Student visa for Belgium

The first requirement for obtaining a student visa is:

1)  for degree students:

• a letter of admission from UC Leuven-Limburg
• will be issued by our Admissions Office (available in your online application)

2)  for exchange students:

• a letter of acceptance from UC Leuven-Limburg
• will be issued by our International Office (available in Mobility-Online)

only applicable to students who require a study visa to come and study in belgium

During the application process for a student visa, you will have to prove your financial capability to take care of your living expenses for each study year in Belgium.  There are two ways to prove it:

​1) Blocked Account (preferred)

UC Leuven-Limburg is able to assist you by offering a so-called  "Blocked Account Proposal (BAP)".  You can download your proposal in the table below.

By transferring a certain amount (see rates below)  into the UCLL bank account , we will provide you with a  'Letter of Financial Guarantee'.  Such letter is well known at Belgian embassies worldwide and may speed up  the visa procedure. By submitting this letter you will not have to prove your financial capability in any other way (e.g. by soliciting the help of a sponsor or guarantor).

The BAP includes 850 euro monthly instalment (x number of months). The Blocked Account does not include the tuition fee nor other costs linked to your studies. Those are to be paid separately.

The amount must be transferred before 15 May preceding the academic year starting in September. 
And before 1 October preceding the Spring semester for IEC and exchange students starting in Spring.

In order to know the Blocked Account procedure from start till end, please read this document through. Important: the BAP is a proposal and by no means an obligation.

2) Formal Obligation 'commitment that charge will be taken' (Annex 32)

Alternatively, you can find a guarantor who will have to fill out  a "commitment that charge will  be taken". This document proves that someone stands surety for you during (part of) your studies in Belgium. You can find the document on the website of the Belgian Embassy in your country and you must present it upon visa application.

Conditions:

On the ‘Annex 32’  you indicate if the commitment is valid for 1 academic year or for 1 study course (e.g. bachelor programme). 

Your guarantor must earn at least 2.575,48 € net/month (1,845,48 € for themselves  + 730 € for the student). Note: this amount is regularly indexed.

Only the following persons may stand surety:

• A Belgian.
• An EU citizen who resides in an EU country.
• A non-EU citizen who has permanent residency in an EU country. For Belgium, this means that holders of an A or H card are excluded.
• A non-EU family member up to the third degree. In this case, the guarantor must provide proof the kinship.

The Belgian Consulate or Embassy has the authority to require official proofs of your guarantor's income and to investigate this accordingly. It is recommended that you include these proofs when you submit the form. By signing the annex 32 your guarantor declares that he/she agrees to have a joint and several liability for the following costs: your health expenses, your stay in Belgium, your studies, and your return to your home country, for at least one academic year. 

The document must be legalised by the Belgian Consulate or Embassy.

Do note that your guarantor can be rejected by the Embassy and the Blocked Account is a surefire way to prove financial means.

With the letter of financial guarantee at the ready, you can apply for a student visa for Belgium (source:  KULeuven, our umbrella university).

Check where and how to apply for a study visa at Embassies and Consulates.