FAQ

I you want to study at the University of Antwerp as an exchange student you should be nominated by your home university first. Unfortunately, we cannot accept application from students who have not been officially nominated by their University. 

The language of instruction in Flanders is Dutch. Hence the university offers courses in Dutch and some faculties also organise English study programmes. For courses taught in Dutch professors often allow international students to take their examination in English.

• Overview of  all courses offered in English
• Information about language requirements

As it is important to have good knowledge of English to attend classes, students whose first language is not English should be able to provide evidence that their spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the programmes they have applied for.

Once you are entered in our online database “Mobility Online”, you can start with the application. The system guides you through the application process step by step. You will receive a manual with more info on each step and you will receive emails from ‘incomingstudents@uantwerpen.be’ with further instructions. Make sure to check your junkmail folder. In case you haven’t received any instructions, just let us know.

Please check your mails regularly and take your time to read through all the information. If you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

First make sure that your online application is completed correctly. As soon as we have reviewed your application documents and all is correct you will receive an email stating that you have been "formally approved". Afterwards the faculty will process your application and make a final decision on your acceptance (final acceptance). 

If you have not heard from us after a month of submitting your application, you may phone or email us to check on your application. Due to the large number of applications and enquiries we receive, we are not always able to respond to your enquiry immediately.

We will process all applications on an ongoing basis, and hope to get back to you with a decision within 6 weeks after the application deadline. As soon as you have been finally accepted you will receive a confirmation email with additional information.

Some faculties offer the possibility to do a work placement. You can find more info on how to apply for a placement on the admission page.

The maximum exchange period allowed is a full academic year. If you have been nominated for 1 semester and you wish to extend your exchange period, you should contact your home university first and ask for approval (by email). Then you can contact the international coordinator of the faculty at the University of Antwerp with a proposal for a new Learning Agreement for the extra semester.

We have provided an overview with links to the different faculties and the courses they offer in English.

Please contact the academic coordinator for all your additional questions concerning your study programme (choice of courses, course description, exams, learning agreement, …). It is always helpful to send along a copy of your transcript of records so the coordinator gets a better idea of your academic background.

Students may choose courses from faculties other than their own, but this is limited to two courses per faculty and is subject to approval. 

In principle students can take up a maximum of 30 credits per semester. We strongly advise exchange students to sign up for a minimum of  20 credits.

Most courses offered in English are master courses. In general you should at least have obtained a bachelor diploma before you can attend master courses. If you have questions about your choice of courses you can contact the international coordinator of your faculty. It is always helpful to send along a copy of your transcript of records so the coordinator gets a better idea of your academic background.

First of all you should check with your home university whether they will recognize the language course in your study programme.

You can take up language courses at Linguapolis, but do keep in mind that Linguapolis is an independent institute, this means that their courses are separate from the courses at the University of Antwerp. You can mention these courses on your learning agreement, as long as you have at least 20 credits per semester during your study exchange. Just make sure that your home university recognizes these credits.

As the language courses of Linguapolis are separate from the courses at the University of Antwerp, these courses come with a fee. You can find all information about their offer and prices on their website.
The credits of the Linguapolis courses won't appear on your transcript of records, but you can use your certificate as annex to your transcript.

You can register for your courses as soon as you have received your student account. Your student account will be handed over to you during the Orientation Days. With your student account you will have access to SisA, the online student administration system. Once you have registered for your courses, you can see your class schedules and check if there is a time overlap.

In the beginning of the semester most faculties organize an info session to inform their students about everything you need to know about the academic side of your stay in Antwerp. These sessions will provide you with answers to all your questions regarding your study programme.

During the Orientation days we will provide more info about when and where these sessions will be organized.

During the Orientation Days you will receive your student account which will give you access to SisA, the online student administration system. Once you have registered for your courses, you can check your class schedules and check if there is a time overlap.

If you have a specific question about the course schedule before your arrival you can contact the international coordinator of your faculty.

In the beginning of the semester most faculties organize an info session to inform their students about everything you need to know about the academic side of your stay in Antwerp. These sessions will provide you with answers to all your questions regarding your study programme.

During the Orientation days we will provide more info about when and where these sessions will be organized.

At the end of your exchange the international coordinator of your faculty at the UAntwerp will send your original Transcript of records by regular mail to your home university. In the meantime you will be able to check your exam results in SisA, the online student administration system (with your student account) a couple of weeks after the exams.

You can check the examperiods and announcement of result in the academic calendar.

Students are urged not to come on a tourist visa alone, even if  they have a European Union residence permit from another EU country. It is advised to start the visa application procedure well in advance. All information about student visa and the application is available under student visa section of our website.

The university doesn't provide airport pick-up. Antwerp is easily accessible by public transport. A couple of weeks before your arrival you will also receive a student guide by email to help you prepare your arrival.

More information about University and private housing is available under the housing section of our website.

It is important to plan your budget in advance of arrival. As an exchange student you are exempt of paying tuition fees, but there are still some costs you should take into account when planning your stay. You can find more information under the budget section of our website.

International students staying longer than 3 months should apply for a residence permit upon their arrival.

With a residence permit you can:

• Open a bank account
• Apply for a work permit
• Apply for a parking permit
• Get health insurance in Belgium

All information can be found on the residence permit section of our website.

The visa is the document that entitles you to enter a country. Dates on the visa are the dates in between you are allowed to travel to that country. If you have a MULTIPLE entry visa it means you can enter and leave the country more than once between that period of time. The visa is issued by the Belgian embassy in a foreign country.

The residence card is the document that entitles you to reside/live in a country for a determined period of time. You can leave and return to that country until the expiry date. The residence permit has priority over the visa and once you have the residence card the visa is no longer important. The residence permit is issued by the immigration services in Belgium.

Therefore all non-European students staying longer than 3 months should apply for the residence permit upon arrival in Belgium.​

It will be difficult to find a student job if you don’t speak Dutch, and there are only very few student jobs available in English.

You need a residence permit to open a bank account, but there are some exceptions. At the Orientation Days you will receive more information about how to open a bank account.

If you already have a European bank account there is no need to open a Belgian account. 

If you have lost your student card, you can contact the helpdesk of the central student administration and ask for a new card.

Your student card has been stolen? Then make sure you report this to the police first. Once you have reported the theft of your student card you can contact the helpdesk of the central student administration to ask for a new card.

Please contact the helpdesk of the central student administration.

Health Insurance: Before leaving for Antwerp you should report to your personal insurance company and carefully examine whether or not your personal health insurance covers all medical costs for the entire period of your stay in Belgium. If this is not the case, you can choose to take up insurance with a local health insurance federation in Antwerp upon arrival.

Registration as a student at the University of Antwerp includes accident and third party liability insurance, during educational and recreational activities in university buildings, during transfers to and from the university and during excursions approved by the university.

Fire Insurance: www.uantwerpen.be/internationalexchange/housing

• Stay up to date about UAntwerpen cultural activities and culture for and by students on the website of Rubi - The Cultural Factory​
  
• The “ESN Antwerp” student society organizes a lot of events for international students.
• ​STAN is a branch of the non-profit association Antwerpen Studentenstad. It is not merely a physical location but also a group of enthusiastic people who will serve as your guide to student life in Antwerp in every possible way. Every year STAN and their partners welcome all (new) students at StuDay.
• The International Relations Office organizes the Orientation Days before the start of each semester, and always keeps you up to date about other activities, events, lectures, … throughout the year! At the Orientation Days you will get introduced to all these student activities, so make sure you don’t miss them!

Once you register at the town hall and receive your residence card, you are considered a resident of Belgium/Antwerp. During the year, you may also receive letters from government agencies in Dutch, which can be difficult to understand. Please DO NOT ignore such correspondence! What to do? -> Please read this document​