It’s possible to extend your residence card through the International Relations Office or the IOB students office.

Procedure and documents

You have to submit the following documents (max size of 4 MB per document)

  1. a completed, signed and dated information sheet for extension;  
  2. proof of scholarship OR proof of solvency (blocked university account) OR a legalized proof of sponsorship (Annex 32).
  3. a Standard form residence permit for the current academic year.  The Standard form residence permit (name in Dutch: Model van Standaardformulier) is the only study certificate that will be accepted by the immigration office. Download it from SisA (Documents > Standard form residence permit). ​The document is only available in Dutch.
  4. proof of valid public or private health insurance for Belgium. A recent certificate of insurance (verklaring van lidmaatschap) in case of a Belgian health insurance provider.  
  5. a colour copy of your passport  
  6. a colour copy of your current residence card  
  7. For Bachelor and Master students onlythe transcript of records document (= official study results). You have to request the transcript of records at your faculty or departmental student administration.  Document has to be signed and stamped.  Observation:  In case you have missed exams (e.g. sickness, etc.) you have to add proof thereof (such as sickness note, etc.) and/or give a clear statement of the reasons why you missed them.

Scan each document (not each page) as a .pdf and give each document the correct name. If it is a scan of your passport, name it “passport”.  Do the same with the other items, such as study certificate, info sheet, etc.  For the proof of financial means, name the document: scholarship, annex 32, proof of solvency or proof of financial means, whichever is correct for the item that you upload.

Applications for residence permit extension have to be submitted through Mobility Online. Enter your UAntwerp user name and password to login. After filling out the online information sheet you will receive an automatic email to complete your application in Mobility Online.

(Linguapolis and IOB students have to mail their application file to the Linguapolis or IOB office email address).

From that moment on, follow the different steps of the workflow in Mobility Online. Once you have finalized the process, the International Relations Office will review your application.  When your application is approved by the IRO you will receive a confirmation mail that your file has been forwarded to the Antwerp Immigration Office for further processing.

After approval an appointment date and time is set for you. You will receive an email with the appointment details. 

At the appointment you will present:

  • your passport and Belgian residence card (A-card)
  • one passport picture
  • pay for your new residence card with bank card (no cash is accepted)

Timing

Make sure to send in your application for extension preferably 15 days before the expiry date of your residence card.  A late or incomplete application will automatically be declared inadmissible by the Immigration Office.

Add extra days for processing through the university’s International Relations Office.

Important Due to the peak period in September and October at the International Students Desk of the Immigration Office, you are strongly advised to send in your application for extension 6 to 8 weeks before the expiry date of your residence permit.

If you have second-session exams (resits) in August and September, you will have to wait until you have received the official exam results from your faculty administration.Do not send in your application both through the International Relations Office and through the Immigration Office in Deurne. That will only complicate matters.

Insufficient study progress

Your right of residence as a non-EEA student is always limited to the duration of your studies. The Belgian immigration service has the authority to terminate your stay in case you excessively prolong your studies. If you wish to extend your residence permit, you will need to prove you have made sufficient progress in your studies.

The amount of credits you need to obtain depends on your programme:

Bachelor programme:

  • At least 45 credits after 2 enrolments in the programme.
  • At least 90 credits after 3 enrolments in the programme.
  • At least 135 credits after 4 enrolments in the programme.
  • After 5 enrolments in your 180-credit bachelor programme you must have obtained the degree.
  • After 6 enrolments in your 240-credit bachelor programme you must have obtained the degree.

Master programme:

  • At least 60 credits after 2 enrolments in the programme (whether or not combined with a bridging or preparatory programme).
  • At least 120 credits after 3 enrolments in the programme (whether or not combined with a bridging or preparatory programme).
  • After 2 enrolments in your 60-credit master programme you must have obtained your degree.
  • After 3 enrolments in your 120-credit master programme you must have obtained your degree.
  • After 4 enrolments in your 180-credit master programme you must have obtained your degree.

(In case the master programme is combined with a bridging or preparatory programme of at least 30 credits, these terms can be extended with one year of study.)

This information can be found on the ‘Study certificate Foreign Student’s Office’, that you can download from SiSa (only available in Dutch).

If you change programmes and you receive exemptions for certain courses, only the credits of the exempted courses count towards the calculation of these provisions.

Note! These rules apply in addition to the existing study progress measures of the university. To be able to re-enrol, you must therefore comply with both the university’s study progress measures and the conditions set by the Belgian immigration service. However, the Belgian immigration service will take account of any study progress monitoring measures that have been imposed if a student or the educational institution provides valid proof.

Exam absences

Any unauthorized absence for an exam will be officially noted on your study certificate ‘Foreign Students’ Office’ and may jeopardize your residence permit extension. Your application file will automatically be forwarded to the head office of immigration in Brussels for thorough review and decision. Poor exam results will understandably put extra burden on your request for extension. Always include a detailed explanation and motivation letter to your application file.