D visa for students of higher education (minimum stay of 91 days)

Last updated on

June 20, 2025

List of supporting documents

Please prepare 1 set of originals and 2 sets of copies in the order mentioned below.

List of supporting documents
	DOCUMENT	TYPE	COMMENT
1	Visa Application Form	2 originals	Printed from VOW Signed and dated Do not use a hyphen (-) to input your telephone number in VOW; this could result in an error in the system.
2	Passport	1 original + 2 copies of the data page	Issued less than 10 years ago Valid for at least more than 3 months beyond the validity of the requested visa. With a minimum of 3 consecutive blank pages available with the mention ‘visa’ to affix the visa sticker Undamaged
3	Recent photographs (for passports, IDs etc.)	3 originals	Conform to ICAO standards 1 photo to be attached on each application form 1 photo to be submitted separately Full name to be written on the back of each photo.
4	Valid Japanese resident card	1 original + 2 copies of the front and back	Only for non-Japanese applicants
5	Certificate of criminal record	1 original	Only if you are 18 years old or older on the day of your visa application appointment Legalized with an apostille, see the directions for more details
6	Medical certificate	1 original + 2 copies	See the directions In some cases, legalized with an apostille (see the directions) Submit both the certificate and the test results (provided by the doctor in detail)
7	Admission letter	1 original + 2 copies	If you need to take an entrance examination and have not received an admission letter, a certificate of registration for an entrance examination (delivered by the school in Belgium) is required instead The original admission letter received by post + 2 copies OR ask the accepting Belgian university to send the digital copy to tokyo.visa@diplobel.fed.be, and bring 2 printed-out copies on the day of your visa appointment. In the case of exchange students (in the framework of an agreement between a Belgian school and your home school), this should be clearly mentioned in the admission letter. If it is not, please also submit 2 copies of the agreement between the schools
8	Certificate of enrollment	1 original + 2 copies	Only if you are currently attending a school The document should be issued in English
9	Certificate of graduation of the last school you attended	1 original + 2 copies	Only if you cannot provide proof of enrollment because you are not currently attending a school If you cannot provide the original certificate of graduation, please ask the university to send the digital copy to tokyo.visa@diplobel.fed.be, and bring 2 printed-out copies on the day of your visa appointment. The document should be issued in English
10	Proof of sufficient means	1 original + 2 copies	A grant or scholarship ( min. €835 per month) OR Certificate of a blocked account; for information in detail, please see the comment below*2 If you cannot provide the original certificate of the blocked account, please ask the accepting Belgian university to send the digital copy to tokyo.visa@diplobel.fed.be, and bring 2 printed-out copies on the day of your visa appointment. OR A pledge of financial support of the student (for information in detail, click here)
11	Curriculum Vitae (CV)	1 original + 2 copies	No specific format required Contents up to your own discretion
12	Proof of payment of administration fee to the Belgian Immigration Office	1 original + 2 copies	Only if the applicant is 18 years old or older To be paid to the Belgian Immigration Office. For detailed information (amount, remittance, exemptions, special cases, etc.), check the directions.
13	Proof of (travel) health insurance in Belgium (optional)	1 original + 1 copy	The minimum cover is 30,000 EUR. Covering any costs of repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical care, and/or emergency hospital care during your stay. If you do not wish to submit proof of health insurance at the time of your visa application in Japan, you will have to take out health insurance in Belgium and prove it to the municipality in Belgium (for information in detail, please see the comment *3 below )
Visa fee Free of charge for Japanese, Moroccan, Israeli, Turkish, and San Marino nationals. NEW : From 1 March 2025, only electronic payment methods will be received at the Belgian Embassy in Toyo. Cash will no longer be accepted. For accepted types of payments, please see below: Image Click here for detailed information on prices and exemptions.

*1 Higher education

University of Antwerp, Gent, Kent, Liège, Mons, Namur, KU Leuven, UC Louvain, VUB, ULB, HEPL, HELMO, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, La Cambre, KdG, UCLL.

For schools not listed above, please check below links:
Flanders: Higher Education in Flanders - Study in Flanders
French-speaking community: Higher education in French-speaking Belgium | Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus (studyinbelgium.be)

*2 Blocked account

A blocked account can be created by way of payment of a sum of money into a bank account of the establishment of higher education where the student is registered or admitted to register. Certain universities demand that students pay into a bank account an amount enough to cover the first year of study. This sum is then repaid, in monthly installments, into the account opened by the student after his arrival in Belgium. In this case, the student produces an attestation from the establishment of higher education relating to the payment of the sum in question and the payment, in monthly installments, of an amount at least equal to 835 EUR, or proof of income generated by the pursuit of a paid activity. A student is authorized to pursue a paid activity outside the time normally devoted to studying, provided that the said activity is ancillary. In any event, the student must establish that the said paid activity is indeed an ancillary activity pursued during his free time and that it is being pursued legally.

For your information, the blocked account system is available at the following universities (non-exhaustive): KUL, VUB, ULB, Ghent University, Liège University, University of Antwerp, Royal Conservatory of Antwerp... Please check whether the blocked account exists with concerning university.

*3 Medical insurance in Belgium

If you decide to take out your health insurance after you have arrived in Belgium, the registration procedure at the municipality in order to obtain an ID (stay permit) card will be as follows:

You will first receive a registration certificate (AI) valid for 4 months from the date of entry into Belgium. This period will then give you the time to take out health insurance in Belgium.
Within the last 15 days before the expiration date of the AI, you will have to present proof of health insurance covering the risks in Belgium. If this proof is not produced, an order to leave Belgium will be issued.

Important

No application will be accepted without VOW (visa on web) and an e-appointment. Please refer to the “VOW Guidance”.
A complete visa file will take up to 2 weeks to be processed.
Your visa application can be accepted as early as 6 months before the beginning date of the study abroad, provided that all necessary documents are complete.

(In)complete documents

The visa desk reserves the right to request additional documents (even if not featured in the list above) or to invite the applicant to an interview if deemed necessary.
An incomplete application file can result in a visa refusal. However, a complete file does not guarantee the issuance of a visa. Be informed that the visa section has no obligation to ask for missing documents. If a document is missing, it will be assumed that you are unable to provide it, or that you do not wish to provide it.

Preparation of the application file

Unless otherwise indicated, documents sent by fax or email are not accepted.
All copies must be A4 size and as single-sided copies.
Setting - in the order listed above:

1 original application form +1 set of copies of other documents listed above

and