Non EEA+ nationals

Standard visa regulations:

Short stay (maximum of 90 days)

Countries with no visa obligation for nationals for a maximum of 90 days can be found on the website of the Immigration Office (list of third countries whose nationals are exempted from holding a visa).

If you have any other nationality, you have to apply for a visa type C or so-called Schengen visa (short-stay period of maximum 90 days) at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your current country of residence before coming to Belgium. You may have to file your visa application through an external service provider (such as VFS Global or TLS Contact).

Please note that a Schengen visa or a short stay cannot be extended or changed to cover a different purpose. You must leave Belgium when the three months are over at the latest.

To apply for a visa type C, you will usually need the following documents (subject to change):

  • a completed and signed application form;
  • a travel document (e.g. a passport), valid for at least three months after the date on which you intend to leave the Schengen territory;
  • documents indicating the purpose of your journey (e.g. invitation letter, signed by the organiser or promoter, proof of employment, etc.);
  • documents showing your accommodation during your stay in the city of Antwerp (e.g. proof of hotel reservation and give full details of your itinerary to and from Belgium);
  • documents indicating that you have sufficient personal financial resources (e.g. copy of updated passbook of your banking or savings account, income tax papers, salary slips, sponsorship letter by a person in Belgium, the so-called engagement de prise en charge Annexe 3bis, …);
  • documents indicating you intend to leave the Schengen territory before the expiry of the visa. Explain as detailed as possible that your centre of interests remains in your country (e.g. proof of enrolment in your home university, proof of continuous employment in your country,...);
  • valid travel health insurance covering any costs of repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical care and/or emergency hospital care or death during your stay(s) in the Schengen territory with a minimum cover of EUR 30,000. A list of recognised insurance companies and policies is usually available on the website of the Belgian Embassy and Consulates in your country. 

Important notes:

  • If you are a non-EEA national with a residence permit from another EU country, you can come to Belgium for a period of maximum 90 days without a visa.
  • If Belgium is your only or main destination, you must apply for a visa at the authorised Belgian consulate or embassy. Holding a visa issued by another Schengen State when the purpose of your journey is to attend an academic activity in Belgium could be a reason for refusing entry.

More info on visa requirements and procedure

More details can be found on the website of the Belgian Embassy and Consulates in your country.

Find out which embassy or consulate you should start your visa application with.

Long stay (more than 90 days)

If you are planning to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days, you need to apply for a long-term visa (visa type D) at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your current country of residence before leaving for Belgium. The type of visa you need to apply for depends on your status at the university. 

Student

Having a European Union residence permit from another EEA country is not sufficient to register in Belgium. If you travel to Belgium with only a residence permit from another European country, you will have to present the same documents to the immigration office as for a visa application and the procedure will take much longer.

If you have dual citizenship (non-EEA and EEA) you can travel to Belgium and apply for a residence permit with the European passport on the condition that you are residing in an EEA country. If you are residing in a non-EEA country, the issuance of a residence permit will automatically be delayed considerably as you cannot present the European health insurance card or blue card, which is a requirement for all EEA nationals to stay in Belgium. If you apply for a visa, you will be able to settle this in advance.

Please do not enter Belgium with a Schengen visa (visa type C)! The Schengen visa is only valid for three months and cannot be extended. After these three months, you must travel back to your home country at your own cost and apply for an appropriate visa there.

You have to apply for a student visa (type D) with the Belgian embassy or consulate in your current country of residence before leaving for Belgium.

Important note
For some countries, approval by the Belgian authorities can take up to three months or longer. Make sure you start the visa application procedure well in advance! We urge you not to come on a tourist visa alone.

More info

Find out which embassy or consulate you should start your visa application at the website of Foreign Affairs or on the website of the Immigration Office (in English, Dutch or French).

Required documents (subject to change):

  • Valid international passport (with at least one year validity remaining)
  • Two copies of the visa application form, completed and signed
  • Invitation letter or acceptance letter
  • Proof of sufficient means of subsistence - for more information check this section. 
  • Certificate of good conduct: This certificate, which is also called a police record, can be obtained from the police department in your home country. It should be dated no more than six months prior to the date of application. If the police department in your home country does not provide such a certificate, the Belgian consulate or embassy will inform you about what steps to take.
  • Medical certificate:
    • The medical certificate has to be completed by a doctor appointed by the Belgian diplomatic or consular agent nearest to your official place of residence and stamped for approval by the same agent. The completed original certificate (in Dutch, French or English) is needed to process your visa application. This certificate must not be older than six months from the date of issue. 
    • Applicants who are already residing in Belgium can contact any GP (general practitioner or family doctor) in Belgium to obtain the medical certificate. 
  • Proof of payment of the administrative fee for students. The exact amount and payment method can be found on the website of the Immigration Office. PhD students who receive a grant from the University of Antwerp are exempt from the administrative fee. The proof of exemption will be issued by the HR Officer.
  • Travel insurance for medical assistance in Belgium and the Schengen area: get insurance that will cover any expenses during your entire stay in the Schengen territory for repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care or emergency treatment in a hospital and death, for an amount of at least 30.000 EUR. A list of recognized insurance companies and policies is usually available on the website of the Belgian Embassy and Consulates in your country.

Additional visa requirements may be requested by the embassy. Please contact the responsible embassy to check this.

The university cannot intervene in the student visa application process. If you need extra information for the application form or have specific questions about your application, please read the FAQ in the International Admissions Helpdesk and submit a ticket if needed. 

Erasmus Mobility

Non-EEA nationals who study in a country of the European Union and come to Belgium on Erasmus Mobility can make use of a simplified application procedure for a temporary Belgian residence document without a visa D or C, provided that they meet the requirements below at least two months before the start of their Mobility:

What are the requirements?

  1. You are in possession of a residence permit from an EEA country that is valid for your entire mobility period in Belgium.
  2. You submit your complete application file at least two months before the start of your mobility to incomingstudents@uantwerpen.be 
    Start Mobility 1st semester: complete application file must be submitted before August 1st
    Start Mobility 2nd semester: complete application file must be submitted before December 1st

Which documents have to be submitted?

  • A colour copy of a valid passport;
  • A colour copy of a residence permit from an EEA country that is valid for the entire mobility period in Belgium;
  • Proof of valid health insurance for Belgium for the entire mobility period;
  • Proof of sufficient financial means for the entire mobility period such as: a copy of a scholarship / a copy of the sponsorship commitment (legalized annex 32). For academic year 2024-2025 the minimum amount is €803 per month. If you prove your financial means with a blocked university account, the amount is €1000 per month;

After a positive decision from the immigration services, you will be notified that your application has been approved.  After arrival in Belgium, you will electronically receive your residence document ‘Bijlage 33’* valid for your mobility period.

* Note that it is not a Belgian residence card but a complementary residence document to your residence card of the other EU country. Always carry both with you. Working as a student is allowed.

If you cannot present the required documentation as per the instructions above, you must apply for a D-visa in order to come to Belgium. You will not be eligible for a Bijlage 33 in this case and must request a residence permit after your arrival instead.

Staff

If you are planning to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days, you will need a visa long stay (visa type D). You must apply for this at the Belgian consulate or embassy in your home country before coming to Belgium.

The type of your contract/grant at the University of Antwerp will determine the immigration formalities that need to be fulfilled.

  • PhD staff
  • Research staff
  • Other staff categories
     

PhD staff

Doctoral scholarship holders or PhD students with their own funding who are enrolled at the University of Antwerp as PhD students while working on a PhD or double PhD will have to apply for a visa type D as students. More information about the visa application procedure can be found under the information for students.

Research staff

Research staff who have a contract or a postdoctoral grant with the University of Antwerp and who receive a host agreement will have to apply for a visa type D as researchers.

Required documents:

  • Valid international passport (with at least one year of validity remaining)
  • Two copies of the visa application form, completed and signed
  • Letter of appointment from UAntwerp, proof of grant or employment contract
  • Proof of exemption from work permit (host agreement)
  • Medical certificate:
    • The medical certificate has to be completed by a doctor appointed by the Belgian diplomatic or consular agent nearest to your official place of residence and stamped for approval by the same agent. The completed original certificate (in Dutch, French or English) is needed to process your visa application. This certificate should state that you are in good health and are not a carrier of contagious diseases, e.g. tuberculosis. This certificate must not be older than six months from the date of issue. 
    • Applicants who are already residing in Belgium can contact any GP (general practitioner or family doctor) in Belgium to obtain the medical certificate. ​
  • An extract from your criminal record dating from no more than six months prior to the date of application and covering the previous year
  • Proof of payment of the consular fees
  • Proof of payment of the administrative fee for researchers. The exact amount and payment method can be found on the website of the Immigration Office. Researchers who receive a scholarship from the University of Antwerp are exempt from the administrative fee. The proof of exemption will be issued by the HR Officer.

The documents listed above are the basic documents required in all cases. Please contact the Belgian embassy as soon as possible to check whether additional documents are required. The contact information of the embassy can be found on the website.

Official documents issued abroad might need to be legalised or apostilled, depending on the type of document and country where it was issued.
Documents issued abroad in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a sworn translator.

For more information on legalisations and translations of documents, please check the website of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or contact the Belgian embassy in your country of residence.

Other staff categories

Other staff categories will receive the visa type D after approval of the single permit (based on the “annex 46” document). For more information about the procedure, please check the section on work permits.