Applicants are responsible for making the necessary arrangements for their legal stay as students in Belgium.

If you require a visa, you should apply before the end of April because the visa process will take at least two or three months.

Here is some initial information that you need to consider. The criteria to get a visa for studies at a private school in Belgium are:

a) the capacity of the student to follow this type of education

b) the continuity of the study in the student’s life; what have been the studies before, and why start a study like this if it has not been studied before?

c) coherent motives to study

d) sufficient abilities in English to follow the course

e) the proof of sufficient financial means for the stay in Belgium during your studies

f) proof of the absence of illness

g) the absence of condemnation for criminal acts and violations of common law

To prove that the above criteria are met, you must present the following documents:

1) a letter about your motivation, justifying the choice taken and your interest to take the program based on your former education (covering points a, b, and c mentioned above). It is good to mention in the request that Bhaktivedanta College is accepted as a private school in Belgium.

2) a admission confirmation that you are accepted by Bhaktivedanta College, which we will provide after the admission procedure is completed

3) a copy of your high-school diploma or

4) a copy of the diplomas or certificates received since your secondary education.

Your marks in English must be 60% of the potential mark. If your first language is not English and you do not have marks over 60% in your latest certificate, you have to prove your abilities in English by a TOEFL Test or a Cambridge certificate.

5) Proof of sufficient financial means. They ask for a salary slip for the last three months of the person who supports the student. They do not consider the amount on bank accounts, as that may disappear. Owned property is accepted if it creates the necessary income to support the student. We will give you further advice on this point once the application procedure is completed. For students who receive a scholarship, Bhaktivedanta College will prove the financial means and provide the necessary documentation.

6) a medical certificate in your local language and a certified translation into French or English.

7) a certificate of good conduct (or the local equivalent of this document) if you are over 21 (or 18, if you are going to study at a private educational establishment); this document has to be in your local language and you have to provide a certified translation into French or English.

After the admission process is completed, we will get in touch with students who require a visa and guide them through the visa procedure. We advise that you apply early enough in spring to be able to get the visa before the school year starts in September. Students who apply during the summer may not be able to get their visa on time to start the courses in September as full-time students. Students who come late and therefore are not able to be admitted as full-time students anymore might have to stay an extra year to complete their missing credits, which will result in additional costs. We thus highly recommend early application.