This third-country national must apply for a D visa at the Belgian diplomatic or consular post competent for the place where they habitually reside abroad. The procedure to be followed for submitting a D visa application and the form in which supporting documents must be submitted are explained on the post's site and/or the external service provider with which the post works (VFS Global, TLS Contact).
The general rule is that the applicant must submit the following items:
The third-country national who wishes to pursue full-time higher studies at an institution of higher education in Belgium, or a preparatory year for such education, and the third-country national who, after completing their studies, asks to be authorised to extend their stay in order to seek employment or set up a business, must prove that they have sufficient means of subsistence.
The minimum amount for the means of subsistence is set by Royal Decree and indexed every year. For the 2025 - 2026 academic year, this amount is 835 euros net/month.
Proof of sufficient means of subsistence is provided by submitting one or more of the following documents:
For more details, please visit the official government page: Sufficient means of subsistence.
The decision to grant or refuse a D visa is taken by the Immigration Office. In the event of a refusal, the decision and the reason for the refusal are notified to the applicant by the post. Applicants may introduce an appeal against this decision.
When their visa application is sent to the Immigration Office for a decision, the applicant can track the visa application through the app Follow-up the visa application.
For the most current and detailed information, please refer to the official Belgian Immigration Office website: IBZ Website.