Studying in Belgium from Cameroon: a practical guide

Two systems in one country

Higher education in Belgium is run by the communities. The Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, FWB) runs French-speaking institutions such as ULB, UCLouvain and ULiège. Flanders runs Dutch-speaking institutions such as KU Leuven and Ghent University, which also offer many programmes in English, especially at master’s level.

The rules for admission are different in each community, but the visa is the same: it is a federal matter, handled for Cameroon by the Belgian Embassy in Yaoundé. We checked the official pages on 22 October 2026.

French-speaking Belgium: equivalence of your BAC or GCE

To start a bachelor’s degree (bachelier) at an FWB institution with a foreign secondary diploma, you need an equivalence of your diploma to the Belgian certificate of upper secondary education (CESS). ULB says this is always required, whether your diploma is European or not.

Key rules from ULB and ULiège:

• You request the equivalence from the equivalence service of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
• The deadline is 15 July. If your final secondary results were proclaimed after 10 July, ULB says the deadline is extended to 14 September.
• The equivalence request does not replace the university’s own application deadline. You must respect both.

The procedure and documents can vary depending on the country where you got your diploma, so read the FWB equivalence service’s instructions for Cameroon. Its website was under maintenance when we checked; the contact details are on ULiège’s equivalence page.

French-speaking Belgium: deadlines for non-EU students

Students who need a visa must apply earlier than Belgian students. ULB, for example, says non-EU students who need a visa must submit their application online from February to the end of March. Each university sets its own calendar, so check the admissions page of every institution you are interested in.

Some programmes have extra steps. Medicine and dentistry in the FWB, for example, require passing an entrance exam held in Belgium, and the Belgian Embassy in Yaoundé has a specific short-stay visa procedure for candidates going to sit it.

Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flanders)

In Flanders, the official vlaanderen.be page says that most of the time you do not need official recognition of your foreign diploma to study. The institution itself decides whether your diploma gives access to a programme, or only under conditions. If recognition is needed, NARIC-Vlaanderen has an online wizard that tells you what to do.

Flemish universities often set early deadlines for applicants who need a visa. Read the international admissions page of each university and programme, and note the language requirements: Dutch for Dutch-taught programmes, usually an English test for English-taught ones. See our guide to language tests for studying abroad.

Fees and application costs

Registration fees in Belgium are set by each community and institution, and most non-EU students pay more than Belgian and EU students. Some non-EU students are “assimilated” to EU students for fees, for example because of their residence status; ULB explains its criteria on its international students page.

Some universities also charge an administrative fee to examine an application from a non-EU student. ULB warns that these fees are not refunded if you are refused or do not complete your registration, so check carefully that you meet the access conditions before you apply.

Ask every institution for its full cost for one year: registration, administrative fees, books, housing and insurance.

Proof of means

For the visa you must prove you have enough money to live in Belgium. The Belgian Immigration Office (Office des Étrangers) sets the minimum each year. For the 2026–2027 academic year, the minimum is €1,062 per month for a single student, as published by ULB. Proof can be a scholarship, a sponsor in Belgium who signs a commitment (annex 32), or a blocked account.

Some universities, such as ULB, offer a blocked account: you pay the monthly minimum multiplied by the number of months of your stay into the university’s account, and it releases the money monthly. ULB charges a non-refundable €150 handling fee. ULB notes that real living costs in Brussels may be higher than the minimum. The amount for 2027–2028 will be set by the Immigration Office.

The student visa from Cameroon

From the Belgian Embassy in Cameroon’s page “Étudier en Belgique” (updated 19 June 2026):
1. Fill in the visa form on Visa On Web, the Belgian online platform.
2. Book an appointment through Visa On Web with TLScontact. Only the TLScontact centre in Yaoundé receives student visa applications. Your file must be complete; the list of documents is on the Immigration Office website.
3. Diploma checks. Copies of the GCE A Level or BAC and transcripts go in the file. Anglophone applicants must have their diploma authenticated by the GCE Board before depositing. Francophone applicants go to the Office du Baccalauréat (OBC) after depositing, with their TLScontact receipt. Both bodies send results directly to the Embassy.
4. Criminal record extract: it must be legalised by MINREX before you deposit your file.
5. Questionnaire and possible interview at the Embassy. Bring your national ID card. An interview may be scheduled later with a Belgian consular officer.

The Embassy strongly advises against paying third parties or agencies for this procedure, and says they cannot give you any advantage.

Plan your year

A simple plan for a September intake:

• October–January: choose programmes, check language and admission rules, prepare documents.
• February–March: apply to FWB universities that ask non-EU visa applicants to apply in this window; check Flemish deadlines.
• By 15 July: FWB equivalence request for bachelor’s applicants.
• As soon as you are admitted: organise proof of means and book your Visa On Web appointment.

Keep a copy of every document you send, note each deadline in your phone, and check each university’s page again in January, because calendars can change from one year to the next. Our study-abroad checklist lists the documents and translations to prepare.

Results first

Belgian universities, especially in the sciences, expect solid foundations from the first year. If you are still in Terminale or Upper Sixth, a Houselewa tutor for the BAC or A Levels can help you arrive ready.