Assimilation

Students who are not European Union nationals may find that they must pay increased registration fees.

However, by completing the document aimed at students from countries outside the European Union, and by producing supporting documents(*) pertaining to the assimilation conditions listed below, it is possible to be exempt from them:  

(*)The documents must be originals attesting to the situation at the moment of registration.

1. The student has a residence authorisation or has acquired the status of long-term resident:

• B Card (identity card/unlimited residence)
• C Card (foreign identity card/unlimited "residence" stay)
• D Card (long-term resident permit)
• F Card (resident permit of a family member of an EU citizen)

2. The student is considered to be a refugee, a stateless person, a person eligible for subsidiary or temporary protection, or to have submitted an application for asylum, subsidiary protection, statelessness, etc., which has not yet been the subject of a final decision or an appeal in administrative cassation declared admissible, until such time as a decision rejecting the admitted appeal is handed down:

• Refugee: B card. The status of refugee must be indicated on the back of the card
• Stateless person: official document of the municipality or of the Foreigners Office  proving the status of a stateless person
• Subsidiary protection: card A or card B (certificate of registration in the register of foreigners) + decision issued by the Immigration Office that grants the advantages of this protection. In contrast to refugee status, subsidiary protection is not indicated on the back of the certificate of registration in the register of foreigners)
• Asylum-seeker: annex 26 and/or document certifying that the Asylum-seeker request for asylum has not been definitively rejected, where applicable, that the potential administrative cassation appeal has not been rejected (letter from lawyer, "carte orange" certificate of registration...)
• Temporary protection: certificate from the General Directorate of the Aliens Office indicating temporary protection

3. The student is authorised to reside more than 3 months in Belgium and pursue a real and effective professional activity(*) or benefit from replacement income there:

• Residence permit valid for more than 3 months
• Professional activity: certificate of employment or work contract along with payslips corresponding to 6 months out of the 12 preceding registration
• Replacement income, unemployment, pension, social integration revenue or equivalent aid from the CPAS...

(*)"Is considered a real and effective professional activity that whose remuneration corresponds or corresponded, for 6 months out of the 12 preceding registration, to half of the average minimum monthly wage set by the National Labour Council"

4. The student is provided for or maintained by the public centres of social action, in a home which belongs the said centres, or in a home to which they have been entrusted:

• Recent certificate from the CPAS

5. The student has for father, mother, legal guardian, spouse, or legal cohabitant a national of a Member State of the European Union or who meets one of the conditions referred to in points 1 to 4 above:

Identity card or residence permits referred to in points 1 to 4 of the father, mother, legal guardian, spouse or legal cohabitant + official act proving parentage, guardianship, marriage, or legal cohabitation.

Note :

• Official act proving parentage: household composition or, if they do not reside at the same address as their parents, their birth certificate + identity card of the father or mother.
• The foreign certificate of guardianship or of marriage must be legalised by the Belgian embassies or consulates in the home countries of the foreign students.
• Legal cohabitation: document issued by the municipality certifying that a declaration of legal cohabitation has indeed been recorded.

6. Scholarship (CFWB-CDVLP). See article 105, §2 of the decree of 7 November 2013:

• Certificate of scholarship granting from the competent body.

7. The student benefits from a residence permit granted in application of article 61/7 of the law of 15 December 1980 on access to the territory, residence, establishment and removal of foreigners.

• Belgian residence permit valid for more than 3 months AND document attesting to long-term resident status obtained in another EU Member State