International students from outside the European Union will need to achieve certain grades to keep their visas or risk being deported under new plans by the Federal Government and its push to cut migration.
From this week, stricter conditions will apply to non-EU students wishing to study in Belgium or extend their student stay.
The aim is to combat the "abuse of student status without closing the door to international talent," according to a statement from the right-wing Minister for Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), as reported by Belga News Agency.
Foreign students will now be put under greater pressure to demonstrate they are making "genuine progress" in their studies. For bachelor’s programmes, at least 60 credits must have been obtained after two academic years, followed by at least 40 additional credits per year.
For master’s programmes, specialisation master’s degrees, certificates and doctorates, clearer limits have also been set regarding the maximum duration of studies, but further details were not shared.
In addition, a student who wishes to enrol in a third field of study during the first three years of their stay, without having obtained a degree in the two previous fields, will be refused an extension of their residence permit.
Similarly, those who, after higher education, switch unsuccessfully to a programme at a lower academic level will be subject to a stricter assessment.
"Studying in Belgium is not a revolving door," said the Flemish nationalist minister, Van Bossuyt. "Those who fail, start over, change course again and, in the meantime, artificially extend their stay year after year, must know that there are limits. It is harsh, but also fair to the many students who do make an effort and achieve results."
Illustration image shows students attending a lecture at the political faculty of the UCLouvain university in Louvain-la-Neuve, Wednesday 19 October 2022. CreditL Belga / Hatim Kaghat
In terms of figures, nearly 14,000 non-EU students applied for a first visa to study in Belgium in 2025. Eighty-two per cent of the applications where the student wished to follow a course at a recognised institution were approved.
For non-recognised institutions – which cannot organise a higher education study programme nor award the corresponding degrees, diplomas and certificates as they are not recognised by the competent authority – the approval rate stood at just 51%. These include specialised institutions like music, ballet or business schools.
According to Van Bossuyt, there are lower guarantees over the level and quality of the training or the value of the study certificates delivered at business schools.
De Wever targets international students
It comes in addition to a number of other rule-tightening exercises by the Federal Government led by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), rooted in its agenda to cut migration, including by targeting international students.
Since last September, non-EU students residing in Brussels on a student visa are no longer entitled to child benefits in the Brussels Region, with the measure expected to bring savings from €700,000 in 2025 to €17.8 million by 2030.
The financial threshold for non-EU students wishing to study in Belgium is also being raised from the next academic year. This student group will be forced to demonstrate the ability to cover monthly expenses of €1,050, up from €835.
The increase was justified by Minister Van Bossuyt as a way of shielding students from financial difficulties, but also to curb potential abuses of the student visa system, discouraging students from seeking benefits when struggling to cover living costs during their studies.
Critics say these changes will benefit those from an elevated financial position, potentially lowering opportunities for international students from working-class or lower-income backgrounds.
Illustration picture shows an empty classroom at a university college in Brussels, Thursday 08 May 2014. Credit: Belga / Siska Gremmelprez
Also, from the next school year, international students from outside the European Economic Area (non-EEA), studying at certain universities in Brussels, will see their tuition fees rise significantly due to government budget cuts, making studying in Belgium unaffordable for many candidates.
The measure has pushed institutions like the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema & Sound (RITCS) and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (EhB) to launch a crowdfunding campaign to "retain international talent".
Finally, new rules came into force last September for non-EU students wishing to renew their residence permit in Belgium.
They can now do this by submitting their application online via the IRISbox platform, selecting the "as a non-European student" option. This must be approved before the students can present themselves at the Immigration Office.
Last year, the Immigration Office denied 2,615 student visa applications, primarily from individuals originating in Cameroon (1,098) and Morocco (536).
