Financial aspects

You can study in Flanders by participating in European Exchange programmes, if your home institute participates in these programmes. In this case you can obtain a mobility scholarship and it is obvious that you are exempted from all tuition fees as you are registered at your home institute. Be sure to contact your International Relations Office first. However you have to consider other costs, e.g. for language course fees. If you decide to enrol a full programme outside an exchange programme, you will have to pay a tuition fee at the Flemish institute. Tuition fees for degree students are fixed by Flemish law and indexed on an annual basis.
You need an adequate insurance (health, accident, third-party liability insurance …) before registering in any institute.
Scholarships may be available from the government or other official or private organisations in your home country.
In any case it is important that you have some financial resources because it is impossible to turn to your host university, hogeschool or any other Belgian organisation for help, once you are here. Financing your studies by taking on student jobs is also quite difficult.

Residence

Every foreign student (EU or not EU-citizen) has do present himself at the ‘Dienst Bevolking’ of the local town hall (Hasselt or Diepenbeek).

In theory this apllies also to students from the EU countries who stay 3 months or less in Belgium, but in most cases they do not need a special permit and they are considered as a tourist.

If you stay longer than 3 months (EU or not EU-citizen) you must always present yourself at the town hall do obtain a permit.
If you stay for longer  than 3 months and you are not a EU-citizen, you must obtain a Temporary Residence Permit, type D –visa for students at the Belgian embassy in your home country. If there is no Belgian embassy in your country you can go to another country’s embassy that also manages Belgian affairs. You will need proof of solvency in order to obtain the TRP.

More information:
www.diplomatie.be
www.hasselt.be.
www.diepenbeek.be