Belgium is a country that can offer a fantastic experience intended for students. Despite its size, it is the country of a remarkable culture and population of over 11 million people. It is also home to the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), thus being the core ground for political affairs. Located in Western Europe on the border with Germany, Luxembourg, France and the Netherlands, Belgium can be roughly divided into three separate areas.
Language predominantly spoken in the northern Flanders is Dutch (Flemish), whereas in the southern part it is mostly French, and in the region of Brussels most people speak both French and Dutch. Being densely populated country, it may be found as a welcoming and suitable environment for international students. Located at the heart of Europe, Belgium is a wonderful multicultural country, so it is an ideal choice for any international student undoubtedly. It is well- known for its high standard of living, health care and educational systems, but it also has various prominent educational institutions providing high quality education at all levels. In fact, even seven Belgian universities can be found in the top 500 universities within the QS world rankings, four of which are in the top 200! KU Leuven is at the top, ranked as 71st.
Belgium uses the euro (€) as its currency. Since there are state and private universities, the amount of the tuition will depend on the choice of university you make. Citizens that come from an EU / EEA country and who decide on a Belgian state university should expect to pay approximately € 850 a year. However, if you come from another country you are supposed to pay between € 1,000 and € 4,000 a year.
Regarding postgraduate or doctoral degree programmes, most students will have to pay an application fee. It should be taken into consideration that private institutions are likely to charge more in comparison to the state ones. Living expenses will very likely depend on the choice you make regarding accomodation, as well as whether you choose to stay at university or private accommodation. On the whole, living expenses may vary between €750 and €1,100 per month, including accommodation, transport and food as well.
The processing fee for documentation is €180 and, as of 1 July 2009 is payable upon submission of the visa request. Those with permanent residence in Montenegro, who intend to apply for a temporary stay in Belgium/Luxembourg on the basis of their enrolment at a university, should personally contact the Visa Department at least three weeks before the start of the semester. In addition to your "visa application", i.e. the form which must be completed in Roman script, in French, Dutch or English, the following documents must be enclosed:
You may be able to get a part-time job depending on where you come from. If you are from an EU/EEA country, you will probably be able to work without requiring any additional permits. If you are from any other country, you may have to apply for a work permit to work during your studies and you will probably be allowed to work for up to 20 hours. Your university will be able to provide additional information about it. Another cost to consider is health insurance. If you are the holder of an EHIC, you will be able to access healthcare at the same price as Belgian citizens when you join 'mutuelle'. If you do not own an EHIC, you will either need to purchase health insurance or ensure that your current policy is valid for your stay in Belgium. Then you will have to join 'mutuelle' to get health benefits. New regulations were adopted as of 1 January 2019, and the Type-C work permit was abolished. Are you a student from a non-EEA country? Do you have the right to stay in Belgium based on your studies and you would like to work?
Until the end of 2018, you were able to work in Belgium simply by applying for a Type-C work permit. From 1 January 2019, you no longer need a work permit. Now you can work in Belgium by using your electronic residence permit. From 1 January 2019, residence permits issued to non-EEA citizens studying in Belgium state that you may work a "limited amount" (in Dutch: "beperkt").
With this residence permit, you may work for any employer in Belgium under the following conditions:
