistan through VFS Global (Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore), and some institutions set earlier deadlines for certain countries. For 2026/27, Howest's deadline for applicants from Afghanistan and Pakistan was 1 May 2026, a month earlier than for other non-EEA visa applicants.

Because the Belgian Embassy in Islamabad does not legalise Afghan documents, ask the university in writing which form of your diploma and transcripts it accepts before the deadline. Applicants from Pakistan should check whether the university asks for degree verification through a service such as Qualification Check (Ghent University) or for legalised copies.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for a scholarship result before applying: most scholarships require you to be admitted first.
• Applying to French-taught programs by mistake. Many Belgian universities teach most programs in French or Dutch, so confirm the program is fully in English.
• Missing the payment step: at several French Community universities your file is not reviewed until the €200 fee arrives.
• Forgetting the second deadline for original or legalised documents.
• Paying an agent. The Belgian Embassy in Islamabad advises preparing your file yourself and says it does not work with agents.

Because deadlines differ for every university and many 2027/28 dates are still unpublished, it is easy to miss one. You can track deadlines for free on FindUniPath and get each official date as it is published. Next, check whether you meet the Belgium university admission requirements.