Residence permit for staff staying more than 90 days

First registration and living in Antwerp or one of its districts

During the first days after your arrival, you will receive an email from the International Staff Office listing the documents you need to provide to apply for your Belgian residence permit. Please make sure to send a colour scan of the requested documents as soon as possible so your application will not be delayed. You can contact the International Staff Office via residencepermit.staff@uantwerpen.be.

Once you have provided all of necessary documents, the HR Officer will send your application file to the Immigration Office in Deurne (Antwerp). They will check all documents and request a residency check by the police (this is standard procedure).

Please note that if you are a non-EEA citizen who came to Belgium via the single permit procedure, an additional appointment is needed to obtain a document called “annex 49”. This document proves that you have applied for registration.

After the police residence check has been completed, your HR officer will make an appointment for you to sign the documents for the residence permit. You will receive a confirmation email with a QR code.

After this first appointment you will receive a letter with a PIN and PUK code at your home address. Please notify your HR officer once you have received this letter so that he or she can book a second appointment for you to collect your residence card.

Depending on your nationality (EEA+ or non-EEA) the cost of the residence card is as follows:

  • EEA: residence card type EU or EU+ costs €21.00 and needs to be paid when collecting the card
  • Non-EEA: residence card type A costs €21.20 and needs to be paid during the first appointment

First registration and NOT living in Antwerp or one of its districts

If you are not living in Antwerp or one of its districts, you will need to register at the local government office of the municipality where you are living. We recommend that you check the website of the municipality first to check whether you need to book an appointment or if you can go without an appointment.

You will need to take the following documents to the appointment:

  • Your passport
  • 2 passport photos (most municipalities offer the option to have passport photographs taken in their offices which meet the necessary conditions)
  • Your employment contract with the university
  • Annex 46 (in case of single permit procedure)

Renewal of residence permit

The International Staff Office can provide assistance with renewing your residence permit.

If you are staying in Belgium for an extended period, your residence permit must be renewed.

In order to apply for an extension of your residence permit, your work permit or single permit needs to be extended first.

The International Staff Office can apply to have your residence permit extended if you live in Antwerp. Please make sure to contact them at least two months before the expiry date of your current residence permit.

More information about the renewal procedure can be found on the International Staff Office Pintra page (only for staff.)

PhD students should contact the International Relations Office to find out about their renewal procedure.

Change of status

Your immigration status and reason for staying in Belgium might change while you are here, for example from student to researcher/employee or vice versa.

If you are a non-EEA citizen, you will need to change your status and apply for a new residence permit.

More information about the procedure for a change of status can be found on the International Staff Office Pintra page.

Below you can find information on the most common procedures for changing your status and the documents required. If another procedure is applicable to your situation, please contact the International Staff Office for more information.

To change your status from student to researcher/employee, the following documents need to be provided to the Immigration Office:

  • Copy of your current residence permit
  • Proof of payment of the administrative fee or proof of exemption (if your receive a grant from UAntwerp)
  • Medical certificate
  • Employment contract or grant agreement
  • Single permit approval or exemption from work permit (host agreement)
  • Excerpt from your criminal record (will be provided by the Immigration Office if you apply through the university)

To change your status from researcher/employee to student, the following documents need to be provided to the Immigration Office:

  • Copy of your current residence permit
  • Proof of payment of the administrative fee or proof of exemption (if you receive a grant from UAntwerp)
  • Medical certificate
  • Proof of enrollment as a student at UAntwerp
  • Proof of sufficient financial means (min. €666 for students)
  • Excerpt from your criminal record (will be provided by the Immigration Office if you apply through the university)

Deregister before returning

Maximum five days before you leave Belgium, you must deregister as a Belgian resident. It is very important that you do this. Failure to deregister could have important consequences for visa requirements, taxes, health insurance registration and so on if you return to Belgium in the future.

In Antwerp, you can deregister using the e-service on the website of the city of Antwerp or at your local government office. You can also ask the International Staff Office (residencepermit.staff@uantwerpen.be) to apply for the Model 8 (proof of deregistration) for you and fill in the letter of attorney.

When you have left Belgium, please send your identity card back to the local government office.