According to article 10.3.6 of the Education and Examination Regulation, students may request not to be examined on official religious holidays.
Important deadlines
Application for a religious certificate
- First semester: No later than Friday 11 October 2024
- Second semester: No later than Friday 28 February 2025
Inform your faculty of a scheduling conflict due to a religious holiday
- You can make a notification after the approval of your religious status. Notify your faculty no later than 14 calendar days after the announcement of your examination (or any other mandatory evaluation) schedule.
Official religious holidays
10.3.6 In no event should exams be taken on Sundays or holidays. Students may invoke respect for all recognized ideological convictions under the Belgian Constitution in order not to be evaluated on particular days (including for instance compulsory laboratory sessions). This goes for all recognized ideological convictions under the Belgian Constitution. The list of days and dates is made available at the start of the academic year. Students should file an application by Friday of the third week of the first semester at the latest. Students who file an application during the second semester do so by Friday of the third week of the second semester.
See below for a list of eligible holidays:
Anglican, Catholic and Protestant holidays
Catholic holidays are already included in the academic calendar. The Protestant and Anglican religions do not have differing public holidays.
Islam
Eid al-Fitr (1 day) and Eid al-Adha (1 day).
The Hijra (Islamic lunar calendar) is 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. 4An Islamic holiday is determined by the sighting of the new crescent. The announcement of the exact dates depends on the region and/or country of origin of the student. Some follow the purely scientific, astronomical method of pre-determining when the new moon begins. Others follow the traditional method of observing the new crescent over the western horizon with the bare eye just after sunset. This means that within the Muslim community, it is possible to celebrate holidays on dates other than those announced by the Muslim Council of Belgium. Students may select 'their' chosen holiday (1 day within the pre-determined timeframe, not a combination of 2 or more possible days).
Judaism
Rosh Hashanah (2 days), Yom Kippur (1 day), Sukkot (2 days), Hoshana Rabbah (1 day), Shemini Atseret (1 day), Simchat Torah (1 day), Purim (1 day), Passover (4 days) and Shavuot (2 days). Jewish holidays usually begin moments before sundown on the eve of the holiday, when a new day begins according to the Jewish calendar.
Orthodox religion
Christmas (1 day), Easter (1 day), Easter Monday (1 day), Ascension (1 day), Pentecost (1 day) and Whit Monday (1 day).
Orthodox Easter, Ascension and Pentecost are celebrated on the same days as Catholic holidays this academic year.
The Faculty will consult with the lecturer to consider which reasonable accommodations are possible. Have a look at the detailed overview of religious holidays for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Religious rest days and prayer times
Religious holidays take place once a year, while religious rest days take place weekly (usually on Friday, Saturday or Sunday for recognised religions).
You cannot request religions accommodations for days of rest and moments of prayer. The Christian rest days on Sunday are already included in the academic calendar. However, we recommend that, where possible, the weekly rest days for Muslim students (Jummah) and Jewish students (Sabbath) are also considered when planning compulsory courses, practical assessments or other assessment periods. The academic calendar already includes the Christian day of rest on Sunday.
How can I apply for religious accommodations?
To be eligible for religious accommodations, you must request a religious certificate by filling in an online application form. You may also be eligible for these accommodations if you are enrolled in an inter-university course.
Accommodations regarding examinations and other forms of assessment will not deviate from the examination rules, learning outcomes or core competences that must be achieved to succeed in the study programme. Read the institution-wide recommendation 'How to deal with applications for religious accommodations’ for more tips (Dutch version - staff only).
Application instructions
1. Applying for a religious certificate
Fill in the online application form to request a permanent religious certificate
2. Respect the application deadlines
Deadlines for applying for the religious certificate
- First semester: No later than Friday 11 October 2024
- Second semester: No later than Friday 28 February 2025
For applications after these dates, please contact diversiteit@uantwerpen.be; however, there is no guarantee that a religious accommodation will be granted.
3. Confirmation of your religious certificate
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. The university will then email you to let you know if your application has been approved. If approved, your religious certificate will be valid for your entire academic career and will be registered in SisA.
4. Inform your faculty of a scheduling conflict due to a religious holiday
Every semester after receiving your religious certificate, it is your responsibility to contact your faculty via the helpdesk at the latest 14 calendar days after the announcement of the examination (or other mandatory assessments) schedule to report that you have a scheduling conflict due to the observance of religious holiday. Check the overview of religious holidays according to UAntwerp. You should mention the following when contacting your faculty:
(1) which religious holiday from your religious certificate causes a scheduling conflict with a mandatory assessment date;
(2) the approximate date of that religious holiday (according to the interpretation of the religious community that you mentioned in your certificate);
(3) a copy of your religious certificate.
Personal information about your religion can never be shared without your consent.
5. Final decision on your requested accommodations
The Faculty will decide with your lecturer whether the accommodations are reasonable, based on their acceptability in terms of final competences, practical implementation and defensibility towards fellow students. If you disagree with this decision, you can submit a written request for a review of the decision based on article 21.4.
You can read the decision on your requested accommodations in the overview of your confirmed accommodations in SisA.