Residence and formalities for students in Europe

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa – you enter with your ID card or passport. If you stay longer than 3 months, you register at the municipality (commune / gemeente) where you live – Study in Flanders advises doing this as soon as possible after arrival.

When you register, you fill in a form (Annex 19), and within 3 months of applying you hand in:

• a certificate of enrolment from your institution,
• proof of health insurance – your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), a private policy or membership of a Belgian health insurance fund,
• a declaration that you have enough money to support yourself.

The municipality will usually also ask for a photo and your rental contract. You first get a temporary document, then a residence card for EU citizens (EU card).

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a long-stay visa (type D) for studies. You apply at the Belgian embassy or consulate for your country of residence, and Study in Flanders warns that the procedure can easily take six to eight weeks – appointments fill up quickly in summer. You will need, among other things, your admission letter, a passport valid for at least 12 more months, proof of sufficient means, a certificate of good conduct, a medical certificate and proof that you have paid the administrative fee. For the 2026/27 academic year the minimum proof of means was raised to €1,062 a month (it was €835 in 2025/26); it can be a scholarship, your own money or a sponsor's formal commitment. After arrival you register at the municipality where you live, with your passport and visa, proof of means and proof of health insurance, and you receive a residence card for the duration of your studies.

Note: the €1,062 figure comes from EMN Belgium, the Belgian contact point of the European Migration Network (March 2026), while the Immigration Office (DOFI) page still showed €835 for 2025/26 – check the current amount with DOFI or the Belgian embassy before you apply for your visa.