So, you've decided to take a Masters in Belgium?

Then come prepared!

Coming to a foreign country will imply some work. You have to find accommodation, you need to adjust to a new environment and you will meet wonderful new people. However, studying and living abroad also implies paper work and other official formalities.

Before coming you have to take the following into account:

• if you are not a citizen of one of the EU member states, you will have to apply for a visa which can take up to two months to be processed;
• be sure to have a valid Health Care Insurance;
• have your official documents (such as diploma) authenticated and translated;
• register at the municipality where you will be living.

If you would still have difficulties getting around the practicalities, please feel free to contact your Programme Coordinator!

Visa Requirements & Health Care

Unless you are a citizen of one of the European Union member states or a few other selected countries, you will need to obtain a visa to reside in Belgium during your period of study.

Also Health care insurance covers a portion of your medical expenses in the event that you require medical treatment. All individuals resident in Belgium are required by law to be covered by health care insurance. As a foreign student, you are also subject to this requirement.

• General policies and Procedures for VISAs

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  General policies and Procedures for VISAs

  Take the following into account:

  • Proof of Registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
  • Citizens of the European Union and Selected Exempt Countries 
  • Citizens of Countries outside the European Union 
  • Bringing your family to Belgium 
  • Application for visa from a country other than your own 
  • APS certificate for Chinese citizens
  • Important Notes

  Proof of Registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School

  The proof of registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is the document which citizens of the European Union and selected exempted countries will need when coming to Belgium and which citizens of countries outside the European Union will need to apply for a student visa.
  To obtain a proof of registration you will need to return a completed registration form (which you will receive with your letter of admission) and pay 25% of the tuition fee as a commitment fee.

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  Citizens of the European Union and Selected Exempt Countries

  Nationals of the member states of the European Union, as well as citizens of Iceland, Monaco and Norway, are exempted from Belgian regulations concerning work permits and visas for academic study. Citizens of Switzerland are also exempted from visa requirements, but only when their visit is for academic study.

  Although you are exempted from Belgian visa requirements, you must present yourself within eight days after arriving in Belgium to the Foreigners’ registration office of the municipality of your Belgian place of residence, to apply for a residence permit. The following documents are normally required:

  • your proof of registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
  • a valid passport or identity card
  • health insurance certificate
  • proof of solvency demonstrated by a scholarship certificate or written proof of guaranteed income (standard document can be obtained from the foreigners office).

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  Citizens of Countries outside the European Union

  If you are not a citizen of one of the member states of the European Union, or of one of the exempted countries as noted in the preceding paragraph, you will need to obtain a temporary residence permit for study or “Authorisation for Provisional Sojourn” (in Dutch: Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf).

  The Belgian Embassy or Consulate in your country will provide you all information on the procedures and documents required to obtain this visa. In this regard, we recommend you to request this information from your local Belgian Embassy or Consulate as soon as you are admitted to the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.

  The following documents are normally required:

  • a valid passport
  • a completed visa application form
  • your proof of registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School 
  • a pledge of financial support for students. This document may be obtained by the guarantor from his/her municipal authorities in Belgium. If the guarantor does not reside in Belgium, he/she may request the document from the embassy or consulate responsible for his/her country of residence.
    The guarantor who signs this pledge of financial support must have adequate means of subsistence and stand surety for any costs incurred by the student in terms of health treatment, residence in Belgium and repatriation, for at least one academic year. The guarantor must have a regular income. For the academic year 2009-2010, this means: at least 750 euro to cover his/her own expenses plus 556 euro for the student and 150 euro for each of his/her dependents, both members of his/her own family and those of the student.
    Once this pledge of financial support has been authenticated by the municipal authorities (or the relevant embassy or consulate in the case of a guarantor who is not resident in Belgium), the original document must be submitted to the relevant Belgian embassy or consulate, together with a copy of the guarantor's last three pay slips. 
    Given that the number of current dependents is a factor in determining the solvency of the guarantor, it is also advisable to submit proof of the make-up of the guarantor's family together with evidence of any family benefits received.
  • a certificate of good conduct dating from no more than six months prior to the date of application and covering the previous five years. This certificate is normally obtained from your local police department, but if the police in your country do not provide this type of certificate, contact the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in your country.
  • a medical certificate stating that you are in good health. This certificate must be issued by a doctor approved by the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in your country.
  • a proof of transport arrangements (return ticket). As soon as your visa application has been approved, you must submit a return ticket (in your name and non-transferable) in order for the visa to be issued. You only need to submit the return ticket and travel insurance policy once the Belgian embassy or consulate informs you that your visa has been granted. This is to avoid unnecessary expense on your part. However, the embassy or consulate may ask you to submit proof that a return ticket has been reserved.

  Upon arrival in Belgium, you must present yourself within eight days to the Foreigners’ registration office of the municipality of your Belgian place of residence, to apply for a residence permit. The following documents are normally required:

  • your proof of registration from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
  • a valid passport with visa

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  Bringing your family to Belgium

  Visa requirements also apply to family members who may accompany you during your stay. This means that your family members can come to Belgium with you, provided they each have valid passports and possess the required documents. We recommend you to request further information from your local Belgian Embassy or Consulate.

  Upon arrival in Belgium, all family members must present themselves within eight days to the Foreigners’ registration office of the municipality of your Belgian place of residence, to apply for a residence permit. The following documents are normally required:

  • a valid passport for each family member
  • a marriage certificate
  • a birth certificate for each family member

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  Application for visa from a country other than your own

  If you do not currently reside in your own country, you must apply for the visa through the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence. If there is no Belgian embassy or consulate in your country of residence, you should apply to the Belgian Embassy responsible for that country (usually located in a neighbouring country).

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  APS certificate for Chinese students

  All students from China will have to obtain a certificate of academic screening issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) of the German Embassy in Beijing before being allowed to enrol at any university course in Belgium. The APS certificate is also required for obtaining a student visa for Belgium.

  To obtain this certificate, applicants have to register online via https://www.aps.org.cn/portal/apsPortal/menu.do?target=verfahrenData. After successful registration, the APS will examine if the applicant fulfills the entry requirements for Belgian universities and if the applicant’s documents are authentic. Successful applicants will be invited for an interview. Interviews are normally conducted in the APS office in Beijing, but appointments can also be made every two months in Shanghai and two times a year in Guangzhou and Chengdu. In case you do not get through the interview there are two further opportunities for you to pass the interview stage (i.e. second and third interview).

  After passing the interview, you will be sent ten APS certificates by registered mail within ten days. The whole procedure – from the payment of the fee to the issuing of the certificate – takes about two months.

  For further information, please contact the APS centre in Beijing at info@aps.org.cn or visit the website www.aps.org.cn/web/.

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  Important notes

  • Please take into account that it will take up to two months to process your application for a student visa once you submitted your complete application with the Belgian Embassy.
    As our programmes start in September, you need to submit your application with the Belgian embassy no later then the end of June of that same year. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School cannot do anything to speed up this process.
  • Those who are required to have obtained the “Authorisation for Provisional Sojourn” but fail to do so will be returned to their country of origin by the Belgian Foreigners’ Registration Officer. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School cannot be held responsible for any such problems if you have neglected to obtain the necessary visa.

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• Health Care Information

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  Health Care Information

  Proof of health care insurance is a prerequisite for obtaining valid residence status and also a necessary requirement for enrolment at the School. Apart from these legal requirements, health care insurance is also in your own best interest.

  How you obtain, or prove, your health care insurance coverage depends partly on your nationality.

  Citizens of the European Union and Selected Countries

  For students who are citizens of an EU country or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia, proof of the required health insurance coverage is provided via Form E111 or the European Health Care Card, which you can obtain in your local health insurance office. Those possessing this form or Card do not have to obtain additional health care insurance coverage during their stay in Belgium. Reimbursement of your medical costs will be provided by a Belgian mutual health insurance company upon showing your E111 form or European Health Care Card. This also applies to costs for medication - ask for form 704N at your pharmacy.

  Students who do not possess either Form E111 or the European Health Care Card must follow the same procedures as non-EU students as described below:

  Citizens of Countries Outside the European Union

  If you are self-supporting or you have a scholarship that does not include health care insurance.

  If you currently have health care coverage in your home country, and this insurance would also cover any medical expenses during your stay in Belgium, there is nothing else you need to do (apart from proving that you have the coverage).

  If you do not have coverage, or your insurance does not cover costs while outside your home country, you will need to purchase insurance to cover your period of residency in Belgium. If you have proof of residence in Belgium, the insurance is free. You can obtain this proof at the immigration registry office in Ghent, Woodrow Wilsonplein1. This means that you are domiciled in Ghent.

  Without this proof, you can take advantage of health insurance coverage at a somewhat reduced cost as a student. To prove your student status, you will need to obtain a certificate of enrolment issued by the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School coordination office.

  Therefore, to prevent delay in obtaining coverage, you should check-in with the coordination office as soon as possible upon arrival in Ghent. Once you have your enrolment certificate, you can immediately take it to a Belgian health care insurance company of your choice to obtain the necessary insurance coverage. Insurance is provided on a quarterly basis and starts from the first day of the quarter in which you enrol. The cost for the first quarter is approximately € 48.

  Temporary private insurance

  If you arrive in Belgium before the beginning of the enrolment period, you cannot subscribe immediately to a health care policy as a student. To cover the period before your student coverage begins, we urge you to take out a temporary private health care insurance. The price per month for such coverage is approximately 38 euro for men and 56 euro for women. These amounts apply TO EACH family member.

  Will my insurance at home cover my health care abroad?

  Not all international students are covered while abroad; coverage depends on a number of criteria. To be sure you are covered, please contact your health care insurance company at home before leaving for Belgium.

  Supplemental Insurance for all Student Activities

  In addition to health care insurance, we offer a special supplementary personal accident insurance to the students, which covers all student activities including commuting to and from the courses. This is supplementary insurance, over and above the required health insurance.

  Any cost not reimbursed under your health care insurance will be covered by this special policy, on the strict condition, however, that the student concerned has paid all premiums for health insurance. Therefore, students from the EU countries must be in possession of the necessary E-forms, whereas self-supporting students must be full members of a Belgian health care company.

  This supplemental policy also covers third-party liability - that is, you are insured, within reason, against all damages resulting from actions committed by you while you are on campus as a student of the University.

  Third Party Liability Insurance

  Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School requires students to subscribe to a third-party liability insurance policy that covers off-campus damage caused by the student or their close family members. Only damage to third parties (i.e. to others) is covered. This means that your personal damage is not covered under this policy. There is, however, a guarantee of legal assistance as needed. For example, suppose you accidentally scratch a parked car while riding your bike and you are held responsible for the damage. The third party insurance will pay for the damage to the car but not your bike. Students are required to pay a fee of 15 euro per year for this policy. Only students who can prove that they are already covered for liabilities as a private person are exempted.

• in Ghent

• in Leuven