Antwerp
If you are a citizen of the Schengen area, you may travel to Belgium on the strength of a national passport or identity card.
If you have any other nationality, you have to apply for a student visa (long-term type D) during your Semester 1 in Spain and at the Belgian embassy or consulate before leaving Spain for Belgium.
Having a European Union residence permit from another EU country is not sufficient because upon arrival in Belgium you will have to present the same documents to the immigration office as for a student visa (type D) application.
If you have dual citizenship (for example non-EU and EU) and you are not currently a resident of a EU country, we strongly advise you to apply for a visa. The issuance of a residence permit could otherwise be delayed.
You may be in addition requested to have a medical check-up before issuance of the residence permit.
More information on the application procedure
Addresses of the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country: Here
Latest up-to-date information on the website of the University of Antwerp: Here
Important note
For some countries, approval by the Belgian authorities can take up to three months or longer. Make sure you start the visa application procedure well in advance! We urge you not to come on a tourist visa only.
As LIVE master student you will receive well before your arrival in Antwerp more information about available student accommodations in Antwerp.
If you prefer to look for accommodation yourself, we advise you to use Here.
Kotweb offers the largest database of student accommodation in Antwerp. Owners can advertise their property free of charge on the site and manage their data themselves. Students can search the entire database quickly and free of charge. You can check the movie from CTC Marketing for more information! We advise you to search for a student accommodation with a green quality label and a model lease.
– Green quality label : As a student, you cannot just rent any flat, bedsit, room or house. Accommodation for students must comply with certain statutory regulations in terms of quality, fire protection and urban development. The city of Antwerp inspects all student accommodation in Antwerp. Based on this inspection, the city services assign a quality label to each student property. If you search on any other website, you won’t be able to see the result of the safety inspection, the quality label, and won’t know whether the student accommodation has been approved by the city of Antwerp.
– Model lease : Letting contracts for student rooms are different from traditional letting contracts. If the landlord uses the model lease, you can be sure it is a contract with a good legal basis and corresponds to this rental law. The model lease is provided in Dutch and in English and can be checked online.
Here are some tips to help you in your search for suitable accommodation:
• Room or studio: A room has a shared kitchen and a shared bathroom. A studio is a room with a private bathroom and/or private kitchen.
• Costs: Be aware that the average price for a student room with shared bathroom and kitchen is 390 EUR/month. The average price for a studio with private bathroom and/or kitchen is 450 EUR/month. In most cases cost like internet, water, gas, electricity and heating are not included. Your landlord can charge a fixed amount for utilities such as heating, electricity, water etc. or work with a provisional charge. The provisional charge is paid in advance and actual usage amounts are calculated at the end of the lease.
• Deposit: A landlord might ask you to pay a deposit up to 2 months rent. The deposit is not a way to pay your last month’s rent. Since 01.01.2019 you need to pay by bank transfer and you cannot pay in cash. Never pay rent or deposit through Western Union! Note that the payment of a deposit is a binding acceptance of the contract. Read the contract carefully before signing or paying. You will read that if you break something, the landlord has the right to deduct the costs from your deposit.
• Flemish rental decree: The new Flemish Rental Decree includes a specific regulation for student rentals. It came into force on 1 January 2019. It applies to all leases signed on or after this date. More information can be found on Kotweb.
Before you can start the courses, you need to complete administrative paperwork at the University, such as enrolment and residence permit application.
Enrolment for the University of Antwerp will be done already upon arrival in Lyon in September during the integration week. The process includes an online preregistration for which you will have support on site from staff of the University of Antwerp. At that time, we will also need a copy of your ID card or passport and a digital passport picture. The second part, the enrolment in person, will be done upon physical arrival in Antwerp during the induction days.
Orientation Days –
A range of student associations on campus organise various social activities and are a good way to get to know other people. Find out about these facilties and more on the website of the University of Antwerp: Here
To ensure that your university degree choice is a success, we’d like to provide you with an estimate of costs associated with your study and living in Antwerp.
What will a year’s study cost you?
• Tuition fees: these fees are covered by the university Institutional cost of the LIVE master programme
• Housing: Renting a private room costs approximately 350 euros per month; a studio around 450 euros per month (plus water and electricity charges).
• Food: a meal in one of the student restaurants on campus costs between 3 and 5 euros.
Other costs to consider:
• public transport
• bicycle rent
• health, liability and travel insurance are covered by the university Institutional cost of the LIVE master programme
• UA+ pass for 20 euros, gives access to sports facilities and cultural activities at the University of Antwerp cultural and leisure activities
Student Associations : Here
It might also be a good idea to connect to UAntwerp on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UAntwerp
