International Students Office

As a student from an EU/EEA member state you can study in Belgium in secondary or higher education. The application procedure for a residence permit and registration varies depending upon the duration of your stay and upon your individual situation.

Submit your application using the e form en add all necessary document. Your file will be processed by the international students desk at location GATE15. Your school will automatically be included in all communications.

Applications may also be submitted through the regular migration office. In this case your file will be processed by the regular migration office in Deurne. For further information go to Application for residence permit | E-loket | Antwerpen.be 

1. Full registration

EU/EEA students residing in Belgium for longer than 3 months must apply for a full registration and change their official address (domicile) to an address in Belgium. Upon your registration you receive a national number or “rijksregisternummer” and you receiver a type EU residence card.

Documents to submit

• A valid passport or identity card
• Proof of health insurance valid in Belgium
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
• A certificate of registration issued by your institution of higher education

Procedural steps to follow

• Fill out the digital form and add all necessary documents.
• Is your file complete?
  • You receive an appointment after 4 weeks to complete your registration and to apply for your residence card. You also receive a temporary residence document or annexe 8ter.
  • During these 4 weeks your community police officer will visit to check your address. Make sure your name is clearly and visibly mentioned on both doorbell and letterbox.
    • In case of a positive address check, you receive a second appointment after 3 weeks to collect your residence card.
    • In case of a negative address check, you receive a second appointment after 4 weeks. Your community officer will pass and check again.
    • Make sure to bring your annexe 8ter and the codes you will by then have received by post to this second appointment. Your registration is completed upon receipt of your residence card.
• Is your file incomplete?
  • You receive an email in reply listing which documents or details are missing. For all further questions contact your student administration.
  • Fill out the digital form adding all documents again, not just the missing documents.

2. Registration as a border student

EU/EEA students residing in the Netherlands, France, Germany or Luxemburg or in the United Kingdom and commuting on a regular basis between Belgium and the neighbouring country may also opt to retain their official address over there during their studies in Belgium.

As a so-called border student, you are not registered in the Belgian national register and you do not receive a national number or “rijksregisternummer”. If necessary, you can apply for a BIS number.  You need this BIS number e.g. to work as a student.

You receive an annexe 33 as a residence document. An annexe 33 is only valid for the duration of 1 academic year.

Documents to submit

• A valid passport or identity card
• A certificate of registration issued by a recognized institution of higher education
• Residence permit issued by another EU-member (if you are not a national of the neighbouring country)
• A passport photograph

Procedural steps to follow

• Fill out the digital form and add all necessary documents.
• Is your file complete?
  • You receive a BIS number and the applicable annexe by mail, depending on the type of application.
• Is your file incomplete?
  • You receive an email in reply listing which documents or details are missing. For all further questions contact your student administration.
  • Fill out the digital form adding all documents again, not just the missing documents.

3. Mobility student staying less than 3 months or between 3 and 6 months

Mobility students or exchange programme students, e.g. an Erasmus exchange programme, take part of their curriculum in Belgium and remain registered at their home college.

As a mobility student you do not need to apply for residence if you stay in Belgium for less than 3 months or if you stay in between 3 and 6 months.

Your official address is not changed to a Belgian address, and you do not receive a national number or ‘rijksregisternummer”’. If necessary, you can apply for a BIS number.  You need this BIS number e.g. to work as a student.

Students staying less than 3 months receive an annexe 3ter or “Melding van Aanwezigheid”. This annexe is a notification of your presence in Belgium.

Students staying between 3 and 6 months receive an annex 3septies as a temporary residence document. The annex 3septies cannot be extended.

Documents to submit

• A valid passport or identity card
• Proof of your mobility or exchange programme
• A certificate of registration issued by a Belgian recognized institution of higher education
• A passport photograph (only when staying between 3 and 6 months)

Procedural steps to follow

• Fill out the digital form and add all necessary documents.
• Is your file complete?
  • You receive a BIS number and the applicable annexe by mail, depending on the type of application.
• Is your file incomplete?
  • You receive an email in reply listing which documents or details are missing. For all further questions contact your student administration.
  • Fill out the digital form adding all documents again, not just the missing documents.

Make sure that submitted copies or scans are complete and clearly and fully legible.

Passport or identity card

You need to prove EU nationality by submitting a copy of a valid EU passport OR a copy of a valid EU identity card.

• The submitted document must be valid at the time of your application.
• When submitting a passport, include a copy of the page containing your personals details and photograph.
• When submitting an identity card, include a copy of both front and back of the card.

Proof of health insurance valid in Belgium

You need to prove that you have a health insurance valid during your entire stay in Belgium. The following documents can be accepted:

• A valid EU health insurance card (so called blue European card). Include a copy of both sides of the card
  OR
• A recent proof of enrolment with a Belgian health insurance fund (mutualiteit) or with a private health insurance fund.
  • The insurance needs to be valid in Belgium.
  • The document needs to be issued in either Dutch, English, French or German.

Proof of sufficient means of subsistence

You need to prove that you have sufficient means of subsistence to cover all living expenses during your stay in Belgium.  The following document can be accepted:

• A commitment to pay (Annex 32). Use the appropriate form.
• The document may be signed either manually, digitally or electronically.

Certificate of registration issued by a Belgian recognized institution of higher education

You need to prove that you have officially enrolled at a recognised institution of higher education for the current academical year.

The following document can be accepted

• A certificate of registration issued by a Belgian recognized institution of higher education. Request this document with your student administration.

Residence permit issued by another EU-member (if you are not a national of the neighbouring country)

If you wish to apply as a border student and you are not a national of the neighbouring country, you need to submit a valid residence permit for this country. The following document can be accepted

• A copy of a valid residence permit to one of the eligible neighbouring countries.
• Include a copy of both front and back of the card.

Proof of participation in a mobility or exchange programme 

You need to prove that you take part in a mobility or exchange programme. The following documents can be accepted

• A copy of the exchange agreement or other official document, issued by the relevant institution of education abroad.
• Documents need to be issued in either Dutch, English, French or German.

Passport photograph

Submitted photographs need to comply to the international ICA standards.

As a student from a non- EU/EEA member state you can study in Belgium only in higher education. The application procedure for a residence permit and registration is as follows:

First contact the International Student Services of your educational institution. They collect all necessary documents. After that the educational institution will hand over the complete file to the International Students Office at GATE15 and plan an appointment. During this appointment the office at GATE15 will go through and finalize the file with you. Finally, your address is also checked by a police officer to see if you are actually staying in Belgium and at the reported address.

To start a file, you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• A D-visa, or the following documents:
  • Proof of payment of the federal contribution
  • Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• A medical certificate
• From the age of 21: proof of a blank criminal record from the country of origin

Yes, you must renew your residence permit annually.

As a student from a non-EU/EEA country, you must renew your residence permit every year. To renew your residence permit, go to the International Student Services of your educational institution in time to start this procedure. Just like with the original registration, your file will be processed, after which you will get an appointment with the International Students Office at GATE15.

Renew in time! You can request this at the earliest 3 months and at the latest 15 days before the expiration of your electronic foreigner card. Are you too late to apply for an extension? Then you may have to start a new residence application. When renewing your residence permit you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• Study progress form
• Health insurance in Belgium

EU-students also have to renew their residence permit every year. They can make an appointment for this at any city counter. When renewing your residence permit you must submit the following documents:

• A valid passport 
• A registration certificate from a recognized higher education institution
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
  • A commitment to pay (Annex 32), or
  • A study financing certificate from the scholarship institution, or
  • A proof of own financing through a bank statement
• Study progress form
• Health insurance in Belgium

A D-visa is a visa for a long stay in Belgium. Students from a non-EU/EEA country must apply before departure at the Belgian embassy in their home country.

If you’re returning home, you can pass on your return yourself, without having to go to the International Students Office. You are legally obliged to do so. You do this by filling out the online form ‘Vertrek naar het buitenland niet-Belg’ via the e-office on the website of the city of Antwerp. After you’ve filled this out, you’ll receive an email with information on how and when you can send your residence permit back to the city. Don’t forget to report this at the latest on the last day before your departure. Even if you go abroad for more than 3 months during your studies, you must also state this.

Note: Your departure cannot be registered after you have left. In addition, you may have to turn in your residence permit. 

Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333. If you are studying in Antwerp we suggest you contact the International Student Services of your educational establishment.

Complete the newcomer form if you have never stayed in Belgium before. Did you already register in Belgium before? Then complete this form to submit a new residence application. Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333.

You are from an EU / EEA country?

Then you can be employed throughout the year under the same conditions as Belgian students.

You are not from an EU / EEA country?

Then you can work in Belgium if you:

• follow a complete course in Belgium
• have a valid residence permit.

A distinction is made between working during the school year or during the holidays. During the school year you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week. This restriction does not apply during the holidays. More info via werk.be.

Are you from a neighboring country and only registered as a “kotstudent”? Then the student desk can immediately request your personal digital key for Student@Work. Do you want to request this later? You can make an appointment at a city counter of your choice. Choose theme “identity” and then “digital key code”.

For all other questions, you can get help from the International Student Services of your educational institution. If your educational institution cannot help you, you can also directly contact the Immigration Affairs office in Deurne. You can find the contacts, address and opening hours here.

Do you need help completing this form? Then you can go to the self counter in our city counters or via the general information number of the City of Antwerp: +32 3 22 11 333.