Studying in Belgium as a Foreign Student: Equivalence, Visa and Documents to Translate

Studying in Belgium as a foreign student takes organisation: recognition of your diploma, enrolment at the institution, a student visa for non-EU nationals and, at every step, official documents to be translated into French or Dutch. Here is the full pathway and the papers to prepare.

📖 Also read: FWB equivalence · student visa · diploma recognition

Step 1: recognition of your diploma

Before enrolling, your foreign diploma must be recognised. In the French Community (Wallonia-Brussels), the application goes through the equivalence service of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), which relies on the NARIC network. In Flanders, it is NARIC-Vlaanderen that handles diploma recognition. The procedure establishes the level of your qualification compared with the Belgian system. The details are set out in our guide to diploma recognition and equivalenceand, on the French-speaking side, in the FWB diploma equivalence.

Step 2: enrolment at the institution

Once the equivalence process is under way, you apply to the chosen university or university college. Each institution sets its own dates and often requires a specific admission application for holders of a foreign diploma. You will generally need to provide your diplomas, your transcripts and an identity document, together with their official translation when they are not in French or Dutch.

Step 3: the student visa (ASP) for non-EU nationals

Here the distinction matters. A national of the European Union does not need a visa: they register with the municipality of residence after arrival. A non-EU student, on the other hand, must apply for a long-stay visa of the ASP type (provisional residence authorisation)at the Belgian diplomatic post in their country. This file requires translated and often legalised documents. See our dedicated guide to the translation for the student visa in Belgium.

The documents to translate (sworn FR or NL)

Depending on the institution and the consular post, the following papers must be presented in a sworn translation into French or Dutch:

• Diplomas and qualifications: secondary, bachelor's or master's depending on the level sought.
• Transcripts: school reports and detailed records of results.
• Birth certificate: required for municipal registration and the visa file.
• Proof of means of subsistence: sponsorship undertaking, bank statements or scholarship.

For non-EU countries, this is accompanied by a step of legalisation or apostille of the original document, depending on whether or not the country has acceded to the Hague Convention. Our article apostille or legalisation in Belgiumclarifies which case applies to your situation.

Tips for an accepted application

Plan ahead: the equivalence and the visa can take several weeks, or even several months for non-EU procedures. Start the applications as soon as you receive your admission. Check the expected target language (French for the FWB, Dutch for Flanders) before ordering a translation, and make sure the apostille or legalisation is affixed to the original before the translation, in the order required by the recipient. Keep clear digital copies of each paper.