Studying in Belgium · United Kingdom
Studying in Belgium from the United Kingdom.
Since Brexit, a British student who is not covered by the withdrawal agreement follows exactly the same rules as any third-country national: long-stay visa, administrative fee, means of subsistence and higher registration fees. Here is the full journey, with its real timetable.
Updated on September 8, 2026
In short
Since 1 January 2021, a British national who does not benefit from the withdrawal agreement is a third-country national: short stays of up to 90 days remain possible without a visa, but studying in Belgium requires a type D long-stay visa, prepared on VisaOnWeb and then lodged in person at a TLScontact centre (London, Manchester or Edinburgh), with a visa fee of EUR 250 since 1 July 2026, an administrative fee of EUR 251 and proof of EUR 1,062 net per month in means of subsistence. The secondary diploma goes through an equivalence with the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (EUR 400), except for the international baccalaureate awarded by a school recognised by the International Baccalaureate Office; for A-levels, the published rule requires at least three A-levels with grades between A and C, or from 4 to 9 depending on the grading system. British documents are apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office, with no consular legalisation. Finally, British nationality no longer opens the European rate of registration fees: failing the withdrawal agreement or an individual assimilation criterion, the institution asks for a minerval of EUR 1,194 and a supplementary contribution of EUR 4,175 for 2026-2027.
The steps to study in Belgium from the United Kingdom
- 1Check your status: beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement (resident in Belgium before 31 December 2020, holder of a valid M or N card) or third-country national, which is the case for the vast majority of applicants.
- 2Obtain an admission in a recognised institution in French-speaking Belgium (university, haute école or higher arts school), the application of non-residents from outside the European Union closing on 31 March at the latest for an academic year starting in September of the same calendar year.
- 3Apply for the equivalence of your secondary school leaving diploma with the Equivalence Service of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, except for the exempt international baccalaureate.
- 4Have your British documents apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office and gather the items of the visa file (medical certificate, criminal record certificate, insurance, means of subsistence).
- 5Fill in the form on VisaOnWeb, then lodge the type D long-stay visa file in person at the TLScontact centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh.
Admission and equivalence: what are A-levels worth?
For a first university enrolment, a British applicant who is a non-resident from outside the European Union lodges their admission application through the institution's online form, which opens around mid-February and closes on 31 March at the latest for an academic year starting in September of the same calendar year (31 March 2026 for the September 2026 start, at the ULB as at ULiège). Application fees of EUR 200 are charged, non-refundable: they are deducted from the minerval by some universities, but not by all, and the exact treatment is checked institution by institution. Quota-limited programmes follow an entirely different calendar: the non-resident application is lodged with the chosen institution, electronically, in the last days of August (25, 26 and 27 August in 2026), one single application in one single institution, under a ceiling of 30% of non-residents (20% in veterinary medicine, 15% in medicine and dental sciences, where access is through an entrance exam organised between 16 and 31 August), according to the list of quota-limited studies published by ARES on mesetudes.be.
The Equivalence Service deals with British files on its page devoted to diplomas obtained outside the European Union, with a published rule specific to the GCE: to obtain an equivalence giving access to higher education, you must hold the GCE with at least three A-levels graded between A and C, or from 4 to 9 depending on the grading system, all subjects being taken into account except English Language. The Service also warns that a school file obtained outside the European Union is likely to receive an equivalence carrying restrictions, which can then be lifted through the DAES examination. The international baccalaureate is the exception: awarded in the United Kingdom by a school recognised by the International Baccalaureate Office and following its programmes, it is recognised without equivalence, provided it bears the official logo of the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
The file includes the diploma and the transcripts as true copies certified by a local authority official, with an apostilled signature, a copy of the identity document, a signed cover letter in French and the original proof of payment. No translation is needed, as English is among the languages accepted as they are. The fee is EUR 400, non-refundable, lodging opens around mid-November and closes on 15 July before the start of the academic year (from 15 November 2025 to 15 July 2026 for 2026-2027, dates for the following year to be confirmed on equivalences.cfwb.be), and processing takes at least 4 to 12 weeks. As for language, no decree imposes a level of French for entry into a bachelor's degree, apart from teacher training programmes, but each university may ask for proof, often at B2 level, when the diploma was not obtained in French: the ULB requires it, for example, in certain programmes (law, literature, philosophy).
The only published rule concerns the GCE A-level. For Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, as for BTECs, the treatment is not published by the Equivalence Service: the decision depends on the file and is checked before lodging, never after. This is exactly the kind of point we have confirmed upfront.
The student visa from the United Kingdom
A stay of up to 90 days remains possible without a visa, on a simple identity card or passport. Beyond that, a British national can no longer rely on the conditions applicable to EU citizens: a type D long-stay visa is required, whatever the purpose of the stay. The Belgian Embassy in London does not receive applications: they are lodged only at the centres of the provider TLScontact, in London (Ram Quarter, Wandsworth), Manchester and Edinburgh. The procedure always follows the same order: document check, VisaOnWeb form to complete and then sign once printed, appointment booked on the TLScontact platform (the appointment is cancelled if payment does not arrive in time), lodging in person with the collection of biometric data, then collection of the passport.
The file for a first study stay includes the passport, proof of payment of the administrative fee, the certificate of full-time enrolment or of admission (or of registration for an entrance exam), the equivalence of the secondary diploma for a first cycle, health insurance, a medical certificate issued by a doctor approved by the embassy, a criminal record certificate less than six months old for adults, which the embassy in London asks to be legalised by the Legalisation Office, and parental authorisation for a minor.
| Visa file item | 2026-2027 reference |
|---|---|
| Long-stay visa fee (consular rate raised on 1 July 2026, up from EUR 180) | EUR 250, that is £225 charged at the centre, plus £34.70 in TLScontact service fees, neither refundable nor transferable if the application is refused |
| Administrative fee (Immigration Office, as of 1 January 2026) | EUR 251 for a student in a public higher education institution, EUR 242 in other cases |
| Means of subsistence (amount indexed each year) | EUR 1,062 net per month, that is EUR 12,744 on a blocked account for twelve months, or a commitment to take charge (annex 32: the guarantor justifies EUR 2,217.47 for themselves, an amount indexed on 1 September 2026, and EUR 1,062 per dependent student) |
| Legal decision deadline | 90 days from the acknowledgement of receipt of a complete file |
The 90-day deadline is a legal deadline, not an optimistic estimate: added to the 4 to 12 weeks of equivalence and to the apostille lead times, it governs the whole timetable. A file built backwards from the start of the academic year, and not from the day the admission arrives, is the only way not to lose a year.
Getting your British documents apostilled
The United Kingdom is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, as is Belgium: British documents intended for the Belgian authorities are apostilled, without going through consular legalisation. The competent authority is the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Two options exist side by side: the paper apostille, at £45, within up to 25 working days plus postage (£32 per 1.5 kg to Europe), and the e-Apostille, at £35 and up to two working days, reserved for PDF documents signed electronically by a British notary or solicitor and excluded for civil status records (birth, death, marriage, civil partnership, adoption) as well as for ACRO police certificates and DBS certificates, that is precisely the criminal record certificate in the visa file.
Gov.uk expressly asks you to check with the recipient whether the e-Apostille is accepted, and neither the Equivalence Service nor the Immigration Office publishes a position on foreign electronic apostilles. Until that point is confirmed for your file, the paper apostille remains the safe route: you then have to allow up to 25 working days, that is more than a calendar month to build in very early. We have the accepted form and the exact certification chain for your documents confirmed before starting the procedure.
How much does enrolment cost for a British student?
The decree of 11 April 2014 reserves the assimilated-student rate for those who hold the nationality of a European Union member state or who meet one of the individual criteria it lists: long-term residence or an establishment permit, genuine and effective professional activity in Belgium or replacement income, support from a CPAS (public social welfare centre), a family, marriage or legal cohabitation link with a person of European nationality or who themselves meets these conditions, refugee status or subsidiary protection. Since the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, British nationality no longer opens this assimilation, and the country does not appear in any of the annexes to ARES circular 2026-001 listing the countries exempt from the supplementary contribution.
| Situation of the British student | Registration fees 2026-2027 |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement holding an M card, or student meeting an individual assimilation criterion | Minerval alone, at the full rate of EUR 1,194 (the rates of EUR 835, EUR 374 and EUR 0 depend on the economic situation of the household and are reserved for students who meet the residence conditions for study grants, living in Belgium or having family working there) |
| British student who is not assimilated (the most frequent case for an applicant arriving from the United Kingdom) | Minerval of EUR 1,194 and supplementary contribution of EUR 4,175, that is EUR 5,369 |
| Fees specific to the institution | EUR 200 in admission application fees, non-refundable, deducted from the minerval by some universities, but not by all |
The gap between the two rows exceeds EUR 4,000 per year of study, and it does not hinge on the passport but on the individual situation: this is the point to settle before enrolling, not when the bill arrives. We check your situation with the institution's enrolment department and gather, where it is open to you, the documents that establish assimilation.
Why get support
The British journey is that of a third-country national, but it is often approached with European reflexes: that is where years get lost. As for the many international students we support, you lodge your own admission application and your own visa application, in person at the TLScontact centre and with your own contact details: we prepare, we check and we orchestrate the sequence.
- Choice of institution and building of the admission file before the 31 March deadline
- Equivalence of the British diploma steered through to the decision, A-level rule and restrictions included
- A timetable built backwards from the start of the academic year, factoring in the 90-day decision period and the apostille lead times
- Assembly and checking of the visa file before your appointment at TLScontact London, Manchester or Edinburgh
- Analysis of your situation with regard to the assimilation criteria, before the institution sets your registration fees
Official sources
Information verified against official Belgian sources. Procedures, amounts and dates change every year, so always check the date before acting.
- Immigration Office (IBZ): Brexit, situation of British nationals not covered by the withdrawal agreement
- Belgian Embassy in London: visa for Belgium
- TLScontact: Belgium visa application centres in the United Kingdom
- Equivalence Service (FWB): files obtained outside the European Union, GCE A-level case
- Gov.uk: get a document legalised (FCDO Legalisation Office)
- ULB: registration fees 2026-2027
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a visa to study in Belgium as a British citizen?
Where do you lodge your student visa application in the United Kingdom?
Do A-levels give access to a Belgian university?
Do you have to apostille or legalise your British documents?
How much does a year of study in Belgium cost for a British student?
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