Extension of stay as a foreign student

Step 1: Gather the documents

Digitally or on paper?

You provide the documents all in hard copy or all digitally.

• For digital documents: first go to step 2.
• For paper documents: go to step 3.

Which documents?

For everyone

• National passport
  This must be valid.
• Proof of enrolment at your university or college ('standaardformulier')
  • Regarding the new academic year.
  • View an example of a ‘standaardformulier' ('bijlage 1’).
• Proof of financial solvency for the new academic year
  • A scholarship, blocked account or annex 32.
  • Are you submitting an annex 32 for the first time or are you submitting a new annex 32? Don’t forget to include the necessary supporting documents as well.
• Proof of health insurance
  • No more than 6 months old.
  • E.g. a ‘declaration of membership’ (‘verklaring van lidmaatschap’)
• Standard form for study progress during the past academic year ('standaardformulier', 'bijlage 2')
  • You will receive it from your university or college.
  • Not required if you are exempt, e.g. PhD students.
• Transcript of your exam results of the past academic year
  • Not required if you are exempt, e.g. PhD students.

For those who submitted financial means during the previous extension of stay which cover only part of the new academic year

• Valid national passport
• Current residence card
• Proof of financial solvency for the remainder of the academic year
• Proof of enrolment at your university or college
  This may not be more than 1 month old.
• Proof of health insurance
  Only if your previous proof was issued more than 6 months ago.

Step 2: Submit digital documents

• Currently have all the documents digitally?
  Provide them to us in advance. That way, we can go through them together during your appointment.
• Don’t have all the documents as yet, but must meet your deadline?
  Then already provide some of the documents digitally.
  Have you meanwhile gathered any of the missing documents before your appointment? Then submit these digitally in advance as well. We will not accept any documents on paper during your appointment.

AttentionThis is not yet an application for extension
We don’t do anything with these documents as yet. We keep them for a maximum of 6 weeks, after which they are automatically deleted. We will only go through the documents during your appointment at the city office.
Make an appointment as soon as possible, so that you meet the extension deadline. The date of your appointment counts as the date on which you apply for extension.

Submit documents

Step 3: Make an appointment in the city office

How to make an appointment?

You can do so online or by phone

Online

If you are not in Belgium, you can only make an appointment by phone.

Make an appointment

What do you need to bring?

• Valid national passport
• Residence card
• Documents for your extension
  • If you have all the original documents in hard copy, you bring them with you.
  • If you provided them digitally in advance, we already have them and we will go through them together during the appointment.

You do not need to bring a passport photo. We will take one free of charge during your appointment.

What happens during your appointment?

Your application must meet the requirements of the Immigration Office of the federal authorities. For instance:

• You must have obtained sufficient study credits.
• You must have sufficient financial means.

Meet the requirements?
Then the city will extend your stay and you may immediately apply for a new residence card.

Don’t meet the requirements or are we in doubt?
Then we will forward your application to the federal authorities. Once they have made a decision, we will invite you.

What after graduation?

Graduated and want to work in Belgium?

Apply for the residence status 'work migrant'

Not yet found a job?

Then you can give yourself one year’s time to do so by applying for a search year.