Belgium is a developed country in Western Europe. Besides, this European country provides international quality education at a relatively low cost compared to other countries. Belgian universities also offer various scholarships for international students. Let’s know how to apply for Belgium student visa.
University and Course Selection
Belgium has many world-class universities. The medium of education in the country is Dutch. However, the country offers postgraduate and PhD programs in English. These universities usually offer various courses in business administration along with engineering, medical, environmental science, medical science. For that you have to search the websites of the universities and select the course of your choice.
Documents required for visa
1. Filled application form and attached passport size photograph.
2. Passport (must have 1 year validity).
3. Offer letter.
4. CV or resume.
5. Motivation letter.
6. All educational qualification certificates and mark sheets.
7. English Language Proficiency Certificate.
8. Bank Solvency Documents (Income Tax and Source of Income).
9. Copy of tuition fee payment.
10. Medical certificate.
11. Police Clearance Certificate (if you are above 21 years of age).
How to apply for student visa
1. First you need to get an offer letter from any university. For this you have to first apply to a university of your choice. Collect the offer letter from the university by applying as per the application rules given on the university web.
2. Visa application form must be filled.
3. All documents must be collected.
4. You will then need to make an appointment for an interview at the Belgian Embassy. In this case, it should be remembered that although there is a visa consulate in Bangladesh, there is no visa office. So you have to go to Delhi, India for visa.
5. Attend the interview at the embassy with all the documents on the scheduled date.
Visa costs
Belgium usually charges 180 euros for student fees from international students. However, the visa application process and fees are constantly changing.
It is therefore advised to check the official website ( https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/embassies-and-consulates ) before applying.
Application for Residence Permit
After arriving in Belgium, you must register for a residence permit at the local administration office. It usually takes eight days or more to get a residence card. This card will allow you to stay in Belgium for the duration of your study course.
At the end of the course, you can apply for citizenship in Belgium if you have more than 5 consecutive years of permanent residency in Belgium.
Accommodation and living costs
Every university in Belgium has accommodation facilities. But you can get that if you want to stay outside. Share or single flats are also available in this country. A meal in Belgium usually costs between 400-800 euros. But this cost depends entirely on the individual.
Part Time Job
You will have the opportunity to work part time for 20 hours a week in Belgium. Although there are 3 official languages in Belgium, Dutch predominates. So if you don’t know the Dutch language, you will have to suffer to get a part-time job.
