TRIn Belgium, higher education is organised by language community; in the Flemish Community most programs are in Dutch. Medicine and dentistry are entered through an entrance exam that each community organises itself. A non-EU student shows at least €1,062 a month in living funds for 2026/2027.
Photo: Eduard Delputte, Unsplash
In Belgium, universities depend on the language community, and the two communities have separate rules. In the Flemish Community in the north, most programs are in Dutch. On the French-speaking side, schools such as UCLouvain apply their own application calendar. The medicine exam is also organised separately: by the Flemish government on the Flemish side and by ARES on the French-speaking side.
In the Flemish region, the school itself decides whether a foreign diploma is enough; in most cases official recognition (denklik) is not needed. The University of Antwerp asks that the diploma gives access to a similar university program in Türkiye. It also looks at the result of an entrance exam if there is one in the country. The application is made through Mobility Online and the school's admission letter is needed for the visa.
At Antwerp, you cannot enrol in a Dutch-language bachelor's program without a language certificate; the certificate must not be older than two years at the time of enrolment. For those who need to learn Dutch first, Linguapolis offers a one-year preparatory program. On this route, two separate admission letters are needed for the visa. The English-language Social-Economic Sciences bachelor's asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 at least, with at least 6.0 in each section.
For the visa, at least €1,062 a month in living funds is shown for the 2026/27 academic year; the previous amount was €835. During the term you can work at most 20 hours a week, and this limit does not apply on public holidays. The Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel in Brussels estimates the monthly cost of living for 2026/27 at €1,133.71, rent included.
Graduates can ask to extend their stay by up to 12 months to look for work or start a company. In the Flemish region, an academic bachelor's is 180 ECTS; the academic year usually starts in the last week of September.
The universities are the country's top three schools according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Examples from current fees for international students, as published on the schools' own pages.
Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (Erasmushogeschool Brussel) estimate, Brussels, 2026/27
€1.062
A month-by-month plan for 2027 entry. Official date Our suggestion
Decide on the course type: a French or Dutch language course, or a field-focused summer school; read the age and level requirements
Follow the publication of the 2027 summer school programs and fees
Do not miss the early registration dates: for the Responsible Fashion Management summer school at Antwerp, the 2026 early registration deadline was 1 April
After admission, arrange accommodation and plan the short-stay visa appointment
Course period: in 2026, ULB's French improvement course ran from 18 July to 7 August and required at least A1 level
Choose the community and language; check the requirements of the Dutch, French or English programs on the school's page
The University of Antwerp application system opens to non-EU applicants for 2027/28
The VUB application period opens for 2027/28 (closing date not published yet)
University of Antwerp: last day to upload application documents to Mobility Online
Registration opens for the Flemish region medicine and dentistry entrance exam; the last day is 17 May 2027
University of Antwerp: last day for certified or apostilled documents to reach the school
Flemish region medicine entrance exam; the dentistry exam is on 3 July 2027
D-type visa application with the admission letter; Study in Flanders says the process can take six to eight weeks. The academic year starts in the last week of September
Choose programs; prepare the English exam, CV and motivation letter
The University of Antwerp application system opens to non-EU applicants for 2027/28
The VUB application period opens for 2027/28 (closing date not published yet)
University of Antwerp: last day to upload application documents to Mobility Online
Check schools in the French-speaking region such as UCLouvain: for 2026 entry, the last day for applicants who needed a visa was 31 March 2026
University of Antwerp: last day for certified or apostilled documents to reach the school
D-type visa application with the admission letter; the process can take six to eight weeks
In the Flemish region the academic year starts in the last week of September
In Belgium, entry to medicine and dentistry is through an exam held at the language community level. In the Flemish region there are two separate exams; in 2026 the medicine exam was held on 2 July and the dentistry exam on 3 July. In the same year the Flemish quota was 1,878 for medicine and 277 for dentistry. In the French-speaking region, ARES organises one joint exam for the two fields.
In the Flemish Community most programs are taught in Dutch. English programs exist at bachelor's level too, but they are more common at master's and doctoral level. A professional bachelor's lasts three years; nursing takes four years.
Non-EU students can work at most 20 hours a week during the academic year; this limit does not apply in the winter, spring and summer holidays. Graduates can ask to extend their stay by up to 12 months to look for work or start a company.
Last checked: October 2026. Rules and amounts can change. We check the current situation together before you apply.
In the Flemish Community, an academic bachelor's is 180 ECTS and a professional bachelor's is 3 years; nursing takes 4 years (240 ECTS).
In the Flemish Community, master's programs are at least 60 credits; most programs are 60 or 120 credits.
In the Flemish Community, the language of instruction in most programs is Dutch. English programs are also available at bachelor's level, and they are more common at master's and doctoral level.
A long-term D-type visa (Authorisation for Provisional Sojourn) is needed for study. The application is started through the Belgian embassy or consulate in the student's country of residence.
The minimum amount to be shown for the 2026/2027 academic year is €1,062 a month. The amount may rise every year; it is recommended to show the twelve-month amount with a blocked account or a bank surety.
Non-EU students can work at most 20 hours a week during the academic year. This limit does not apply during the official holiday periods (winter, spring and summer).
Graduates can ask to extend their stay by up to 12 months to look for work or start a company.
In the Flemish Community the academic year starts in the last week of September; the second semester starts in mid-February. In the French-speaking community, for 2025/2026 the first semester started on 14 September and the second on 1 February.
In the Flemish region, entry to these fields is by passing the toelatingsexamen, which is held in Dutch, and getting a good ranking. For 2027, registration runs from 1 March to 17 May; the medicine exam is on 2 July and the dentistry exam on 3 July 2027. In 2026 the Flemish quota was 1,878 for medicine and 277 for dentistry.
Schools set the fee for non-EU students, and most add a per-credit charge to a fixed amount. Flemish universities raised these fees in 2026: Antwerp went from €5,800 to €7,800 for master's, and KU Leuven raised its fees by about 20%. Ghent will charge new non-EU bachelor's students €12,557.70 for 60 credits from 2027/28.
For 2026/27 the minimum is €1,062 a month, or €12,744 for twelve months, and it is indexed every year. Study in Flanders recommends showing this amount for twelve months with a blocked account or a bank surety. Tuition is not part of this amount.
The University of Antwerp opens 2027/28 applications for non-EU candidates on 4 November 2026, and VUB on 15 November 2026. At Antwerp, the last day to upload documents is 28 February 2027, and 31 May 2027 for certified documents. At UCLouvain, the last day for candidates who needed a visa was 31 March for 2026 entry.
A D-type long-term visa is needed to study in Belgium; its official name is Authorisation for Provisional Sojourn. The application starts through the Belgian embassy or consulate in the country where the student lives, and the school's admission letter is required. Study in Flanders says the process can take six to eight weeks.
3 subjects, 2 schools. Programmes were checked on the schools’ own websites. Tap a subject to see what you study, what graduates do and the options in other countries.
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